Jason Palmer is General Partner at New Markets Venture Partners, one of the nation’s leading education-focused venture capital firms. As a double-bottom line investor, New Markets focuses on innovative, high impact, early and growth stage edtech companies that improve student outcomes while building profitable organizations.
Jason has been affiliated with New Markets since 2011 and became a General Partner in 2016 after three years at the Gates Foundation. Jason brings twenty years of experience as an education technology entrepreneur, executive and investor, and focuses on fund strategy, supporting portfolio companies and leveraging deep connections with industry leaders. He is a board director for Motimatic and serves as a board observer for Credly, Signal Vine, LearnPlatform and American Honors College. Jason previously served as a board director at Moodlerooms, DecisionDesk and StraighterLine.
Prior to his current role, Jason served as Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading postsecondary innovation efforts to improve the outcomes of low-income, minority and first-generation college students by investing in colleges, universities and entrepreneurs pursuing digital and adaptive learning, student coaching and advising, financial aid structures, comprehensive credit transfer and employer pathways. Prior to the Foundation, Jason founded and grew three investor-backed technology and services companies before holding a series of executive positions at Microsoft, SchoolNet, Kaplan and StraighterLine. At Kaplan, Jason led three education businesses as general manager or president, in addition to founding and leading the company’s venture capital effort.
Jason holds a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and also serves on the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education Foundation Board.
Portfolio Companies
News from Jason Palmer
EdTech Times Podcast with Jason Palmer: Building Products That Deliver
What can education technology startups do to ensure that their products are implemented in classrooms? In this podcast, Hannah Nyren from EdTech Times explores this topic with Jason Palmer from New Markets Venture Partners. A [...]
Jason Palmer in EdSurge: Why I’m Optimistic About the Next Wave of Education Technology
New Markets' Jason Palmer pens an oped for EdSurge on his optimism regarding the near term future for education technology: "Working as an entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist and investor over the past few decades, at some [...]
Former Gates Foundation Executive Joins Education-Focused Venture Firm
Jason Palmer, Former Deputy Director At The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Joins New Markets Venture Partners As Team Completes Initial $30 Million Close On New Education Fund New Markets Venture Partners, a thirteen-year old [...]