Startup San Diego, a nonprofit organization which fosters collaboration among entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors, has reached a milestone with the hiring of its first full-time executive director.
Jarrod Russell, a San Diego native and UC San Diego graduate with a background in community engagement and the startup ecosystem, will lead the organization’s year-round efforts to help entrepreneurs “take the leap and build solid San Diego tech companies.”
“Thanks to our amazing volunteers, Startup San Diego is becoming the go-to grassroots organization for entrepreneurs,” said Russell. “If entrepreneurs are running hard to solve a big problem, we as a community have an opportunity to rally around them, to celebrate them, and to provide support and resources proportional to their integrity, merit, and gumption.”
The six-year-old organization sponsors the annual summer Startup Week, which this year grew to over 3,000 attendees supported by hundreds of volunteers.
“We are thrilled to have Russell leading the charge in bringing everyday resources to our entrepreneurs and every other individual and organization impassioned to build great San Diego companies,” said Startup San Diego Board Chair Neal Bloom.