Venture Fellow Program
Origin Story
The Venture Fellow Program was started in 2014 by Luke Antal, AV’s Co-Founder & Chief Community Officer.
Luke was an experienced entrepreneur, and aspired to break into the VC industry. But without the “traditional VC resume” (no degree from Harvard or Stanford, not a mega-famous Founder), he knew he would have to grind his way into the industry.
Before any of AV funds had even raised a single dollar, Luke cold-called AV Founder & CEO Mike Collins and offered to help. For free. On nights and weekends.
Together, over the course of a year, Luke and Mike raised the first Green D Ventures fund. Luke knew that there were others like him who deserved a foot in the door, and would be willing to commit to a “professional extracurricular” to learn the ropes.
The Venture Fellow Program came out of Luke’s experience, and has now helped accelerate the career of hundreds of ambitious individuals, 75% of whom are non-white and non-male.
About the Venture Fellow Program
This is a year-long, part-time and remote venture capital “professional extracurricular” that educates and empowers diverse and ambitious individuals to launch careers in VC and entrepreneurship.
Our Mission:
- HomeTo provide world-class professional development and hands-on learning opportunities in venture capital.
- HomeTo further diversity in the VC ecosystem, in particular, providing opportunities to traditionally underrepresented or previously excluded groups.
- HomeTo provide access to careers in venture capital, serving as a career accelerator and onramp into the industry. Prior professional venture investing experience is not required.
Through the Venture Fellow Program:
- HomeGain hands-on experience in VC investing – including direct involvement in sourcing, diligence support, deal review, and other learning while embedded with a small team of Alumni Ventures’ experienced venture capitalists
- HomeParticipate in structured “VC 101” curriculum, building VC knowledge and expertise
- HomeBecome part of Alumni Ventures’ network of teammates, fellows, and alumni, a growing community of leaders in the VC space
- HomeAdd venture capital experience to your resume, get a foot in the door to the industy
Interested in Joining the Venture Fellow Program?
Individuals of all genders, races/ethnicities, industries, experiences, and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The VFP was an instructional experience that helped me become an investor. The Venture Fellow Program’s curriculum and support for aspiring investors provided me with a much-needed playbook. Through different technical sessions, ranging from sourcing 101 to diligence and term sheets, I gained an understanding of how to think like a financial investor. More importantly, I had the opportunity to collaborate with principals on the Green D fund, and experience the investing process. Overall, my experience with Green D encouraged me not only to transition into the industry but also to focus on early-stage deals.
The AV fellowship program is a great way to build foundational knowledge of venture capital. It's deliberately more structured than other programs—offering a unique balance between classroom-like learning and hands-on deal experiences. To me, what matters most are the relationships you make through the program. Even after the program has ended, they can help open doors to a traditionally opaque industry, and you'll always be part of the VFP family.
The VFP gave me an opportunity to learn different VC models and practical frameworks on deal/start-up evaluations. I got to evaluate and expand my knowledge in other industries, and most importantly, build close working relationships with the Blue Ivy Ventures team and across the AV network. In the midst of the program, I decided to start my own company in the blockchain analytics space. The venture investing experience from AV helped me think through how to fund-raise for my start-up and even evaluate strategic investors to bring on board. I’m grateful for the opportunity.
My four years in venture have been anything but traditional. When I joined Republic, a startup that sits in the intersection between venture capital and startups, the venture capital space was uncharted terrain for partnerships and growth. The Alumni Venture Fellow program was critical to my early years, understanding how the game was played and giving me access to a network of peers I admired. It also gave me a way to give back to the Harvard community while exploring my investment thesis. Grateful for the experience!
I had such a wonderful experience in the AV Venture Fellow Program! It was a great way to get training on the foundations of venture capital and gain hands-on experience with sourcing, due diligence, and supporting the deal teams. The networking opportunities were particularly invaluable and I felt very supported by everyone at AV. My experience definitely reinforced my interest in pursuing full-time roles and I would highly recommend the program to anyone with an interest in VC.
I'm truly grateful to VFP not only because the program was well run and delivered everything that it promised, but most importantly because it gave me so many new perspectives through the fantastic AV fund teams and venture fellow community. It showed me all the possibilities out there and fundamentally shifted how I viewed my career, including taking bold steps to become a startup operator. Thank you, AV!
The VFP was an instructional experience that helped me become an investor. The Venture Fellow Program’s curriculum and support for aspiring investors provided me with a much-needed playbook. Through different technical sessions, ranging from sourcing 101 to diligence and term sheets, I gained an understanding of how to think like a financial investor. More importantly, I had the opportunity to collaborate with principals on the Green D fund, and experience the investing process. Overall, my experience with Green D encouraged me not only to transition into the industry but also to focus on early-stage deals.
The AV fellowship program is a great way to build foundational knowledge of venture capital. It's deliberately more structured than other programs—offering a unique balance between classroom-like learning and hands-on deal experiences. To me, what matters most are the relationships you make through the program. Even after the program has ended, they can help open doors to a traditionally opaque industry, and you'll always be part of the VFP family.
See testimonial policy below.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Please see our Application Information Page for details on how to apply, including the application process, deadlines, and link to the application.
Fellows must a) be located in the United States, b) have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and c) must not be an investor in Alumni Ventures or one of our funds.
No; experience in venture capital is not required, only a passion for VC and career aspirations in the ecosystem.
There is no cost to participants; Alumni Ventures covers the full cost of the program and required resources.
Fellows who share a university affiliation with one of Alumni Ventures’ alumni funds are typically considered to be a Fellow with the corresponding fund. However, alumni affiliation is not required; fellows of all university affiliations and backgrounds can apply to the VFP.
Graduates of the fellow program move into a variety of roles in the VC and entrepreneurial ecosystem including working as venture capital investors, founders/CEOs of startups, operators at a VC or startup, VC fund managers and more.