Jill Puente joins Unusual Ventures

Jill Puente is now chief marketing officer at Unusual Ventures, the venture capital firm that invests in early-stage AI, cybersecurity and fintech startups, Axios first learned.

Why it matters: As the venture ecosystem becomes more crowded, firms are doubling down on their marketing and communications efforts to help differentiate themselves.

What she's saying: "Unusual isn't trying to be everything to everyone or generate content for the sake of it — we're laser-focused on helping early-stage technical enterprise AI founders reach product-market fit," Puente told Axios.

• "That clarity is powerful, but it also requires a precise and disciplined brand voice and marketing approach. It's a challenge I'm excited to take on."

Zoom in: Puente will report to Unusual founder and managing partner John Vrionis and will oversee the marketing and platform teams.

• Puente joins Unusual from Pear VC, where she served as a marketing partner and established the firm's marketing, communications, and community functions.
• She previously held brand marketing roles at Google and started her career in the U.S. Senate as a legislative staffer.

What she's watching: The balance between AI and authenticity.

• "AI is a powerful tool that can accelerate comms and marketing workflows — but founders are smart. They can tell when content and design is overly generic or lacks a human touch. People are at the heart of venture and startups, and I think there's a growing appetite for content rooted in real insights and people and first-principles thinking," she said.