By Courtney Buie Lipkin, Partner at Susa Ventures
It’s that time of year again! The Susa team is excited to open applications for our third cohort of Venture Fellows. This unique program is designed to give aspiring venture investors an all-access experience sourcing and evaluating deals alongside our investment team as well as supporting Susa portfolio companies.
When we first envisioned the Venture Fellows Program more than two years ago, we did so with the goal of opening up access to a career in venture beyond the well-trod paths of network and pedigree already established in the industry. While we were optimistic, none of us predicted the amount that the Susa team and our portfolio would benefit in return. The Venture Fellows bring a diversity of ideas and experiences along with a fresh enthusiasm for our industry that makes us work harder every day.
In addition to the positive impact on our firm and portfolio, many Venture Fellows have made exciting career moves into venture since joining the program. We’ll let them speak for themselves in the video below 👇
Needless to say, the Venture Fellows are incredible. We feel lucky to be a small part of their story and couldn’t be more excited to invite the next cohort of Fellows to join our family.
If you are interested in the Venture Fellows Program, please consider the following requirements. We’ve found that the most successful fellows are deeply engaged with the work and eager to make a career transition.
- Fellows should be actively looking to enter venture capital as their next job.
- Fellows should be available to attend bi-weekly Tuesday evening sessions.
- Fellows will engage in completing deliverables between sessions. At the end of the Fellowship, each Fellow will have a body of work they can draw from when engaging in VC interviews. Deliverables may include a market map, blog post, and investment memo.
- This program is not passive. Fellows are expected to work alongside us on such items as sourcing, diligence, and post-investment support within the Susa portfolio.
We can’t wait to meet you and see how you change our industry for the better.
While there are many amazing programs for angel investors, this will be the most dedicated and involved program for people who know they want to be a venture capital investor.
FAQ
How long will the program be?
Five months, September 20, 2022 — March 7, 2023
When is the application deadline?
August 21, 2022 at 11:59pm PT
Where can I find the application?
Apply here!
Who should apply?
Any aspiring venture capital investor, within the US or Canada, regardless of educational background, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, upbringing, or professional experience.
How many Venture Fellows will there be?
8–10
What is the time commitment for this program?
This is a part-time, but very involved, program. The more Fellows put into it, the more they will get out of it. Fellows will meet as a group once every other week for one hour, in addition to one-off diligence meetings with the Susa investors based on the pace of deals, likely 5 hours per week during PST working hours. This program will be entirely virtual.
Will Venture Fellows be compensated?
Venture Fellows will receive a monthly stipend to compensate for hours they may need to take off from work.
If you’d like to learn more, you can read about the origins of this program here.
Applications Open For 2022 Susa Venture Fellows Cohort was originally published in Susa Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.