#86: Deborah Jackson (In this new world, where are the opportunities?)

Deborah Jackson, Founder and CEO of Plum Alley investments, had a father who worked for IBM (often jokingly called I’ve Been Moved). And so, as a child, she moved every few years to another place in the US. “Moving made me resourceful and adaptable,” she says. “I realize in my 60s, it is a good skill set for navigating change.” After business school, Jackson “stumbled” into investment banking at Goldman Sachs in municipal finance. After 20 years, she retired, found her way onto five non-profit boards and even explored her bucket list. “I flunked retirement,” she laughs.  Jackson had been mentoring entrepreneurs and investing when she decided to create a business out of it. “I wanted to change the experience of how investing is done,” she tells Lesley Jane Seymour, founder of CoveyClub. “How do we get women excited about investing? How do we create joy beyond the financial transaction?” Plum Alley, a private membership that gives investors “access to influence innovation and shape the future by investing in private companies” does just that — and has already invested in 19 companies in 24 months.  “Wise women over 60 have so much to give back,” Jackson says. “Age and wisdom are really significant together.”