Venture Capital Initiative
Venture Capital Initiative - Darden Venture Fellows Program
Darden Venture Fellows Program
WHAT IS THE DARDEN VENTURE FELLOWS PROGRAM? This program offers Darden students a unique, intensive ten-week summer internship experience with a top venture capital firm. Darden MBAs have the opportunity to apply for selection by a sponsoring VC firm through which students may work in an investing role, an operating role within one of the fund’s portfolio companies, or a blend of the two. The purpose of this program is to give current students hands-on experience, mentorship, coaching, and a rich network of connections to support their aspirations to pursue entrepreneurship or venture capital after graduation.
WHO'S IT FOR? Darden students between their First and Second years at Darden.
WHEN IS IT? For 10 weeks during the summer.
WHERE IS IT? Various locations.
HOW DO I APPLY? See the application process information below.
> Accepted Fellows: submit the funding request form.
If you have questions, contact: Paul Reeder (Managing Director, Darden Career Center)
“Thanks to the Darden Venture Fellows program, I interned this past summer with a cutting-edge, Darden-founded B2B SaaS VC firm called Trestle Partners. As employee #3, I dove in on all aspects of running a firm including end-to-end diligence, sourcing, performance benchmarking, and investor relations. Getting so much hands-on experience was great for my career, and working in Midtown New York was a life experience I’ll always be thankful for.”
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Benefits & Timetable
Benefits
- 10-week summer fellowship with a VC firm and/or one of their portfolio companies
- Supported and administered by the Venture Capital Initiative
- Sponsored by principals from leading VC firms
- $8,000 (max.) matching stipend from the Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management
- $8,000 (min.) compensation from sponsor/portfolio company
Timetable
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Application window: Early January 2025
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Selection interviews: mid-January to early-February 2025
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Darden Venture Fellows offers made: mid-February 2025
-
Darden Venture Fellows Placements Finalized: Beginning of March 2025
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Summer Fellowship will typically run for 10-weeks between Memorial Day and the second week of August
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Eligibility
Eligibility
Any first year Darden MBA student in good standing is eligible to apply.
First Year students will have three weeks to consider an offer, unless an alternative time frame is agreed upon by both parties.
This is a highly competitive program, and there are only a limited number of Darden Venture Fellowships available. To be considered, applicants must submit the required materials to the posting in Darden Career Link. Qualified finalists will be invited for interviews with participating funds.
NOTE: Dual degree students (e.g. medical, education) who receive financial aid from the University and who plan to enroll in summer academic classes during the fellowship period must consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine if fellowship funding may impact the student's aid package prior to submitting an application to the program. -
Funding & Commitments
Funding
The Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management provide a $8,000 matching stipend for each Darden Venture Fellow. It is expected that the sponsor/portfolio company will match (or exceed) that amount for each recipient.
Commitments
Students who accept a Darden Venture Fellowship are making a formal commitment to work for the sponsor and/or their portfolio companies during the internship. Once the fellowship has been accepted, awardees may not later rescind it in favor of another opportunity; this would be unfair to the sponsors, the selection committee, and other applicants.
Darden Venture Fellows commit to serving as a mentor for future Darden Venture Fellows.
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Current Sponsors
Sponsors
Darden Venture Fellows is administered by the Venture Capital Initiative and co-funded by the Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management; it is sponsored by principals from leading venture capital firms. The sponsors will be directly involved in the selection process, and they commit to providing placement with the firm or with one or more of their respective firm’s portfolio companies. Investing and operating roles will be matched on an applicant-by-applicant basis.
2023-24 SPONSORS
GM Ventures
Harmonic Growth Partners
RTX Ventures
Sands Capital Management
StepStone
Transform Capital
Trestle Partners
UVA LVG Seed Fund -
Listing of Fellows
2024
Jack Alexander – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Dahler Battle – RTX Ventures
Amanda Golden – Sands Capital
Molly Suttle – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Jose Terrazas – Trestle Partners2023
Ellie Jamison – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Anhad Soin – Transform Capital
Malcolm Stewart – Sands Capital
Daniel Vernic – Harmonic Growth Partners
Will Whitehurst – Trestle Partners
Charlie Wilmerding – UVA LVG Seed Fund2022
Celia Aidinoff – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Pilar Bennett – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Sukari Brown – Sands Capital
Alex Ledoux – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Tanner Powers – Transform Capital
Katie Russell – Sands Capital
Kevin Smith – Sands Capital2021
Chad Kenny Jr – Gooten, KEC Ventures
Andrew Shelton – Sands Capital
Lauren Wippman – Sands Capital
Mark Youngentob – City Capital Ventures2020
Michael Bojanski – Anagram (formerly Patch), KEC Ventures
Amanda Gex – Grove Collaborative, Glynn Capital Management
Aditi Rajagopal – Transform Capital
Niv Tschaiikov – Transform Capital
Miranda Witzig – Sands Capital2019
Stephanie Hepp – Sands Capital
Bill Igou – Sands Capital
Cara Jankowski – Bright Health, Greenspring Associates
Stephen Joy – New Stack Ventures
Zach Lynch – Kabbage, BluRun Ventures
Meghan Lyons – Kalo, Glynn Capital Management2018
Marcelo Costa de Sousa – Kabbage, BlueRun Ventures
Mary Julia Keller – Rhumbix, Glynn Capital Management
Kristen Podwika – Gooten, KEC Ventures2017
Kyle Collins – Kabbage, Atlanta, GA
Whitney Hagan – VSCO, Oakland, CA
Van Hatchell – ZeeMee, Redwood City, CANote: Prior to 2021 fellows were referenced as Technology Venture Fellows and Mayo Center Fellowship Recipients.
Benefits
- 10-week summer fellowship with a VC firm and/or one of their portfolio companies
- Supported and administered by the Venture Capital Initiative
- Sponsored by principals from leading VC firms
- $8,000 (max.) matching stipend from the Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management
- $8,000 (min.) compensation from sponsor/portfolio company
Timetable
-
Application window: Early January 2025
-
Selection interviews: mid-January to early-February 2025
-
Darden Venture Fellows offers made: mid-February 2025
-
Darden Venture Fellows Placements Finalized: Beginning of March 2025
-
Summer Fellowship will typically run for 10-weeks between Memorial Day and the second week of August
Eligibility
Any first year Darden MBA student in good standing is eligible to apply.
First Year students will have three weeks to consider an offer, unless an alternative time frame is agreed upon by both parties.
This is a highly competitive program, and there are only a limited number of Darden Venture Fellowships available. To be considered, applicants must submit the required materials to the posting in Darden Career Link. Qualified finalists will be invited for interviews with participating funds.
NOTE: Dual degree students (e.g. medical, education) who receive financial aid from the University and who plan to enroll in summer academic classes during the fellowship period must consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine if fellowship funding may impact the student's aid package prior to submitting an application to the program.
Funding
The Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management provide a $8,000 matching stipend for each Darden Venture Fellow. It is expected that the sponsor/portfolio company will match (or exceed) that amount for each recipient.
Commitments
Students who accept a Darden Venture Fellowship are making a formal commitment to work for the sponsor and/or their portfolio companies during the internship. Once the fellowship has been accepted, awardees may not later rescind it in favor of another opportunity; this would be unfair to the sponsors, the selection committee, and other applicants.
Darden Venture Fellows commit to serving as a mentor for future Darden Venture Fellows.
Sponsors
Darden Venture Fellows is administered by the Venture Capital Initiative and co-funded by the Batten Institute and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management; it is sponsored by principals from leading venture capital firms. The sponsors will be directly involved in the selection process, and they commit to providing placement with the firm or with one or more of their respective firm’s portfolio companies. Investing and operating roles will be matched on an applicant-by-applicant basis.
2023-24 SPONSORS
GM Ventures
Harmonic Growth Partners
RTX Ventures
Sands Capital Management
StepStone
Transform Capital
Trestle Partners
UVA LVG Seed Fund
2024
Jack Alexander – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Dahler Battle – RTX Ventures
Amanda Golden – Sands Capital
Molly Suttle – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Jose Terrazas – Trestle Partners
2023
Ellie Jamison – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Anhad Soin – Transform Capital
Malcolm Stewart – Sands Capital
Daniel Vernic – Harmonic Growth Partners
Will Whitehurst – Trestle Partners
Charlie Wilmerding – UVA LVG Seed Fund
2022
Celia Aidinoff – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Pilar Bennett – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Sukari Brown – Sands Capital
Alex Ledoux – UVA LVG Seed Fund
Tanner Powers – Transform Capital
Katie Russell – Sands Capital
Kevin Smith – Sands Capital
2021
Chad Kenny Jr – Gooten, KEC Ventures
Andrew Shelton – Sands Capital
Lauren Wippman – Sands Capital
Mark Youngentob – City Capital Ventures
2020
Michael Bojanski – Anagram (formerly Patch), KEC Ventures
Amanda Gex – Grove Collaborative, Glynn Capital Management
Aditi Rajagopal – Transform Capital
Niv Tschaiikov – Transform Capital
Miranda Witzig – Sands Capital
2019
Stephanie Hepp – Sands Capital
Bill Igou – Sands Capital
Cara Jankowski – Bright Health, Greenspring Associates
Stephen Joy – New Stack Ventures
Zach Lynch – Kabbage, BluRun Ventures
Meghan Lyons – Kalo, Glynn Capital Management
2018
Marcelo Costa de Sousa – Kabbage, BlueRun Ventures
Mary Julia Keller – Rhumbix, Glynn Capital Management
Kristen Podwika – Gooten, KEC Ventures
2017
Kyle Collins – Kabbage, Atlanta, GA
Whitney Hagan – VSCO, Oakland, CA
Van Hatchell – ZeeMee, Redwood City, CA
Note: Prior to 2021 fellows were referenced as Technology Venture Fellows and Mayo Center Fellowship Recipients.