Jonathan Godbout

Jonathan Godbout is an entrepreneur, technologist, and community leader whose career spans corporate consulting, international development, and social enterprise. A 2008 graduate of Colby College with a degree in Economics and International Studies, he returns to campus as Deputy Director of the Halloran Lab, where he teaches courses on artificial intelligence and mentors students at the intersection of technology and social impact.

Jonathan currently serves as co-founder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Technology Officer of Prospector, an AI analytics platform serving Fortune 500 mining companies — including Newmont, BHP, and the U.S. Geological Survey — in evaluating the environmental, social, and governance impact of mining operations worldwide. Previously, he co-founded iBUILD Global, a construction fintech company that grew to over 50,000 users across East Africa in partnership with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Shelter Afrique, and Mastercard Labs.

Before launching his entrepreneurial ventures, Jonathan spent seven years at IBM as a Senior Managing Consultant in the Strategy and Analytics practice, where he led teams on multimillion-dollar engagements across government, military, healthcare, finance, and supply chain. His work included developing an analytics tool to track over $65 billion in Department of Defense contracts, leading budget analysis and performance management for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and coordinating IBM’s first executive trip to Afghanistan to establish an IT incubator. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Jonathan is also Executive Director of the Capital Area New Mainers Project, a nonprofit supporting immigrant and refugee families in Central Maine, and serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at Dirigo Labs, where he coaches accelerator companies and leads financial modeling coursework. He sits on the board of directors of Freedom for Immigrants and has contributed technical expertise to humanitarian efforts including Operation We Care Afghanistan, part of the Digital Dunkirk initiative that helped coordinate the rapid evacuation of over 10,000 Afghan allies.

Through Nova Nord, his real estate development company, he has completed the historic rehabilitation of a 10,000-square-foot building in Cincinnati into affordable housing and commercial space, and is developing Ticonic Commons, a community-centered transformation of the former Sacred Heart Church in Waterville.

A former Colby football player and lifelong Waterville resident, Jonathan is deeply committed to Maine’s communities and to preparing the next generation of socially minded leaders.