Hello, and welcome to my little corner of the internet. My name is Jaafar, and I am an entrepreneur, writer, and creative. I've always liked the quote from John Lennon, "I'm an artist, man. Give me a tuba, and I'll get you something out of it." In the same way, I aim to get something out of whatever I encounter - something functional, beautiful, and impactful. I don't care much which tool, technique, or technology is involved, only that it is useful to someone.
I've worked on many problems, ranging from privacy to education to mobility. The more wicked the problem, the more interested I am. Over the years, startups have become my natural habitat, providing the ideal environment for my multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems. I've worn every hat imaginable, often all at once, because I downright refuse to be confined to a single lane. It's just not my style.
I share my writing and personal projects on this site, offering a glimpse into my creative interests. I enjoy meeting new people, so don't hesitate to reach out. You can usually find me working at a coffee shop - so if you're in Detroit and fancy grabbing a coffee, let me know.
You can find my professional bio here.
Jaafar Mothafer is a technology entrepreneur and writer based in Detroit. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Finley. He previously co-founded Hush, a company backed by Greycroft, Detroit Venture Partners, ID Ventures, Google for Startups, and others.
Prior to his role at Hush, Jaafar served as Vice President of Operations at Integral. Before managing the company’s day-to-day operations, he led product efforts for various organizations, including Ford Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility, May Mobility, and Bosch.
Before joining Integral, Jaafar helped launch multiple products and initiatives for Open English within their Innovation Labs. In 2017, he was selected for the Venture for America Fellowship, a two-year program focused on creating economic opportunities in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs. Prior to that, Jaafar was the first Community Lead for WeWork in Detroit.
Jaafar graduated from the University of Michigan with a triple major in Economics, Political Science and Government, and Philosophy.