An Inside Look through the Eyes of Our Summer 2022 Venture Fellows Cohort
Over the summer, IDEA Fund Partners hosted our latest class of Venture Fellows, a program to provide on-the-job experience to students and young professionals looking to learn more about venture capital. These Fellows from around the country were not merely observers on the sidelines -they played an integral part in the team by being fully immersed in the deal review, due diligence, and broader strategy of the firm. Their contributions and insights will last much longer than the ten weeks they spent with us. They have shared some of their biggest takeaways from the summer:
Manu Pareek, University of Georgia
“Being a fellow with IDEA Fund Partners has been an outstanding introduction to venture capital. From the onset, we were given immense responsibility in initial due diligence and deal analysis. Presenting our findings to the rest of the group helped build the importance of having a true sense of conviction. I am very grateful that I was able to be a part of this fellowship, as it helped shape what I hope to do in the future as a career.”
Chandler Abbott, University of Arkansas
“My time at IDEA Fund Partners has given me the tools to interpret what makes a good early stage investment and if there is an alignment between a startup and an investment thesis. The repetitions of analyzing real deals are invaluable. Developing a conviction for a startup and presenting a deal has challenged and influenced the way I approach thinking about markets and strategy. Thank you Lister, Chris, John, and Lewis for allowing me to learn from you and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued success of your firm.”
Chase Eller, Claremont McKenna
“The Fellowship at IDEA Fund Partners provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about the world of venture capital. Having exposure to the processes that IFP uses for evaluating sectors, deals, founders, and beyond was extremely educational. The program gives fellows meaningful responsibility that challenges them to think critically and be resourceful. The program was there to provide support and guidance and was an experience that I am sure will be extremely helpful moving forward.”
Jake Melman-Rogers, University of Virginia
“I could not ask for a more fulfilling professional experience than my fellowship with IDEA Fund Partners. Over the past three months, my knowledge of the Venture Capital landscape grew exponentially, but more importantly, I learned to hold strong opinions loosely and recognize what I don’t know. I was thrilled that the work we did this summer was real and valuable. IFP Fellows work in all areas of the venture capital ecosystem; from sourcing companies and attending demo days, to conducting industry research and assisting in due diligence, IFP Fellows get to do it all. This rare work experience, coupled with the ability to learn from some of the industry’s best, makes IDEA Fund Partners’ Venture Fellow program second to none. I am immensely grateful to Lewis, Lister, Chris, and John for their leadership and mentorship this summer.”
Rohit Jain, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
“The Idea Fund Partners fellowship provided invaluable insight into venture capital. Venture Capital is really more of an art than a science. It’s not just raising capital from LPs and investing in startups, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to operate a fund. As a previous angel investor in startups, I appreciated learning the framework for evaluating opportunities and participating in weekly partner meetings. The Idea Fund Partners team offered tremendous knowledge and expertise, which has enabled me to evaluate companies and ideas with a different perspective. Grateful for the opportunity to see how Institutional investors deploy capital into disruptive startups!”
Ryan Pettit, Dartmouth College
“The IFP Fellowship offered exposure to multiple facets of VC, providing a unique opportunity to not only learn from, but actively contribute to, an established VC firm. During my time at IFP, I was able to analyze startups, attend demo days and partner pitches, conduct due diligence, and complete a culminating supply chain research project in order to contribute to IFP’s thesis work. The structure of this fellowship provided an opportunity to approach assignments with a degree of autonomy and independence while allowing for ample room to ask for guidance or help. Lewis, Lister, and Chris were tremendously helpful, creating a framework for professional growth by constantly providing detailed feedback on pitches and projects. Most importantly — this fellowship allowed me to connect with unique, intelligent, and ambitious peers. Working with the other fellows helped me to refine my approach to researching emerging verticals while also allowing me to connect to a talented cohort of peers who I hope I will remain in contact with far after the end of this fellowship. Thank you to the IFP team for creating this incredible opportunity.”
