INVITE-ONLY • LIMITED CAPACITY
Yard Ventures Club
The Yard Ventures Club is founded and curated by Laura Rippy, Harvard alum, Alumni Ventures Managing Partner and Board Member.
Built for Harvard alumni and select friends — College, HBS, HLS, HMS, Kennedy School, and Graduate programs across campus — the Club is organized around three pillars: Social, Academy, and Investing.
Members see and discuss compelling private company deals alongside their peers, build real investment judgment through direct access to deal sponsors, and deepen relationships with fellow Crimson who take capital seriously.
THREE PILLARS
Social. Academy. Investing.
A community that compounds — relationships, judgment, and capital, all built together.
- Social
Social
Annual in-person gathering. A community that compounds.
- Academy
Academy
Learn by doing — peer discussion with deal sponsors in the room.
- Investing
Investing
Real AV deals. $100K+ annual deployment. Individual decisions.
Who It’s For
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Harvard alumni
College, HBS, HLS, HMS, Kennedy School, and Graduate programs. - Home
Established professionals
Executives, founders, attorneys, physicians, consultants, finance leaders. - Home
Qualified investors
With the liquidity and conviction to deploy meaningfully into venture. - Home
Diversified voices
Those who want diversified voices in the room — and want to be one.
Deal Selection & Cadence
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One 60-minute Zoom meeting per month
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One primary deal per session
Real memos, real discussion. - Home
Guest speakers & deal sponsors
Join directly for Q&A. - Home
Organic peer conversation
Led by Laura Rippy — not a lecture. - Home
Annual in-person gathering
At AV's Boston offices.
Member Expectations
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Review materials in advance
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Participate actively and consistently
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Maintain strict confidentiality
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Be direct, constructive, and respectful
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Repeated non-attendance or disengagement will result in the seat being recycled
The Standard
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$100K+ per year
Members are expected to invest across deals surfaced through the Club.
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Individual investments
Made individually, not through pooled vehicles.
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Allocations not guaranteed
Allocations may be limited.
Deal Focus
We source from the entire AV deal engine:
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Top 20 U.S. VC Firm (TIME ’25), and the only one dedicated to individual investors
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Top 3 Most Active U.S. VC Firm (PitchBook ’18–’25)
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Co-invest alongside leading VCs like a16z, Sequoia, Accel, and more
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40+ full-time AV venture investing professionals
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Sector-agnostic — high-quality opportunities across stages and industries
AV PORTFOLIO EXAMPLES
Investing in companies like these
Illustrative portfolio examples across the AV deal engine.
Portfolio companies shown for illustrative purposes only; not necessarily indicative of any AV fund or investor. Investments shown are not available to future investors, except potentially in the case of follow-on investments.
Access Curated Deals Led by Top VC Firms
These firms have co-invested in many deals with Alumni Ventures
These leading venture firms have backed some of the most successful companies in the world.
Co-investors are shown for illustrative purposes only, do not represent all co-investors with which Alumni Ventures has invested, and are not necessarily indicative of future co-investors. The identity of a co-investor does not guarantee investment quality or performance.
Powered by Alumni Ventures
Alumni Ventures is one of the world’s most active venture firms, providing professionally managed, diversified access to early-stage innovation and curated opportunities traditionally difficult to reach. We partner with family offices and individual investors worldwide to build venture portfolios powered by disciplined processes, deep networks, and transparent engagement.
AV has received several awards from national outlets and organizations, recognizing our distinct model and the quality and breadth of our investment activity. See Alumni Ventures Awards & Rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Harvard alumni — College, HBS, HLS, HMS, Kennedy School, and Graduate programs — and select friends. Established professionals (executives, founders, attorneys, physicians, consultants, finance leaders) who are qualified investors with the liquidity and conviction to deploy meaningfully into venture.
Social (annual in-person gathering and a community that compounds), Academy (learn by doing through peer discussion with deal sponsors in the room), and Investing (real AV deals, $100K+ annual deployment, individual decisions).
One 60-minute Zoom meeting per month, plus time to review materials in advance. Plus an annual in-person gathering at AV’s Boston offices.
Members are expected to invest $100K+ per year across deals surfaced through the Club. Investments are made individually, not through pooled vehicles. Allocations may be limited and are not guaranteed.
Laura Rippy, Harvard alum and Alumni Ventures Managing Partner and Board Member. Sessions feature organic peer conversation led by Laura — not a lecture — with guest speakers and deal sponsors joining directly for Q&A.
No. The Yard Ventures Club is not affiliated with or endorsed by Harvard University. All discussions are for informational purposes only.
Membership is by invitation only. Reach out to Laura Rippy ([email protected]) or Stacey Tsai ([email protected]) to share your interest.
Membership is by invitation only.
If you’re a Harvard alum or close friend of the community ready to engage seriously with venture — share your interest below.
Next Steps
Membership by invitation only. Please share your interest with our Club Leadership.
