Funding CWRU Alumni, Cultivating Venture Capital Leaders
The CWRU Alumni Venture Fund is a returns-oriented fund that invests philanthropic dollars in CWRU alumni, student or faculty startups alongside professional investors through a due diligence process led by current CWRU students.
Our Portfolio
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Fund Objectives
- Elevate student understanding of early-stage finance through experiential learning
- Drive strong financial returns
- Accelerate alumni engagement
- Enhance CWRU entrepreneurship visibility
- Support capital formation for CWRU alumni, student startups, and CWRU spinouts
Fund Structure
The CWRU AVF is a returns-oriented fund with strong CWRU connectivity through the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship and the CWRU Chief Investment Officer. CWRU Alumni Fund Student Fellows lead the due diligence process with support from CWRU staff and alumni advisors. Our alumni advisors are a diverse group of experienced individuals who support our students in sourcing and evaluating potential investments.
Founder Profiles & Recent News
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March 04, 2026A conversation with alumni entrepreneur Brandon Mark, DMD (DEN ’21) -
February 23, 2026Emily Dickens (CWR ’19, MGT ’20, GRS ’20, engineering) has built her career around a central question: how can engineering innovation accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy system—and reach the market at scale? As chief commercial officer of Octet Scientific, a Cleveland-based… -
February 11, 2026Halle Tecco (CWR ’06) is the co-founder of Cofertility, a startup working to make egg freezing and fertility care more accessible. Earlier in her career, Tecco launched Natalist, a women’s health products company that was acquired in 2021, broadening the availability of at-home fertility and…
Support CWRU Entrepreneurs
The CWRU Alumni Venture Fund develops and accelerates the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem including students, faculty and alumni. Our students lead the due diligence and investment process. And that's a win-win for everyone.