Press Release – WASHINGTON, DC – The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, through its Startup@BerkeleyLaw initiative, and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) are delighted to announce their partnership and launch of VC University, an educational program providing practical training on venture finance for entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys and others interested in emerging company finance. Participants can access VC University through the online certificate program or by attending one of the in-person programs held in emerging venture ecosystems across the United States, called VC University LIVE. VC University will also partner with the Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University to bring VC University LIVE to the Midwest and South.
“VC University provides an opportunity for participants to learn about venture fundamentals and connect with local leaders and influencers from Silicon Valley, and we are thrilled to launch this new program in partnership with Berkeley Law,” says Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “We look forward to seeing aspiring, new, and seasoned investors and entrepreneurs from around the U.S. attend these in-person events or enroll in the online course. Education and best practices are critical to the future of our industry, and VC University supports ecosystems across the country with potential investment opportunities and access to capital.”
VC University incorporates lectures and interviews with faculty from the University of California, Berkeley, executives from NVCA, leading U.S. venture investors, and faculty from local universities. The VC University online program democratizes access to the nuts and bolts of venture finance, while the VC University LIVE events build on this by convening emerging ecosystems to bring together interested VCs from coast-to-coast and provide educational and networking opportunities. Participants who complete either component of the program receive a certificate.
The program builds on the strong educational track record at Startup@BerkeleyLaw. The initiative was founded in 2015 and provides hands-on training for entrepreneurs and investors at UC Berkeley as well as at partner institutions around the world. Professor Robert Bartlett, faculty chair of Startup@BerkeleyLaw notes, “When we launched Startup@BerkeleyLaw in 2015, a central goal was to provide access to the venture capital ecosystem through providing hands-on training on the financial and legal terms that drive venture capital finance. We are delighted to partner with the NVCA to make VC finance accessible to an even broader range of communities.”
Enrollment in the online course is now open through March 22, 2019. The course will commence on April 1, 2019, and enrollment includes a one-year subscription to over 20 hours of materials. Content for the online course will be updated annually. The inaugural VC University LIVE events will be held in the Midwest on May 15-17, 2019 at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then in the South on September 19-21, 2019 with the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. As part of this program, VC University will also be partnering with PitchBook, the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets, to provide VC University students with limited access to PitchBook’s private market data and resources.
Learn more about VC University and see how you can get involved by visiting the VC University website at www.venturecapitaluniversity.com.
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