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I’m a Founding Partner at FoundersEdge, a pre-seed venture capital fund backing…
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Jess Lynch reposted thisJess Lynch reposted thisSuper excited to announce FoundersEdge is hosting our first Ditch the Deck in NYC this year on Wednesday, May 6th, from 5:30-7:30pm. RSVP link in comments! If you haven't been to one before, this isn't your typical pitch event. No slides, no decks. Instead, founders building in AI get to demo their actual products and get real feedback from a room full of people who want to help. It's part demo day, part mixer, and fully interactive. Some of the best founders & conversations happen after the demos end! We're selecting participants NOW, so if you're a founder or know one working on something exciting in NYC and want to put it in front of a great crowd, this is your shot. And if you just want to come see what people are building and meet other folks in the ecosystem, we'd love to have you! Apply to demo or RSVP in the comments!
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Jess Lynch reposted thisJess Lynch reposted thisIn this Women's history month, Her Lead Story will be spotlighting women who are doing the hard work of lifting others through their AI initiatives. Because the more women use AI, the more we can influence the outcomes of an AI-enabled society. As they say, if we aren't invited to the table, we build our own. Today we highlight Jess Lynch who's been busy sharing tips with founders on using AI. Her favorite moment with AI turns out geeking out on terminal with Claude!
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Jess Lynch shared thisAwesome seeing people use my Claude Code use cases! Here are a few more that have helped me prep for maternity leave 👇 With help from my Claude Code “Chief of Staff,” I’ve set up the following: 1️⃣ Help Bella, who will be monitoring my inbox, know who’s who → Built a 2x/week VIP summary so Bella can quickly see which emails are from portfolio founders and LPs and ensure they get handled in my absence. 2️⃣ Stay in the loop without being “on” → Built a weekly digest I get emailed covering what happens across my inbox: key decisions, updates, and threads that matter. 3️⃣ Capture the work that usually lives in my head → Had Claude figure out the processes I usually manage (and may take for granted) and turn them into a delegation guide for my team. 4️⃣ Automate tasks for processes I manage, for example: → The moment we close, onboarding tasks are created so portfolio companies are fully onboarded and nothing falls through the cracks. → When we’re helping founders close their round, I usually pull a personalized co-investor list. Claude now automates this process! Feels like leverage is getting redefined. I’m not an engineer. None of this required one. What are the most useful things you’ve built with Claude so far? #AI #Claudecode #automation #chiefofstaff #vc Claude
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Jess Lynch shared thisSaying "no" is one of the hardest (and most important) skills to learn. Especially as a founder, where focus is everything. With maternity leave coming up, I’ve been forced to get very clear on what I say yes (and no) to. Here’s the simple filter I’ve been using for every ask: → Does this align with my top 2–3 priorities right now? → Would I be excited to do this tomorrow? → Does it energize me or drain me? → Am I saying yes out of guilt, FOMO, or obligation? If it’s not a clear yes… it’s a no. What’s been landing in my inbox lately: “Can I pick your brain?” Podcast invites General networking intro requests All good things. All things I can’t say yes to right now. “No” isn't rejection, it's: ✔ Respect for my own priorities ✔ Honesty with the other person - clear communication is trust building! ✔ Protection of my energy Saying no isn’t closing doors - it’s making sure you show up fully for the ones that matter most! Hope these templates and tips help you stay true to your own priorities, while also clearly communicating with the important people around you. #startups #founders #venturecapital #founderlife #leadership #productivity #boundariesThe Saying “No” Playbook: How to Reply without GuiltThe Saying “No” Playbook: How to Reply without Guilt
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Jess Lynch shared thisNon-technical founders are massively underusing AI coding tools. This is your nudge to dive in! I’m not an engineer but I use Claude Code every day. It helps me automate tasks, think through problems, and move faster across almost every workflow. I put together the top 10 ways founders and investors can use it in their day-to-day based on my experience. Dropping the guide in the comments 👇 What are you using AI to automate right now? #AIforFounders #AIAutomation #ClaudeCode #StartupTools #AITools
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Jess Lynch reposted thisJess Lynch reposted thisStartups don’t grow in isolation. They grow because people are building the infrastructure around them: connecting founders with investors, mentoring early-stage teams, and opening doors to capital. Boston’s startup ecosystem is stronger because of leaders like: ✨ Jodi Collier — Executive Director, Launchpad Venture Group Through angel investing and mentorship, Jodi helps early-stage founders refine strategy, strengthen positioning, and accelerate growth. Her leadership connects entrepreneurs with investors and guidance at pivotal moments in their journey. ✨ Jess Lynch — Founding Partner, FoundersEdge Jessica supports early-stage and aspiring founders by helping them build clarity, confidence, and investor readiness. Through coaching and founder education, she equips entrepreneurs with the tools needed to navigate the earliest stages of building a company. ✨ Anna Palmer — Managing Owner, Boston Legacy FC | Cofounder & Managing Partner, XFactor Ventures | Venture Partner, Flybridge Capital Anna invests in female founders and mixed-gender teams tackling billion-dollar markets at the pre-seed and seed stages, expanding access to venture capital. Her leadership also extends to professional sports, helping bring a National Women’s Soccer League team to Boston and elevate women’s visibility in leadership. ✨ Lily Lyman — General Partner, Underscore VC Focused on early-stage investing, Lily partners closely with founders as they scale, helping build durable companies from the earliest stages. Her work strengthens Boston’s venture ecosystem while supporting entrepreneurs navigating growth and product-market fit. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ev-hqrCU
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Jess Lynch shared thisAmazing founder opportunity to work with the best on personal development so your business and team can move faster. Glad you're coming to east coast David!Jess Lynch shared thisMost leadership development retreats tell you what good leadership looks like. T-group reveals how you actually show up -- the gap between your intention and your impact, in real time, with real people. It’s a space to lean into your interpersonal edges and learn how to influence, connect, and repair in new ways. Our T-group alums consistently say that this experience changed their lives– as founders, as bosses, and as spouses. What’s most gratifying for me, though, is witnessing participants leave our retreats with a profoundly deeper relationship with themselves. Though we’ve been leading these retreats for over a decade, Anamaria Nino-Murcia and I are bringing T-group to New York for the first time in June. If you're a startup founder/operator and this sounds intriguing (or terrifying), link in comments.
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Jess Lynch shared thisThe biggest fundraising mistake founders make 👇 Taking pitch advice from people who haven’t raised recently. Instead, find 2–3 founders who just raised the type of round you’re going after and have them help you hone your pitch. When I was raising my first startup, I got feedback from mentors, professors, consultants - even investors. I thought I was getting great guidance. But they hadn’t been in-market raising my type of round and company recently. I ended up stepping on land mines I didn’t even know were there. Everything changed when I started taking advice from founders who had just raised from the type of investors I was targeting. If you’re not filtering advice by both stage and sector, you’re probably getting advice that doesn’t apply and it can cost you the round. Plus, founders can also help with warm intros to the right investors. #startups #fundraising #venturecapital #preseed #founderlessons #buildinpublic #founderfundraising
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Jess Lynch shared thisFounders, my #1 piece of fundraising advice: Find 2-3 founders who recently raised a similar stage round from similar investors and have them help you hone your pitch. The biggest mistake I made as a first-time founder raising was getting feedback and listening to people who hadn’t raised recently (in the last 1-5 years), or ever. I got pitch feedback from mentors, professors, consultants, even active investors. I thought I was getting really high quality guidance. They meant well, but looking back I now realize the feedback was outdated, conflicting, or just not relevant to the type of investor I needed. One would say “add more revenue projection slides.” Another would say “too much detail, simplify.” I ended up stepping on land mines I didn't know were there. Everything changed when I changed who I was taking advice from. 👉 The people you should really take pitch advice from are founders who’ve recently raised from the type of investor you’re going after - and in your sector. A CPG founder pitching a pre-seed fund has a totally different playbook than a SaaS founder pitching a Series A fund. Life sciences? Whole other world. Enterprise SaaS vs. consumer social? Night and day. If you’re not filtering for both stage and sector, you’re probably getting advice that doesn’t apply - and could cost you the round. Plus, investors often don't know what strategies were used on them that worked. The founders do. Founders who recently raised can also help you get in front of great aligned investors with warm intros. If fundraising has felt confusing or inconsistent, you’re not imagining it. It is when you're new to the process. You’re not alone. Find 2-3 founders to be in your fundraising pod, and get to honing your pitch and pipeline. It will be game changing. When I went from founder fundraising to investor investing at FoundersEdge I had tons of "aha" moments on pitch decks and raising. If you're pre-seed stage and B2B, check out my playbook on early stage pitch decks - one video in each slide with everything I wished I had known. Any questions? Comment and I'll get back to you! #startups #fundraising #venturecapital #preseed #founderlessons #buildinpublic #founderfundraisingMastering Early-Stage Pitch Decks: Breaking It Down Slide by SlideMastering Early-Stage Pitch Decks: Breaking It Down Slide by Slide
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Jess Lynch liked thisJess Lynch liked thisCoterie x Sorette We’re thrilled to share that Coterie's diapers and wipes products are now Sorette Approved. Diapers and wipes are a product choice parents are faced with from day one. They come into constant contact with your little one for years at a time, touching delicate, sensitive skin. And yet they’re often overlooked when it comes to what’s actually in them and how they’re made. As we expanded into this category, we approached it the same way we do across Sorette. We go beyond what’s on the label to understand the full picture, from materials and sourcing to manufacturing and safety standards. We built our Diaper & Wipes Review Framework in partnership with our Scientific Advisory Board to evaluate exactly that, the transparency and quality controls behind how these products are made. What the amazing Jess Frenchman Jacobs and the team at Coterie have built stands out. They’ve raised the standard in this category and actually delivered on marketing that speaks to parents. Coterie operates with a higher standard when it comes to materials, performance, and safety, and they approached our review with that same level of rigor and transparency. To celebrate the launch, we hosted a conversation in Westport, CT last week with Jess Frenchman Jacobs (CEO, Coterie), Kimberly Price (Oak Essentials), and Elizabeth Baron (Maternal Health Psychotherapist), alongside 30 moms across all stages of motherhood. We spent a lot of time talking about the mental load that comes with navigating consumer products, and the guilt that can creep in, even when you’re doing everything you can to make the best choices for your family. It’s something I think about a lot, how heavy that can feel. And honestly, it’s a big reason we started Sorette in the first place, to help take even a small piece of that weight off moms’ shoulders. Grateful for the partnership and excited for what’s ahead 🤍
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Jess Lynch liked thisJess Lynch liked thisI'm excited to join FoundersEdge as an LP & Mentor—and work alongside an incredibly energized, experienced, and savvy team of AI-forward investors. Over the past 10 years I've voted with my wallet and my time. I’ve personally invested in and advised 17 startups over the past 5 years—backing diverse founders across FemTech, Sustainable Fashion, and FinTech who've collectively raised $20M+. Each investment was a personal bet on the founders I came to know and trust. What drew me to FoundersEdge? Jess Lynch and Gregory Raiz have built something different. They're not running traditional accelerators with demo days and relocations. Instead, they've created a data-driven, hands-on investment approach focused on pre-seed startups at the intersection of AI & UX. They leverage analytics and direct experience to help founders build exceptional companies across four critical pillars: Customers, Culture, Cash Flow, and Capital. This is the kind of disciplined, strategic approach I've been craving. What I bring to this AI-data driven team: After founding and scaling my own venture-backed startup while growing a family, I hit the proverbial burn-out wall. Years later I returned to the startup world as a "founder doula" where I’ve had the opportunity to guide hundreds of female entrepreneurs to launch and scale their own companies. My superpower? The often overlooked "inner edge": coaching founders to lead themselves and their teams effectively through the intense chaos of building. Because while profitability, deep expertise in AI, analytics, and product-market fit are all essential, it is also paramount for founders to actively manage their wellbeing (and find joy in the process!) What we're looking for: ✅ Experienced founders (and in particular, second-time solo founders) seeking pre-seed capital and support ✅ AI-First Builders reimagining user experiences through AI and using it on the backend to improve operational efficiency ✅ Industries & customers ready for disruption—especially founders solving problems currently managed with Excel spreadsheets and pen & paper ✅ Aren't afraid to challenge the status quo— and have the potential to make a significant positive impact on the world How we help: →Capital + 1-1 guidance from experienced founders and industry experts. →Through hands-on mentorship calls and curated introductions to potential customers and investors, we give you our all. Are you a founder who fits? → Submit your pitch: https://lnkd.in/esUzPXtK → Or reach out to me directly to share what you're working on—I'd love to connect you with this incredible team Let's build companies that are both successful and sustainable. #FoundersEdge #AIStartup #StartupFounders #ConsciousLeadership #DataDriven #Entrepreneurship #SustainableAI
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Jess Lynch liked thisJess Lynch liked thisYesterday I held my book for the first time. I've been writing it for years. Read and reread every page. There's something about the physical weight of it in your hands that hits differently. The occasion was the Equalize Startups culmination event. They purchased early copies, ordered before the official launch date, for a cohort that needed them NOW. Equalize is one of my favorite programs. They focus on women academic inventors, researchers, and scientists spinning their innovations out of universities into companies, and they do it with a specificity and intentionality that most accelerators never reach. I've been through the process of spinning out of a university and I know how isolating it is. How murky early-stage fundraising feels when every resource you find was written for someone who doesn't look like you or come from where you come from. I gave a talk during lunch and then stayed for the rest of the day. 50 founders who flew in from around the country, plus the mentors, investors, sponsors, and ecosystem partners who showed up for them. Watching people flip through the chapters and say, "this is exactly what I've been looking for and couldn't find" hit me somewhere I wasn't expecting. Multiple people said every entrepreneur should read this. I didn't even bring a Sharpie. Nearly everyone asked me to sign their copy. Early on, someone handed me one and said: "You're an author now. You should always have one with you." I hadn't fully let that sink in until yesterday. Thank you Nichole Mercier, Ph.D., and Kirsten Leute for running such a meaningful program, providing my book as a resource, and turning yesterday into an unofficial, unexpected launch day full of joy.
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Jess Lynch liked thisJess Lynch liked thisThe startup world celebrates exits and recognition. But that’s not what most builders are actually working for. This morning I saw that Stephanie Roulic included me in her roundup of women leaders shaping the Boston startup scene in 2026. It meant more than almost any recognition I’ve ever received. I had a conversation this weekend with a self-proclaimed startup junkie who had a big exit last year. As the key employee, he didn’t have to stay after the acquisition. He could have taken the win and moved on to the next startup. But he’s staying. Because of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into building the company… and because he wants to make sure the handoff gives it the best possible chance to thrive. The truth is, most people grinding in this ecosystem aren’t doing it for recognition. Like me, they believe the work is important. At Workbar, we’ve doubled down on Boston. It’s our home. It’s where we were born 15 years ago. It’s where our team lives, works, and raises their families. And every day inside our spaces we get to see the full startup journey: • founders sketching the first version of an idea • small teams hiring their first employees • teams figuring out product-market fit • companies growing into real businesses • and sometimes… companies reaching an exit Having Startup Boston recognize Workbar as the most founder-friendly community in the city is all the validation I need to keep getting up every day and building the infrastructure founders need to create the next generation of world-changing companies. Because Boston doesn’t just produce great companies. It produces builders. And I feel incredibly lucky that Workbar gets to play a small role in that story. Beyond grateful I get to be building alongside all of these amazing women shaping the Boston startup scene. 👉 Stephanie Roulic 👑 👉 Jess Lynch 👉 Lily Lyman 👉 Jodi Collier 👉 Bobbie Carlton 👉 Allison Byers 👉 Sheena Collier 👉 Joyce Sidopoulos 👉 Siobhan Dullea 👉 Jill Kravetz 👉 Cindy Klein Marmer 👉 Anna Palmer 👉 Betty Francisco 👉 Hope Hopkins 👉 Isabella Mandis 👉 Marianna Miller 👉 Sabrina Mansur 👉 Stefanie Chiras 👉 Elaine Chen 👉 Caitlin Reimers Brumme 👉 Sophia Kambanis 👉 Tricia Bitetto 👉 Lily Volper 👉 Hali Smith, M.Sc. 👉 Shanice Wallace, MPP 👉 Sara Fraim 👉 Shweta Agrawal 👉 Claudia Chica Diaz 👉 Gail Goodman
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Jess Lynch liked thisJess Lynch liked thisBobbie x Sorette We’re very excited to share that Bobbie's Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is now Sorette Approved. Choosing an infant formula is personal and nuanced — and in the thick of postpartum fog, it can feel deeply overwhelming. As a mom of two combo-fed kids with a background in food & bev CPG, I found myself wanting to understand more than what I was reading on the back of a label or seeing through marketing. So when we expanded into infant nutrition, we knew we needed to go deeper than the ingredient list. We built Sorette's Infant Formula Transparency Review: an independent, expert-led assessment of the transparency and quality controls behind how formula is made, sourced, and tested, in partnership with our Scientific Advisory Board, including: Nan Du, MD, MPH — Board-Certified in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Jillian Greaves MPH, RD, LDN — Integrative and Functional Registered Dietitian Pavani Gonnabathula Ph.D. — Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Regulatory Expert Throughout this process, one thing became very clear. What Laura Modi and Sarah Hardy have built with Bobbie is truly special. The first mom-founded, mom-led infant formula company manufactured in the U.S., built to help parents feed with confidence and raise the bar in a category where standards have historically fallen short. We’re very proud to say that Bobbie's Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is the first to receive the Sorette Seal of Approval. This is a product that didn’t just meet our review, but approached it with the level of transparency we were looking for. A special thank you to Kim Chappell for championing this from day one, along with Sophia Basco and the entire Bobbie team for their partnership throughout. 🤍
Experience & Education
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FoundersEdge
View Jess’s full experience
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Licenses & Certifications
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Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Massachusetts Board of Accountancy
Volunteer Experience
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Founder
CT Founder Club + CT Tech & Startup Event Calendar
- Present 2 years 2 months
Economic Empowerment
When I moved from Boston to CT I was inspired to bring ecosystem support I had experienced in Boston as a founder to the CT ecosystem. I started a founder community CT Founder Club and a central calendar for tech & startup events across the state of Connecticut.
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Startup Advisor
CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center)
Economic Empowerment
Startup Advisor for CIC Massachusetts’ Social Impact Cohort which supports startups led by historically underserved entrepreneurs—including BIPOC, female-identifying, and veteran-led businesses from socially and economically disadvantaged groups based in Massachusetts.
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Mentor
Babson College Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership
The Center for Women's Entrepreneurial (CWEL) Scholars Mentor Program connects professional women to Babson undergraduate CWEL Scholars to forge meaningful developmental relationships with long-term impact.
Honors & Awards
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Clinton A. Petersen Accounting Award
Babson College
This award is presented to a senior concentrating in accounting (6 or more accounting courses) who has the highest degree of knowledge in all phases of accounting.
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Law Award
Babson College
This award is presented to the senior who has completed three or more law electives and has demonstrated academic excellence in law.
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Student Contribution Award
Babson College
The award is presented to seniors for outstanding contributions to student life through special organizations and creative programs.
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Entrepreneurship Leadership Award
Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership, Babson College
This annual award is given to the woman who expresses entrepreneurial leadership at Babson and beyond and shows everlasting dedication to the Women's Leadership Program.
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Greek Pillar of Scholarship Award
Babson Greek Community
This award is given to the member of the Greek Community with the highest GPA.
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Dean's Leadership and Achievement Award
Babson College
This award is presented to a select group of juniors and seniors who have excelled in scholarship, participation and leadership, citizenship and service, and have potential for future achievement.
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