The world of venture capital has a diversity problem. According to an article from Forbes, while 58% of the people who work in the industry are white men, white men control 93% of the venture capital dollars. Furthermore, “just 1% of the $70 trillion wealth management industry is controlled by women or minority fund managers, which often directly impacts the number of dollars invested in female and underrepresented founders.”
These glaringly problematic statistics serve as the catalyst for a new program being launched by the Texas Network of Blackstone LaunchPad’s called, “The Bridge Venture Fellowship.” The fellowship is a virtual, multi-week bootcamp for 20 students across the 10 University of Texas System schools that will focus on introducing concepts of venture capital and will culminate in an in-person recruitment mixer with Texas-based VC firms in Austin.
Additionally, through participation in the Bridge Venture Fellowship, students will:
- Receive individualized mentoring
- Hear from diverse investors and startup founders
- Participate in a recruitment mixer with Texas-based firms with the goal of landing a summer associate internship
This program supports students who have not previously had opportunities to learn about venture capital. The recruitment process focused on targeting and engaging Black, Latinx, women, and LGBTQ+ students, encouraging them to participate.
Through the educational and mentoring programming, we believe the students will be well-equipped to begin their venture capital careers.
For more information, visit: https://texaslaunchpad.org/
For sponsorship opportunities contact Dresden Goldberg at dresden.goldberg@utdallas.edu
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