We're delighted to announce that Jill Puente has joined the Unusual Ventures team as our Chief Marketing Officer! 

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Jill brings an incredible wealth of marketing expertise and ideas to our firm. Her background, cultivated over a decade in the tech industry, speaks volumes about her ability to build powerful brands and marketing engines.

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Jill began her career on Capitol Hill as a staffer in the U.S. Congress before making the leap to Silicon Valley, joining the high-growth social media marketing startup, Wildfire Interactive. Following Wildfire's acquisition by Google in 2012, Jill spent a decade leading marketing efforts across diverse functions, including Sustainability, Google One, Family Link, and Google Fiber. Her experience spans nearly every facet of marketing, from growth and product to retail, events, and brand. Prior to Unusual, Jill served as the Founding Marketing Partner and CMO at Pear VC, where she built the firm’s marketing, communications, and community efforts, while also supporting portfolio companies and LP relations.

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One of the things that makes Unusual unique is our dedication to creating insightful and actionable content and programs for early-stage founders. From our Startup Field Guide to Unusual Academy, we aim to support founders through every milestone on their journey to product-market fit. Jill’s experience will be instrumental in amplifying our reach and ensuring that our content and programs resonate with the founders who need it most. 

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When we first met Jill, we loved her passion for helping founders succeed. She keenly understands the role of marketing in crafting authentic narratives and building genuine connections. Jill was impressed with the “true value-add founder support model” at Unusual. As she put in our very first all-hands session: “Every venture firm says that they support founders, but Unusual seems to really walk the walk. There is also already an amazing marketing foundation rooted in great content and community.”

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Jill lives in San Francisco with her husband, Lucas, her sons, Nico and Felix, and their dog, Scout. She holds a BA and MPA from the University of Georgia, where she studied International Affairs and Public Administration. 

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Jill’s passion for empowering founders is truly infectious. We're confident that she'll be a great resource to Unusual and our portfolio companies! 

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Welcome Jill! Looking forward to the amazing things we'll accomplish together!