Student-run evergreen fund supporting Brown's finest founders

Our Story

Van Wickle Ventures was founded in 2019 to support Brown’s best entrepreneurs and give students hands-on experience in venture investing. Beginning with generous funding from Robert ‘75 and Erna Place ‘76, VWV invests $25-50k checks from Brown’s endowment into groundbreaking startups founded by Brown students, alumni and professors.Throughout the school year, students source and rigorously diligence various companies. Potential investment opportunities are presented to VWV’s investment committee, composed of seasoned alumni VCs from funds such as Pear VC and Alumni Ventures, who vote on a final investment decision. As an evergreen fund, all returns are reinvested back into the fund, ensuring it remains a permanent supporter of the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Brown-led Thesis

We believe Brown’s highly holistic educational experience creates the types of divergent and empathetic thinkers capable of building successful companies. Brunonian start-ups such as Figma, MongoDB, Warby Parker, Casper and Workday all reimagined their industries through a characteristically-Brown spirit of innovation. We look to back the next generation of such founders as they surmount the insurmountable.

Training the Next Generation of VCs

A key component of Van Wickle Venture’s mission is to train the next generation of venture capitalists through actionable, hands-on experience deploying real capital into real companies. Every year, a new cohort of VWV associates undergo extensive training through the Group Independent Study Project, a credited class taught by our co-directors. Throughout their time at VWV, through sourcing and rigorous due diligence, students learn to think like top-tier investors – honing sharp analytical instincts, uncovering market signals others miss, and identifying the people who make bold, relentless founders capable of shaping our future for the better.