Christie Jenkins, who moved from a decorated career in trampolining and other sports to venture capital and startup acceleration, shares insights on how a competitive mindset and resilience from elite athletics shape success in business leadership and investing.
- Jenkins’ competitive sports background informs her approach to venture capital.
- She stresses resilience, feedback, and bravery as key to growth.
- Launching Ampere, Jenkins aims to deepen startup ecosystem impact.
What happened
Christie Jenkins’ journey from elite trampolining and multi-sport athlete to a leading figure in Australia’s venture capital and startup acceleration scenes highlights a unique blend of competitive drive and strategic leadership. After competing nationally from a very young age, Jenkins transitioned to investment roles at Blackbird Ventures, followed by serving as managing director at Techstars Sydney.
Recently, Jenkins announced the launch of her own accelerator, Ampere, designed to further support and accelerate startups in Australia’s evolving innovation landscape. She will also share her experiences and lessons at the Growth Summit in Sydney this June, focusing on bridging athletic competitive mindset with entrepreneurial growth.
Why it matters
Jenkins exemplifies how lessons from elite sports—such as goal-setting, perseverance through failure, embracing feedback, and courage—can powerfully inform leadership practices in venture capital and startups. Her story resonates in the Australian startup ecosystem where founders often face intense pressures similar to high-performance sports.
By championing a feedback culture and resilience, Jenkins is advocating for a growth-oriented approach that not only improves startup outcomes but can also reshape how investors and founders collaborate. Her focus on using athletic mentality to navigate business challenges encourages a more dynamic and fearless entrepreneurial community.
What to watch next
The launch of Ampere marks a significant development in Australia’s accelerator landscape. Stakeholders will watch how Jenkins channels her athletic discipline and VC experience into creating programs that help startups scale effectively while fostering leadership qualities resembling those in high-performance sports.
Jenkins’ appearance at the Growth Summit will also be an opportunity to hear detailed insights into how competitive athletics mindset components—such as bravery and structured feedback—can translate into practical startup strategies. This could influence investor-founder interactions and encourage new frameworks for startup mentorship and growth.