VC University: Democratizing Education on Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital
Are you a new or aspiring entrepreneur looking to demystify the world of venture finance?
Are you thinking of starting a venture fund or did you recently take the (scary) plunge to raise a fund?
Are you generally curious about how venture finance works and what it takes to succeed?
Are you interested in learning more about the startup ecosystems and investment opportunities across the U.S. and engaging with investors or entrepreneurs in those markets?
If you answered yes to any of these, then VC University has you covered!
NVCA and Startup@BerkeleyLaw announced our partnership last week and officially launched VC University! VC University is a new educational program for the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering practical training on venture finance for entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys, and anyone else interested in emerging company finance.
Part of NVCA’s mission is to arm the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for practical education. Over the past two years, our focus on education has led to the development of several new programs (see the last FAQ below). VC University nicely complements our suite of offerings to meet the demands of a growing and evolving startup ecosystem.
The VC University curriculum focuses on the financial, legal, and operational aspects of VC. And the insights come from academics, leading and diverse VCs, and industry advisers. Perhaps most notably, VC University fills an important need—accessible education for new/aspiring investors and entrepreneurs across the country. And this is why it’s unique.
Participants can access VC University two ways:
- Enrollment is open through March 22nd, and the course starts April 1st.
- Includes a one-year subscription to 20+ hours of materials.
- Two in-person events held in emerging venture ecosystems across the U.S., aka VC University LIVE
- The inaugural event will be held in the Midwest on May 15-17, 2019 at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- The fall event will be held in the South on September 19-21, 2019 at the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Learn more about VC University and register here.
So whether you’ll be tuning in from your home, office, or local coffee shop, or joining us in-person near The Big House in Ann Arbor or off St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, we look forward to your participation in this exciting new program in our inaugural year!
FAQs
What’s the difference between the online certificate program and the LIVE event?
Spoiler alert: I had the opportunity to interview several of the VCs featured in the online course for their investor interview videos, which made this one of the coolest projects I’ve worked on at NVCA!
How much does it cost?
Online certificate program – special inaugural tuition of $1,000 per participant for an annual subscription.
VC University LIVE – special inaugural tuition of $1,500 per participant for each event.
Participants of each will receive a certificate of completion. Scholarships are available, and NVCA members receive a 20% discount to both.
Is this program right for me?
If you’re still not sure from the details here and on our website, then drop me a line and we can discuss!
How is VC University different from other NVCA educational programs?
In addition to VC University, NVCA has launched other educational programs, including the Stanford/NVCA Venture Capital Symposium; LP Office Hours; and Seed Manager Workshops (SF and NY). VC University is distinct in that it offers an introductory overview of the Silicon Valley model of venture capital while supporting emerging venture ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley.
We like to think of the Venture Capital Symposium as more of a venture 201 course, whereas VC University is more venture 101. LP Office Hours is a half-day in-person workshop that address best practices and guidance on the GP-LP relationship, and the Seed Manager workshops are half-day in-person programs dedicated to fundraising best practices.
A huge thanks to the team at Startup@BerkeleyLaw, particularly Adam Sterling, Deborah Kang, Zunaid Lundell, and Bobby Bartlett. This program would not have happened without their support! And thank you to the investors, lawyers, faculty, and others who volunteered their time to share their insights and expertise in the online videos (and those who will teach at the LIVE events) to make introductory education more accessible to anyone starting their journey into VC!
