Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Fellows Program Partners Students with Venture Capital Firms

Select Georgetown University students were chosen for the opportunity to work at venture capital or investment firms to complete tasks including due diligence, deal sourcing and assisting portfolio companies. 

The Georgetown Venture Fellows Program, a joint collaboration between the MBA Career Center at the McDonough School of Business (MSB) and Georgetown Entrepreneurship, welcomed four undergraduate and 13 graduate students to its eighth annual cohort. The Venture Fellows will work at one of 11 different firms part time during the spring and fall semesters and full time during the summer. 

Eric Young, managing director and assistant dean at the McDonough School MBA Career Center, said Venture Fellows learn crucial investing skills during their participation in the program. 

“Students gain exposure to the venture capital lifecycle, get involved with deal flow, financial modeling, due diligence, attending investor meetings, even taking part in company retreats. Sometimes they’ll work with portfolio companies,” Young wrote to The Hoya. “One of the greatest benefits is the networking students do and the relationships they build, within Georgetown and beyond.”

The Venture Fellows Program offers an entry point into the competitive venture capital industry, and applications for spots within the program were at a record high this cycle. The MBA Career Center coordinates with regional and national companies, while aspiring Venture Fellows submit applications and complete one to five interviews at firms, where they often receive job offers in the venture capital industry after graduation.

MSB Georgetown | The Venture Fellows Program welcomes four undergraduate and 13 graduate students to its eighth annual cohort. Fellows will work for 8-12 months in an internship with a firm.

Jeff Reid, director of Georgetown Entrepreneurship, said that firms were previously unsatisfied with traditional interns, which created demand for longer programs like the Georgetown Venture Fellows Program. 

“If the internship is just a few hours a week during the school year, it’s difficult for the student to get into the flow of the workweek,” Reid wrote to The Hoya. “And if it’s just a few weeks during the summer, the VCs told me that by the time the student learned enough, the summer was over. Thus, our Fellows Program runs from January through at least August, and sometimes an entire 12-month cycle. By the time the Fellowship is finishing, many firms tell me the Fellows were so valuable they can’t wait to get the next one.”

Taylor Deasy (MSB ’24), a Venture Fellow interning with Qodeo, a startup that matches venture capital and private equity firms with entrepreneurs, said that the Venture Fellows Program has already opened up doors to the industry of venture capital. 

“It has been an amazing experience so far,” Deasy wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The ability to work so closely with the management team and have a visible impact on the company has been super cool. I am flying out to Boston for a VC event tomorrow, which should be an amazing experience as well. The fellowship has exceeded my expectations and I look forward to moving along with the process.”

Jacob Berns (GRD ’23), a Venture Fellow working with StepStone Group, a private markets firm which leads a group for venture investing, said the work he does aligns with his interests.

“I’m a Team Lead in the InSITE Fellows program, which is a program that matches local startups with teams of MBA students to help in a consulting-style capacity,” Berns wrote to The Hoya. “I come from a consulting background and really enjoy working with startups, given my interest in venture capital, so this program was also a great fit for me.”

Berns said the program’s network effect benefits both individual students and the larger Georgetown reputation. 

“The Venture Fellow program provides a great community for both graduate and undergraduate students interested in venture capital to connect,” Berns wrote. “The more and more interest and participation we get into the program, the more recognition and awareness Georgetown will get in the national venture capital conversation.”

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