Experience & Activities

Jon Vanhala is Founder/CEO of Crossfade Partners, an early stage investor and startup growth advisory firm focused where culture meets tech and brand. Roughly 1/2 his time is spent on equity projects and the other half on retained consultancy. He’s a former working musician who’s been a founder at an early stage VC and is the former Head of Digital & New Business at Universal Music Group’s biggest label group. Today Jon works in the trenches with creators and builders of all strata from developing artists to global, social superstars and early stage startups to global enterprise companies.

As a startup mentor, investor, advisor, board member he’s vetted a ton of startup pitches, and helped startup creators and builders with strategy, fundraising, growth, strategic partnerships and with acquisitions and exits. A former full-time professional musician & trained improviser, Jon’s first startup was the first band he formed back in high school.