Entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Seed Money.

I’m obsessed with helping founders turn ideas into funded businesses.

With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and multiple businesses behind me—some wins, some hard lessons—I’ve learned what it really takes to build something from the ground up, even when all odds are against you.

Today, I host The Seed Money Podcast and lead the Get Your Startup Funded Bootcamp, a live community where early-stage founders learn exactly how to prepare, pitch, and raise their first round of capital from angel investors with confidence.

But my story started long before that.

💡 From Product Dreams to Pitching Angels

I’ve always loved creating things, whether it was sewing handbags in my early 20s or experimenting with new business ideas on the side.

After years working in product development at Diesel Footwear and Burton Snowboards, I finally took the leap to launch my own company: ahead of it's time, it was a lighter, healthier wine brand called Bon Affair.

I had zero experience in the beverage industry.
No connections. No roadmap.
Just an idea and a determination to make it real.

So I did what most founders only dream about: I raised $500K in seed funding from angel investors as a pre-revenue company (but it took me a long, grueling 18 months to do it).

Eventually, that leap landed me on ABC’s Shark Tank, where I struck a deal with Mark Cuban and later appeared on Beyond the Tank.

The experience changed my life and taught me what really goes into raising money and launching a startup.

🎓 The $100K+ Lesson

When I first set out to launch my business, I knew I needed to learn more about the business of raising capital. So I went back to school for my MBA in entrepreneurship and marketing, and spent over $100,000 doing it.

It was valuable, but it was also a wake-up call. The lessons that truly moved the needle weren’t in the textbooks. They came from real-world experience—pitching hundreds of investors, refining my story, and learning the hard way how to secure funding and momentum as a first-time founder.

That’s why I built Seed Money: to give founders what I wish I’d had, the practical, affordable, no-fluff roadmap to raising capital without spending six figures on theory.

(Below is that moment when you go to a networking event and end up on the school's billboard for the next two years.)

💥 What I Learned (the Hard Way)

Getting funded isn’t about having a pretty deck or a clever idea.

Yes, those things are important but it's mostly about knowing how to tell your story, how to find the right investors, and how to navigate the process without losing yourself in it.

I learned firsthand that there’s a big gap between pitch deck services that make things look good and the real preparation founders need to walk into investor meetings ready.

That’s why I created Seed Money—to teach what no one else does: how to get funded in the very early stage, the smart, strategic way.

🎯 Why I Do This Work

Through my podcast, courses, and live founder community, I help entrepreneurs:

• Build investor-ready pitch decks

• Practice their pitches and get real-time feedback

• Develop investor outreach strategies that actually work

• Gain confidence to negotiate and close their first round

Because raising money shouldn’t be a mystery, and you don’t have to do it alone.

🌴 Today

I live in sunny Santa Barbara, California with my husband James, our son, and our dog Motley. When I’m not leading workshops or interviewing founders, I’m analyzing real estate investment deals, planning renovations, or enjoying traveling around the world with my fam.

Whether you’re refining your pitch deck, preparing to raise your first round, or just starting to dream bigger, I’m here to help you get funded faster and grow with confidence.

Let’s get your startup funded.

Cheers,
Jayla