Jeff Chapski (B’91)

Co-Founder and Board Member, Georgetown Angel Investor Network

As one of the original founders of GAIN, what inspired you to start an angel investing group at Georgetown?

Building on the work we had done with the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance (GEA), we recognized that there was a critical piece of the entrepreneurship ecosystem that was missing and that was access to capital. We learned that most of Georgetown’s peer institutions had very well-developed angel networks. In 2019, we decided to test our idea and launched a pilot program. The successful pilot and other examples in the market proved that we were headed down the right path. 

You are an active part of the Georgetown alumni community, and have had many experiences in that space. How has GAIN enhanced your Alumni experience?

I have had many volunteer roles over the years and my involvement with GAIN is one of the very best. There are two of my fellow ‘91 classmates on the GAIN Board, along with some other outstanding alumni that I’ve worked with for many years. And the members of GAIN are some of the most interesting alumni that I’ve ever met. The only downside to GAIN having members around the globe is that our opportunities to spend time together in-person is very limited. 

When you aren’t reviewing companies for GAIN, what do you do?

In my current role, I am an investor and advisor to start-ups. In addition, I am a certified career coach and work with college students and young professionals to help them launch their careers. 

You’ve seen a lot of entrepreneurs pitch their companies to GAIN. Can you tell us about one of these companies that really stands out to you? 

Charles Trunz (B ‘75), the Executive Chairman of Inclusively, a workforce inclusion platform, applied for funding from GAIN. 

Charles was the very first Georgetown alumnus that I met after graduation. I met him at JPMorgan where we were both working in 1992. At the time, he was President of JPM Securities and I was a first-year analyst. We lost contact after I left JPM and were reconnected in 2019 during the pilot phase of GAIN. A couple of years later, Inclusively secured several rounds of investment through GAIN and its members.   

Inclusively’s Workforce Inclusion Platform helps employers unlock the power of today’s workforce by opening doors to untapped talent. It also gives job seekers the ability to succeed by putting accommodations up front and connecting them with advocates who will support them during their journey.

JP Morgan’s alumni network published an article about Charles and me and our work with Inclusively.

Can you tell us about a particularly memorable experience you had during your time at Georgetown?

I have many great memories from my time on the Hilltop. My best experience in the classroom was in Professor Donahue’s class, The Ethics of War and Peace. The first day of class was the day after the US-led coalition entered the Gulf War in January 1991. The professor tore up the syllabus and instead based the entire semester on the actual events in the Middle East. Outside the classroom, my favorite experience was playing football.