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Kris Jones: Getting Underestimated Founders Funded and Investor Ready
In this episode of Zero.24%, Michael Livingstone speaks with Kris Jones, the CEO of Magic Sauce Online, an innovative platform aligning undervalued entrepreneurs with investors.
Many founders face the same challenge: they need to secure investment to scale, but they struggle to navigate an ecosystem filled with systemic barriers and friction.
Magic Sauce Online is working to break that cycle by reducing the friction between founders and investors, with a clear focus on getting underestimated founders funded and helping investors access better deal flow.
Michael and Kris explore how practical guidance not fluffy motivation can help founders build the things that actually move the needle before they pitch to investors.
They also discuss the barriers faced by underrepresented founders, the importance of clarity and traction, and how to communicate an offer without sounding like a generic pitch deck.
In this episode, they discuss:
- How to reduce friction between founders and investors
- Why underrepresented founders struggle to access capital
- The relationship between clarity, traction, and true investor readiness
- How founders can communicate their offer without sounding like a generic pitch deck
- The difference between practical guidance and fluffy motivation
- Why focusing on the metrics that actually move the needle creates stronger alignment with investors
- How to help investors access better deal flow by presenting stronger opportunities
- The systemic barriers facing underestimated entrepreneurs
- Kris’s experience mentoring across programs like Carbon13 and Raise Ventures
- Why hands-on founder education is critical for securing capital
- How a more inclusive startup ecosystem could unlock overlooked ideas and talent
About Kris Jones
Kris Jones is the CEO of Magic Sauce Online and Head of Founder Education at Diversity X.
With a wealth of experience, Kris, an esteemed startup expert, has mentored in renowned ecosystems like Raise Ventures, Black Valley, Diversity-X, Carbon13, and NeoITO. His impactful guidance has led early-stage startups to secure £50m.
He is publicly credited for helping founders raise significant capital through practical guidance, helping them build clarity, traction, and investor readiness.
About Magic Sauce Online
Magic Sauce Online is an innovative platform aligning undervalued entrepreneurs with investors. The platform aims to reduce friction between founders and investors, getting underestimated founders funded while helping investors access better deal flow.
Learn more about Kris Jones:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-jones-kinnovate/
About Zero.24%
Zero.24% explores the experiences, strategies and resilience of Black and underrepresented founders building businesses within an investment ecosystem where access to funding remains deeply unequal.
Hosted by Michael Livingstone, the podcast features honest conversations with founders, investors and ecosystem leaders about building businesses, overcoming barriers and creating meaningful change.
Follow, subscribe and share the episode with someone who is building a startup, searching for investment or considering how to navigate the venture capital landscape.
Listen and subscribe to Zero.24% on your preferred podcast platform.
