Julie Jacono, MBA, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of JumpStart and its investing arm JumpStart Ventures. With a career spanning over 25 years, Julie has established herself as a key leader in shaping business strategies and fostering innovation.

As CEO, Julie steers the organization’s strategic direction, leveraging JumpStart’s 20-year legacy and powerful community partnerships to drive meaningful change across Ohio. She is not only responsible for directing the organization’s business strategy and development but also drives statewide innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. In this capacity, she actively works on behalf of Ohio’s innovation ecosystem to convene a new model for effective economic development, advocating for resources and capital to advance entrepreneurship statewide. She collaborates with leaders—across public, private, and philanthropic sectors—to attract new startups to the state and create conditions that foster innovation in Ohio.

Before joining JumpStart, Julie was the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at The MetroHealth System. In this role, she was instrumental in advancing the organization’s regional impact and significantly contributed to MetroHealth’s growth and outcomes. Julie’s career includes leadership roles at Invacare, the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, focusing on research for neurological restoration, and a global leadership role at Sunrise Medical.

Julie holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and an MBA from CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management. She also completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 2022.

Julie actively participates in Northeast Ohio’s health tech and non-profit communities. She is on the board of MuReva and X-HG. Her non-profit engagements include trusteeships at Playhouse Square and CHAMPS, reflecting her passion for community service and innovation.

Julie lives in Westlake with her husband, Frank, and their two children.