VC University is a foundational certificate course on venture finance, created in 2019 through the partnership of NVCA, Venture Forward, and Startup@BerkeleyLaw at the UC Berkeley School of Law.
VC University democratizes access to quality venture capital education for early career investors, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and anyone else who’s interested in emerging company finance. The program provides a structured introduction and practical training on the nuts and bolts of venture finance.
VC University has two distinct components:
- VC University ONLINE: an online certificate course.
- VC University LIVE: a three-day, in-person program held in partnership with universities across the country.
Venture Forward is proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships for each program.
VC University ONLINE
The VC University ONLINE certificate program is offered three times a year. The online course consists of 20+ hours of lectures by UC Berkeley faculty, NVCA executives, and VC leaders, and 30-40 hours of independent coursework. The program also includes virtual office hours, monthly webinars with leading venture capitalists, and interactive assessments through which participants learn the fundamentals of venture finance. Students who complete the requirements of the course earn a certificate of completion at the end of the program.
Tuition for VC University ONLINE is $1500. Berkeley alumni and employees of NVCA member firms are eligible for a 20% discount on tuition.
Venture Forward is also proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships for qualified candidates.
For VC University ONLINE programming dates and details, please visit: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/online-course
IMPACT TO DATE:
- 5 VC University ONLINE cohorts since launch in 2019
- 740+ total participants
UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
February 2021
The next VC University ONLINE program will begin on February 1, 2021.
The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Friday, November 27, 2020.
General registration with open on Monday, December 14, 2020.
If you’d like to receive a notification when registration opens for the next cohort of VC University ONLINE, sign up here.
VC University LIVE
VC University LIVE is a three-day educational program held in partnership with universities in emerging VC ecosystems across the country.
VC University LIVE provides an introductory overview of the Silicon Valley model of venture capital, while shining a spotlight on emerging venture ecosystems. These events convene local industry leaders and VC leaders from the coasts; offer foundational instruction to VC newcomers; and address cutting-edge industry issues, including how to improve capital and talent flows between local ecosystems and Silicon Valley. Critically, these programs provide an opportunity to connect with local leaders as well as influencers from Silicon Valley.
Alumni from Berkeley, alumni from the host university, and employees of NVCA member firms are eligible for a 20% discount on tuition. Venture Forward is also proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships to qualified candidates.
For additional VC University LIVE programming dates and details, please visit: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/live-program.
IMPACT TO DATE:
- 3 VC University LIVE programs
- Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (2019)
- A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University (2019)
- Dedman School of Law and the Cox School of Business at SMU, in Dallas, TX (2020)
- 185+ participants across 3 programs
UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
June 3-5, 2021: UNC – Chapel Hill
Held in partnership with the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the Kenan-Flagler Business School Entrepreneurship Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For additional information, please visit: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/live-program
Universities who are interested in partnering with Venture Forward and Startup@BerkeleyLaw to bring VC University LIVE to your region should contact Rhianon Anderson at rhianon@ventureforward.org.
Venture Forward Scholarship
Venture Forward is proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships to cover the cost of each VC University program. Scholarship application dates can be found for each program at: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com.
OFFICE HOURS & MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Recipients of the full scholarship to VC University ONLINE also receive access to special office hours, as well as a dedicated mentorship program. (At this time, these components are not offered to partial scholarship recipients, or VC University LIVE scholarship recipients.)
The mentorship program begins 8 weeks after the course starts. It builds upon the technical education provided by VC University, and offers industry connections, insight, and support. You can learn more about these components of the Venture Forward Scholarship on the Scholarship Application Information.
If you are interested in supporting Venture Forward’s scholarship or mentorship efforts, please email Maryam Haque at maryam@ventureforward.org.
SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA & APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates who are interested in applying for a Venture Forward Scholarship to one of the VC University programs need to review the Scholarship Application Information to see if they meet the meet the award criteria.
This document includes all the necessary details on:
- Scholarship eligibility
- Application criteria and deadlines
- Advice on making your application the strongest it can be
- Access to the Scholarship Application itself
IMPACT TO DATE:
VC University ONLINE Scholarships
- 94 full scholarships and 47 partial scholarships awarded to women, people of color, and people from other historically underrepresented groups
- 2020 full scholarship recipients:
- 68% Female
- 65% Black and Indigenous People of Color
- 27% Non-Black People of Color
- 13% LGBT
- 5% Veteran or Active Military
- 71% based outside California, Massachusetts, or New York.
VC University LIVE Scholarships
- 25 full scholarships awarded to women, people of color, and people from historically underrepresented groups.
Lunch & Learn Topics and Speakers
All current and alumni VC University participants have access to the monthly Lunch & Learn webinars. Past topics and speakers have included:
- LP Insights – Beezer Clarkson (Sapphire Ventures) & Lisa Edgar (Top Tier)
- Secrets of Sand Hill Road – Scott Kupor (Andreessen Horowitz)
- Portfolio Construction – Charles Hudson (Precursor) & Renata Quintini (Lux Capital)
- The Traction Gap – Bruce Cleveland (Wildcat Ventures)
- Industry Perspectives on VC-Backed Exits and Liquidity – Guru Chahal (Lightspeed Venture Partners); Tim de Kay (Deloitte); Brian Patterson (Gunderson Dettmer)
- How to Diligence, Value, and Protect Intellectual Property at Startups – Mira Chaurushiya (5AM Ventures); Shahin Farshchi (Lux Capital); Paul Parker (Perkins Coie)
- Important Public Policy Issues Impacting VCs and Startups – NVCA Policy Team
- VC AMA – Jeff Clavier (Uncork Capital)
- How to Build a Successful Career in VC – Kate Mitchell (Scale Venture Partners)
- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of VC – Joe Horowitz (Icon Ventures)
- Emerging VC Fundraising & Fund Management Best Practices During a Downturn – Will Price (Next Frontier Capital) & Seyonne Kang (Greenspring Associates)
- Breaking into VC – Mahendra Ramisinghani (Secure Octane)
- VC Perspectives on the Current Environment & Ecosystem Building – Brentt Baltimore (Greycroft), Mike Fernandez (B Capital), and Carmen Palafox (MiLA Capital)
- Fireside Chat – Arlan Hamilton (Backstage Capital)
- Barry Eggers (Lightspeed Venture Partners)
- Greg Sands (Costanoa Ventures)