Founder and Managing Partner of the SmartMoney Group, J.D. has spent twenty-eight years in the trenches of venture-backed startups, as a founder, operator, and investor, with six exits along the way. He has raised over $100M in venture capital, trained thousands of entrepreneurs, and built a network that spans the Heartland's most active investors and funds.

On the podcast, he brings that deal-table perspective to the microphone, drawing out the real stories behind the raise: the pivots, the failures, and the moments that separate the founders who climb from the ones who reach the summit.