Jeff Ponders II joined the ID Ventures team in April 2021 as Principal, Portfolio Success. In this role Jeff will be working closely with portfolio company founders as they scale toward major growth milestones and reach material valuation inflection points. He will also be involved in the investment process, assisting with diligence, and formulating a framework to chart growth trajectories, model future financings, and identify exit opportunities.
Jeff began his career in marketing strategy and analytics, working with agencies like Digitas and Leo Burnett for clients such as General Motors, Walmart, Samsung, and Colgate. After lending his expertise to several startups and entrepreneurs, Jeff founded The Cookie App, a MarTech startup, as a part of Bizdom’s 2013 cohort. After growing the business, he joined The Mars Agency and Griffon Ventures to lead digital innovation, before launching the innovation practice at Leo Burnett.
Since 2013, Jeff has been a passionate catalyst for entrepreneurship in the metro Detroit ecosystem. In addition to his role of Entrepreneur in Residence with TechTown, Jeff sits on the board of the New Enterprise Forum and is a co-founder of Commune Angels, a Michigan-based angel community bridging capital for diverse founders and funders. Overall, Jeff brings experience from a broad array of industries, with deep expertise in developing actionable strategy, building value-add relationships, and coaching founders.
A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Jeff resides in the Detroit area with his wife and three children.
