Our Story
Our mission is to enable and fund entrepreneurs tackling today's pressing issues — inequality, economic mobility, health, the environment — so they can solve problems within their communities and globally, and we can help amplify their stories and success.
Drawing from over two decades of experience, Modern Tender stands at the forefront of driving high-growth, mission-driven campaigns and ventures. We are strong advocates for the transformative potential of designing from first principles, which we harness to improve systems, markets, and ventures. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is reflected in our collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders to identify, fund, and advance historically-excluded leaders and use-cases across sectors. From supporting candidates with diverse lived experiences to partnering with innovative founders, we strive to align capital allocation for dual financial and impact returns across the spectrum of capital.
We've built a community of experts to support impact innovators like you with bold, data-driven strategies to meet the challenges of our time. If you agree, let’s explore what’s possible!
Meet our Founder, Laurie Felker Jones, M.Sc.
Laurie is an impact-driven innovator who specialises in hybrid ventures, alternative financing, and cross-sector ecosystem-building. Committed to inclusive design, Laurie regularly collaborates with funders, founders, and institutions to drive global impact through innovation and aligned capital structures.
Laurie currently works with a portfolio of clients including as an Entrepreneur In Residence for Techstars in their "Equitech" portfolio based in Baltimore, Maryland and the DC portfolio funded by JPMorgan. Along with Aunnie Patton Power and the innovation team at Village Capital, she co-developed “Capital Explorer” a diagnostic tool for founders to discover which of up to 16 different financing instruments might be right for their models. Other notable engagements include working with Cura Health Fund, Conscious Venture Lab, and the 100x Impact Accelerator.
Before transitioning to impact finance, Laurie led startups focusing on tech for good across diverse sectors such as consumer, hardware, healthtech, maritime, marketplaces, robotics, software, and social ventures. Laurie started her career as a political organizer, campaigner and fundraiser for Annie’s List, Gloria Steinem’s PAC, MoveOn.org, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, and Planned Parenthood. Her work electing 40+ women in Texas and advancing historically excluded founders and use cases in the startup ecosystem has been recognized through two government appointments, and by SXSW, The Chicago Tribune, IDEO.org, and others.
Laurie holds a Masters Social Business and Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor's degree in Government and Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a graduate of the Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at the Saïd Business School. As a global citizen and former live-aboard sailor, she splits her time between Baltimore, Austin, and London, where she nurtures her garden and shares a home with her husband, two young children, and beloved pets.
Trusted collaborators
To fulfill upon the needs of a variety of interested parties and special projects, Modern Tender is pleased to recommend and collaborate with the following practitioners who are each leading in their areas of expertise.
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