Jennifer Hankins

Jennifer Hankins is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Rev1 Ventures, the Columbus-based Midwest venture studio that partners with innovators in SaaS/AI, deep tech, and life sciences to turn promising ideas into scalable companies. Named to the role in September 2026, Jennifer brings more than a decade of experience in entrepreneurship, economic development, and innovation ecosystem building, working with founders, investors, businesses, institutions, and community partners to strengthen regional economies.

Prior to joining Rev1, Jennifer served as Managing Director of Tulsa Innovation Labs, where she led strategy, partnerships, and a portfolio of initiatives designed to grow Tulsa’s innovation economy. During her tenure, Tulsa became one of only two U.S. regions to secure both EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge funding and Tech Hubs Implementation Funding. Earlier, she served as Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Small Business at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, managed business retention and expansion initiatives for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and worked in economic development in the Kansas City region. At Rev1, Jennifer is focused on connecting founders, capital, corporations, and institutions to accelerate entrepreneurship and expand Central Ohio’s growing innovation economy.