Kara Jones

Biography

Kara Jones is the Director of GENIUS NY, the world’s largest business accelerator for uncrewed systems (UAS) and robotics. Under her leadership, GENIUS NY has invested over $21 million in 32 innovative startups, helping them secure more than $150 million in follow-on funding. Her ability to build strategic partnerships has been key to the program’s success, as she excels at connecting startups with the right investors, industry leaders, and mentors to accelerate growth.

With over a decade of experience in innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, Kara is a strong advocate for collaboration. She is skilled at fostering partnerships that drive progress in the UAS industry, creating opportunities for companies to scale through access to resources, talent, and funding. Prior to leading GENIUS NY, she served as Director of Communications at The Tech Garden, where she supported over 100 startups in navigating the innovation ecosystem.

Kara’s expertise extends beyond GENIUS NY. She recently served as a mentor for NIST’s Pulse Accelerator, focusing on UAS for public safety, and regularly coaches and judges at major industry events like SXSW and AUVSI XPONENTIAL. Known for her ability to connect the right people and build networks that fuel innovation, Kara is passionate about helping startups grow and succeed in the UAS and AAM sectors.