Kristina Montague // The JumpFund
Kristina Montague is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the JumpFund, a Chattanooga based angel fund whose mission is to invest women’s capital in female-led companies with growth potential in order to generate a strong financial return and elevate the role of women in business. Most recently, Kristina served as Assistant Dean of External Affairs at the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga’s College of Business, where she developed her passion for supporting and encouraging women as business leaders. There, she worked closely with students and faculty to develop “business world ready” graduates and connect UTC with the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Chattanooga. Kristina has also held leadership roles with two successful “start-up” public schools, Normal Park Museum Magnet and the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, the city’s first charter school, and served as a program associate at the Public Education Foundation.
A native of Seattle, Kristina received her B.A. from Vassar College and served as a Teach for America corps member in rural Louisiana before pursuing her Masters in Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Washington. Her long-time engagement in philanthropic and non-profit ventures underscores her commitment to encourage women to invest in women for both the economic and social benefit. Kristina is the current board chair of the Creative Discovery Museum, vice chair of the Young Women’s Leadership Foundation and serves on the board of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Normal Park Education Fund, Launch Chattanooga, and Footprint Foundation. She is also an active member of the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and Chattanooga Downtown Rotary and was recognized as a 2013 Woman of Distinction by the American Lung Association.