Jon Keidan

Founder and Managing partner at Torch Capital

Speaker

As the Founder and Managing Partner of Torch Capital, Jonathan Keidan brings a fresh look to VC, scouting early talent before it has hit the scene–– as he did with Grammy Award-winning musician John Legend and Dave Matthews Band from the start of their careers. Having spent his career at the intersection of media, technology, and entertainment, Jon has always had an eye for future consumer tastes and needs, enabling him to build nationally recognized companies with billion-dollar valuations. After starting in music talent management, Jon worked at McKinsey & Company and for Jack Welch, where he helped launch his online education venture JWMI. In 2011, he co-founded the digital media company InsideHook, leaving in 2018 to start his new venture, Torch Capital, which has now grown to $400M+ AUM. With a finger on the pulse of the consumer pain points, his early investments include household names, such as Compass, Sweetgreen, and Zocdoc. Jon is an alum of Columbia Business School. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a co-trustee for the George Gershwin Estate, a founding board member of the Bronx Success Academy 1 elementary charter school, and a board member of All-Star Code, an organization training boys from underrepresented populations to code and encouraging more diversity in the tech industry.