Meet the Author

& Join Her VIP Cohort

"Helping aspiring entrepreneurs launch profitable businesses is what I do best."

Jennifer P. Hopp

Managing Partner, ATO Ventures

After spending more than 25 years investing in and building startups in Silicon Valley, Jennifer followed her heart to Puerto Rico. There, she founded ATO Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on increasing the odds of startup success via a strategy she developed called Market Validation Testing (MVT). The methodology is a way for startups to verify product-market fit before launching.

During the pandemic, Jennifer repeatedly saw aspiring entrepreneurs attempt to start new companies but quicky give up due to lack of guidance. They simply didn't know how to get the business up and running in a profitable way. Additionally, she found that many of those who submitted startups to ATO Ventures for funding had skipped important steps that left them unprepared for MVT.

These observations led Jennifer to write the Valid Startup program. "I found that, although there is plenty of information online about what you need to do to start a business, there are very few details on exactly how to do it," she explains.

What makes Valid Startup different is that it is an interactive, step-by-step guide that walks you through easy to accomplish tasks. Unlike video-based courses that leave you to your own devices to implement the broad, metaphoric lectures; or dense text books that overwhelm and bewilder; with Valid Startup, you cannot get lost. Jennifer tells you exactly how to do each step and why it is important based on decades of experience, in her own voice.

By the end of the Valid Startup program, whether or not you have attended Jennifer's open Office Hours, you will witness her passion for helping entrepreneurs and feel that you know her personally. It is no wonder she is adored by entrepreneurs around the world, and we look forward to sharing their stories with you. Welcome to the community!

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Experienced Startup Entrepreneur & Investor

Founding CEO of Three Tech Companies

Jennifer started her first company at eight years old and has been working ever since. She has been a tax paying citizen since age 10! Fast forward, shortly after grad school, she founded a software company called WeMakeItSafer that was backed by Sequoia Capital scouts and later acquired. Jennifer has also been the hired, Founding CEO for two other tech companies on an interim basis. In both cases, she was brought in to help the company get off the ground and successfully secure funding. "Very Early" is the startup stage Jennifer most enjoys and is definitely her sweet spot.

Over 25 Years of Startup Investing Experience + More Than a Dozen Exits

Jennifer began investing in the stock market as a college student. Shortly after graduating, she invested her returns into an early stage, technology Venture Capital fund. She has been involved in startup investing ever since, as an Angel, Limited Partner, Venture Partner and General Partner of various funds, including her own fund, ATO Ventures, for "Against The Odds." Her investments have included more than a dozen successful exits.

World Class Business Education

Although academics is not the path for everyone, nor is it necessary to be a successful entrepreneur, Jennifer counts herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to earn degrees from two of the world's highest-ranked universities. She obtained two undergraduate degrees in Economics and in Japanese from the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of California at Berkeley. Additionally, Jennifer holds an MBA with certificates in Entrepreneurship and in Management of Technology, also from the University of California at Berkeley.

Trusted by Investors and Entrepreneurs

Lo Toney

MP, Plexo Capital

"Jennifer possesses the qualities we look for in a GP. She has a powerful, unique investment thesis and is rigorous in her vetting process. What makes Jennifer stand out, though, is how well respected she is by, not only the entrepreneurs in her portfolio, but also the entrepreneurship & GP community at large.

Maryam Ziaei

Founder, iSono Health

"I have known Jennifer both personally and professionally for many years and she has always been a source of inspiration. At ATO Ventures, she helped us with customer discovery, validating product-market fit, and making our business more attractive for other investors, which resulted in us closing a multi-million dollar, oversubscribed round last year. She has been always a great resource and helped us think outside the box and think of unique business opportunities. She also connected us to resources inside PR that will facilitate our go to market."

Patricia Fallon

CEO, Quick Balance

"This is a path of great resistance, persistence and fight against all obstacles; I have found in Jennifer and her team great experience, passion and determination to build Quick Balance together as a world class solution. Also, in every conversation we have, she challenges me and helps me to do my best. This process has been one of the most enriching I have had in my working life."

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