Jim Jonassen

Founder, JJ&A Venture Search

Jim founded Jim Jonassen & Assoc. Venture Search in late 2006. Prior to JJ&A, Jim built two executive search firms and two successful software companies. Jim founded software company Micro J Systems in ’87 where he still serves as Chairman, and he co-founded PeopleMover in ’97, merging it with Opus360 just prior to its IPO in 2000. Jim co-founded two other search firms, Palo Alto based Riviera Partners in ’01 and The Larkin Group in ’93. Working with then Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan, Jim co-founded the Digital Coast Roundtable and launched LAwNMoweR – the Los Angeles New Media Roundtable in the mid ’90s. He was also a talent scout for America Online’s AOL Greenhouse incubator and venture fund. Accolades include being named the 1999 Software Entrepreneur of the Year by the Software Council of Southern California. In addition, he was named three-times to the “Top 25 People in High Technology” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Jim is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. He is a member of the Board of the Santa Monica Boy’s & Girl’s Club and has been a Big Brother since ’92.

Articles by Jim Jonassen

Stop Hiding Behind Your Screen: In-Person Events Are How You Win in 2026

2026 is shaping up to be the year businesses rediscover the power of shaking hands, clinking glasses, and actually meeting their prospects in person. Don’t take my word for it...

Build Alignment Before You Burn Out

Everything Feels Urgent At early-stage companies, everything feels urgent: shipping product, closing customers, raising money. In that environment, planning can feel like a luxury, or even a liability. In my...

How To Use Reddit To Scale Organic Growth For Your Startup

In this Mucker Growth Series session, Colin Belyea, founder of Karmic and an expert in Reddit organic growth, breaks down how Reddit has become one of the most influential discovery...

Sales Comp Kick Start: Keys to Getting It Right as You Begin to Build Your Sales Team

Webinar Recap featuring Donya Rose, Managing Principal from The Cygnal Group Sales compensation is one of the most critical aspects of building a successful sales organization. Many early-stage founders stumble...

Austin Tech Week 2025 Recap

Mucker Capital hosted two powerful days of programming during Austin Tech Week, bringing together founders, operators, and growth leaders to share real-world insights from the startup trenches. Across four sessions,...

LA Tech Week 2025 Day 3 Recap: AI Search – Wednesday Oct 15

After two packed days exploring AI startup building and go-to-market growth, Day 3 of LA Tech Week shifted focus to the evolving world of AI Search, how new AI technologies...