Webinar
VC 201: Venture Capital Insights
Join Rob Adams, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures, and Hilary Ncala for a deeper dive into how venture capital actually works — built for investors who already understand the basics and want a sharper view of what drives returns, risk, and access in the asset class.
In this session, Rob Adams, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures, and Hilary Ncala will go beyond the fundamentals to unpack the mechanics that separate strong venture portfolios from the rest. Drawing on Alumni Ventures’ position as one of the most active venture investors in the country, this VC 201 session will cover how funds construct diversified portfolios, how stage and sector allocation shape outcomes, and what experienced investors should be paying attention to in today’s market.
The conversation will explore the structural reasons venture has earned a place in sophisticated portfolios — from how endowment-style allocators think about the asset class, to why companies are staying private longer, to how power-law dynamics drive fund-level returns. Rob and Hilary will also discuss what individual accredited investors should evaluate when committing to a venture fund, including manager selection, vintage diversification, and access to high-quality deal flow.
Whether you’re a current Alumni Ventures investor sharpening your understanding of the asset class, or an experienced investor weighing a deeper allocation to venture, this session will give you a clearer framework for thinking about VC as a long-term portfolio decision. Register to leave with a more confident view of how venture capital generates returns — and how to evaluate a venture program built for individual investors.
Why Attend?
- HomeDiscover how diversified venture portfolios are actually constructed — and what drives returns at the fund level
- HomeUnderstand how Alumni Ventures evaluates managers, stages, and sectors when building investor portfolios
- HomeLearn what to look for when evaluating venture access as part of your long-term allocation strategy
Rated a Top 20 VC Firm by both TIME and CB Insights.
Alumni Ventures is America’s largest venture capital firm for individual investors.
About your presenters
Rob is a former entrepreneur, institutional fund manager, and software executive. He has served on many corporate boards and has founded or financed more than 40 companies, raising capital in both public and private markets. He is an internationally recognized expert and speaker on innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Most recently, Rob was on the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin, where he taught entrepreneurship in the MBA program and was the Founder and Director of Texas Venture Labs. He was CEO and Founder of Business Matters, a venture-backed developer of financial modeling products that was acquired. He was also an executive with Pervasive Software, a company he helped take public. Rob holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue, an MBA from Babson’s Olin School of Management, and a PhD in Management from Capella University.
Hilary is a senior leader in financial services with more than 15 years of experience working with investors across market cycles. Since joining Alumni Ventures in 2016, she has been instrumental in building and scaling the firm’s investor relations function, leading high-performing teams and partnering closely with investment, finance, legal, and operations groups to support investors throughout the lifecycle of their venture portfolios with rigor and transparency. Her background in retirement investment planning, including earlier Series 7 and 63 licensure, informs a disciplined perspective on portfolio construction, risk management, liquidity considerations, and long-term capital allocation. Hilary is known for her ability to bring clarity to complex investment topics and for upholding a thoughtful, investor-first experience. She graduated summa cum laude from Fisher College and is currently pursuing her MBA at Boston University.