Welcome to the VWV Group Independent Study Program
In 2021 alone, venture capital (VC) investment reached a high of $345 billion in the US. Undeniably, VC is a powerful and enduring economic force that shapes our current society, but historically, it has been an opaque industry dominated by a specific demographic.
Fulfilling its core mission of democratizing VC education, Van Wickle Ventures is excited to offer an insightful curriculum each spring to the Brown student body as a Group Independent Study Program (GISP), “Wild Duck Hunting: A Guide to Venture Capital.” This course, sponsored by Professor Emeritus Barrett Hazeltine, is taught by our co-directors, as well as rotating analysts at VWV. Guest lectures, discussions, and presentations will dominate the pedagogic process to give students a deep and nuanced understanding of the asset class.
This course is open to students of all semester levels, without pre-requisites and regardless of specific concentration. If you are an undergraduate student at Brown seeking to apply to the version of this Group Independent Study Program next semester, you can review the syllabus and keep an eye out for the next round of applications in Spring 2026. We hope to hear from you then!
Note: if you are a RISD student and/or a graduate student (Brown or RISD) interested in taking this course, please contact the student coordinators for more details.