C. Jason Payne, Board of Directors
C. Jason Payne is a founder of Mainsail Partners. In addition to co-managing the firm, Jason is an active advisor to Mainsail CEOs through his role as a board member for Mainsail’s portfolio companies. Jason’s background as an entrepreneur and senior executive provides valuable experience, which he shares with management teams making the transition from bootstrapping to investing for growth. Earlier in his career, Jason co-founded a venture-backed software company and held a variety of roles with American Dental Partners, a dental practice management company now owned by JLL Partners after a 2012 take-private. During his tenure with ADPI, Jason helped grow the business from start-up to over $130 million in revenues and through its 1998 IPO. Jason began his career with Summit Partners, a leading global private equity and venture firm. Jason received an A.B. in International Relations from Stanford University.
In 2010, Jason teamed with Gavin Turner and John Griscavage (CEO of PlayMaker CRM) to start the Madrone Foundation, a private foundation with the goal of assisting the financially challenged to pay for healthcare and education expenses. Jason also sits on the advisory board of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), a division of the Smithsonian Institute.