Story tell Your Company Why.
Helping deep tech founders and investors tell deep tech stories to non-technical audiences.
The why is the story.
Latest Work
Investment Committee Member
Investment Committee Member for Seraphim Space Ventures Fund II
February 2026: Raised $100M
Portfolio as of May 1, 2026:
Adaptive Insurance
Array Labs
AscendArc
ATMOS Space Cargo
Auriga
ConstellR
Delos Insurance Solutions
General Galactic
Hexem Bio
Hubble Network
LambdaVision
Mutable Tactics
Online Oceans
PiLogic
Privateer
Renoster
Ubotica
Board Director and Early-Stage Advisor
Early-stage advisor Xona Space Systems March 2026: Raised $170M Series C
Early-stage advisor
Eartheye Space
2024: Pre-seed F&F
Senior Advisor (Space)
New Vista Capital
December 2025: Raising $60M for aerospace and defense
Pitch Advisor
Hyperspace Challenge
Accelerator for the US Space Force and the US Air Force Research Lab
Former Non-Executive Dir
Early-stage advisor Xona Space Systems March 2026: Raised $170M Series C
Early-stage advisor
Eartheye Space
2024: Pre-seed F&F
Senior Advisor (Space)
New Vista Capital
December 2025: Raising $60M for aerospace and defense
Pitch Advisor
Hyperspace Challenge
Accelerator for the US Space Force and the US Air Force Research Lab
Former Non-Executive Director
Opteran Technologies, LTD
2022: Raised $12M seed round
(Pictured with team at CES 2024)
Satellite Show Startup Space Competition Director
Director of the 2022-2026 Startup Space Competition at the Satellite Show in Washington D.C., presented by Jackson Industries.
Additionally, for 2026, Rafferty Jackson will serve as the curator of the Finance Forum on Monday, March 23, focusing on Infrastructure, Finance Expertise, Investor Relations, and Scaling.
Interim Leadership, Keynotes, and Retreats
Interim leadership for startups in growth or contraction transition, as well as during leadership team rebuilding.
Keynotes and executive retreats focused on strengthening the company’s why through storytelling techniques, ensuring that strategic plans are not only met but exceeded.
Storyteller I Certified Board Director I Early-Stage Advisor
Rafferty Jackson knows that companies built on a fundamental purpose, the company why, are more likely to scale and succeed, creating better jobs and better products.
Helping startups and later-stage companies identify, capture, and drive the company why into their enterprises is now her why.
Rafferty helps founders, leaders, and investors tell complex deep tech stories to broader non-technical audiences using universal storytelling techniques modified for business pitches and communications, all premised on the moral of the story—the 'why' of the enterprise.
Additionally, Rafferty uses her extensive top-tier operational experience, including her role in growing and selling Beats by Dr. Dre to Apple for $3B, to guide high-growth companies as a Board Director or Early-Stage Advisor.
The First Principles Pitch
The purpose of a business pitch is to convey the moral of your story, the company why, to the audience so they can retell the story. The First Principles Pitch captures the indisputable truth of your business and then uses universal storytelling techniques to ensure the audience can retell your story. With only a 5-minute pitch and an 8-slide pitch deck, your deep tech solution will transfer to your audience.
events
March 24, 2026: SatEnlight wins the Startup Space Competition at 2026 Satellite Show
The Tenth Anniversary of the Satellite Show Startup Space Competition 2026 did not disappoint! SatEnlight, Space Solar, Ravee Optics, GoKnown, Orbit Arch, Mithril Technologies, Planetary Utilities, Bull Co Ltd, Ocean Solution Technologies, and Satlyt took the stage and expertly pitched. Congratulations to all of the competitors! 10 out of 10 across the board!
March 23, 2026: Finance Forum at the 2026 Satellite Show
Curated four finance panels to support the growth of the industry: Public Private Infrastructure, Financial Expertise, Public Market Perceptions of Space, and Transitioning from Startup to Scale Up. Our sessions helped 100's of attendees add important knowledge and contacts to their strategy plans.
March 4, 2026: SpaceWERX I2A Resilient MilComm Workshop on Fundraising
Helping DTI/The Br-dge deliver value to the SpaceWERX I2A cohort was an easy, "Yes!" After talking about early stage venture funding as an investment committee member at Seraphim Space Venture Fund II, I learned from co-panelists Patrick Beatty and Erik Clary on CFIUS, PE/VC, and resources available to startups. Thank you to Drew Busbee, Fiona De Rago, and Roxanne Aragon for making the webinar happen.
February 27, 2026: Startup Space at 10: A Launchpad for the New Space Economy
Thank you to Anne Wainscott-Sargent and Via Satellite for the outstanding coverage of the history of the Startup Space Competition at SATSHOW. The Tenth Anniversary is going to be epic with Space Solar, SatEnlight, Mithril Technologies, Planetary Utilities, Bull Co Ltd., OrbitArch, Satlyt, GoKnown, Ravee Optics, and Ocean Solution Technology taking the stage March 24, 2026.
January 13-14, 2026: Hyperspace Challenge Event with AFRL, SpaceWERX, US Space Force Operational Test and Training Infrastructure, and 10 SBIR Phase II Companies
Helped 10 selected SBIR II companies understand USSF OTTI's problems related to digital twins, proof of life, and data integration. Companies like Picogrid, GetChkd, Looking Glass Factory, Infinity Systems, Proteus, Rebel Space, Antaris, Schemata, MSBAI, and Silotech demonstrated poise, confidence, and hustle while listening and showcasing their solution's current status and future plans. New Mexico is a hub of space innovation in a beautiful landscape.
January 7, 2026: Venture Capital Leaders Pitch Networking with Hyperspace Challenge 2025 Cohort
Brought the Hyperspace Challenge cohort top tier VC's to prep the cohort for the live pitch event to the ARFL, SpaceWERX, and USSF. Thank you to Seraphim Space, Stellar Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Harpoon Ventures, New Capital Ventures, and Mac Ventures.
Week of October 13: Lunar & Mars Economy Summit plus LA Tech Week
First to Houston Space Center for the Payload Lunar and Mars Economy Summit and then back to my home turf for LA Tech Week and events at DTI supporting the US Space Force, including a panel at Astrolab. #LongLA
September 23, 2025 at 9am Pacific: Hyperspace Challenge Webinar "Creative Storytelling for Space Startups"
Thank you, Hyperspace Challenge, for hosting me, Diana Klochkova, CMO of Privateer Space, along with Shireen Dooling, Camille Elizabeth Bergin of Modulate Media, and Merridith Ingram, Founder & CEO of The RiotMind Agency, to discuss storytelling.
July 22, 2025: Panelist at AIAA Aviation and Ascend in Vegas
Join me at 9:30am at Ascend for "Modern Finance Strategies of the Space Industry" and at 3:30pm at AIAA Aviation for "Growing the Industry: What Investors are Thinking"
March 25, 2025: Techstars And USC Digital Economy Program
Spent time with the inaugural cohort of Techstars' new accelerator at USC, discussing deep tech storytelling, and loved the energy and enthusiasm. This Digital Economy Program is bound to help these companies get their ideas out into the world.