Jaclyn Hartnett

Jaclyn is Cathay Innovation’s Global Head of Marketing & Communications, based in San Francisco. She leads global brand strategy along with all marketing, PR, and communications initiatives — translating Cathay’s global vision into stories that matter for founders, LPs, and corporate partners alike. She also provides strategic communications counsel to portfolio companies at key moments of growth.

Her north star: humanizing VC. Because at its core, venture capital is a people business.

Before joining Cathay in 2020, Jaclyn was a founding member of Clarity PR’s venture capital and financial services practice, developing and leading programs for Silicon Valley and global firms. Her agency career spans MSL Group (Publicis), LEWIS Global Communications, and Spark PR, where she focused on emerging tech and cybersecurity before specializing in venture capital. A career highlight: the launch of Maynard Webb’s “Dear Founder.” A background in creative writing drew her toward VC communications early on: the focus on vision, new ideas, thought leadership, and long-term narrative suited her instincts.

She is a Bay Area native and holds a BA in English Literature from San Diego State University. Jaclyn’s off-hours are ruled by her toddler, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Scarlett, and whatever book she’s currently in. She loves the classics, has a not-so-secret weakness for sci-fi and fantasy, and feels most at home in SF’s North Beach: heart of the Kerouac-era Beat scene.