One of Dorm Room Fund’s super powers is our ability to inject diverse talent into the startup and venture ecosystem. Since our founding in 2012, DRF’s investing team alone has produced 100+ founders and investors and 50+ venture funds across the world.
Our annual Summer Diversity tracks are a huge part of that effort. These nights and weekends programs are designed for students to learn the basics of VC and founderhood from some of the best in the business. Some of past speakers have included Sam Altman (Open AI), Rebecca Kaden (USV), Elliot Robinson (Bessemer Venture Partners), and more brilliant minds on the building and investing side of the ecosystem. Applications for our 2023 programs are open until tomorrow, May 19th. Interested students can apply here.
The best part about Summer Tracks? They’re run by our current student investment partners and graduates. Read below from this year’s program organizers to hear what’s in store.
FFT
Our OG and longest running summer track, for founders who identify as women. From this year’s leads Karmini Sampath (Wharton MBA ’24) and Deshani Gunathilake (Stern MBA ’24).
“We are very excited to work with a select cohort of female founders this summer via Dorm Room Fund’s Female Founder Track (FFT). FFT is a 6-week masterclass designed to equip early stage women to scale up their projects and raise their first capital.
FFT will meet weekly on Sundays at 4pm EST via Zoom, starting on June 11. During these sessions, you will hear from best-in-class founders and VCs who will share their insights and experiences and answer your questions. Sessions will cover topics like building startup culture, hiring, fundraising, and scaling across stages. You will get the opportunity to meet and work with other founders from the FFT cohort over the course of the program—including outside of the weekly sessions. Between the speakers, FFT cohort, and the DRF fam, we hope to also equip you with a community to support your journey as a founder. “
PRISM Track
A 6-week program for LGBTQ+ students looking to break into venture. This year’s lead (and proud PRISM ’21 participant) Arjan Guglani (UMich ’23):
“PRISM is a summer masterclass for aspiring LGBTQ+ investors. Over 6-weeks, members of Prism will be taught and mentored by industry leading VCs and startup operators on what it takes to be a world-class investor. We are cultivating a select cohort of talented LGBTQ+ students (with or without VC knowledge) to gain a new community and potentially join Dorm Room Fund as student investors after the program. Prism Cohort members will be paired 1:1 with industry experts and will be placed in smaller pods with students in the same geographic region to facilitate lasting connections well beyond the program. The program runs from Mid-June to Late-July, virtually Wednesdays at 8PM with some optional in-person meetups in SF/NYC, and can easily be done alongside an internship. We have had speakers including Lachy Groom, Rex Woodbery, and Sam Altman in the past and we are super excited for our best-ever summer this year.”
Blueprint Investor Track
Blueprint is a 2-month program for Black, Latino, and/or Indigenous students who want to learn VC. 96 students have graduated from Blueprint investor track, many of whom ended up in the DRF Partnership. This year’s leads are Darius Johnson (Santa Clara ’23) David Stavis (Baylor ’24), and André Guardia (Illinois Tech ’23).
“Blueprint is an amazing opportunity for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students to get their footing in venture capital. The industry has traditionally lacked strong representation from these groups, and we look forward to helping change the face of VC through Blueprint and our other programs. We’re excited for participants to get the chance to learn from a killer slate of speakers from some of the top VC firms in the country. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss! ”
FIT
Our summer program for woman-identifying students who want to learn the ropes of venture. Speakers, team assignments, and curriculum help students get ready for a career in VC. Adanna Mogbo (Penn ’25 & FIT ’22) will be leading this year!
“I was a participant in the Summer 2022 Female Investors Track. When I first joined the program, I had some operational experience building a startup as well as interning as a product manager for another startup, but I had minimal exposure to the venture side of things. I saw FIT as an opportunity to learn from women in the industry and connect with aspiring female investors.
FIT’s amazing programming was an excellent starting point for me. I learned the lingo, venture math, and most importantly, how to think like a venture capitalist. I was able to contextualize the operational work I had done in a new way. I also met so many amazing women who were on the same journey as me!
After FIT, I knew I wanted to pursue venture capital even further. I later became an Investment Partner on Dorm Room Fund’s Philly Team, and I still use what I learned last summer to better source, conduct due diligence, and rigorously evaluate potential DRF investments. If you are an aspiring female investor, please apply for FIT! The program is truly an amazing opportunity.”
We can’t wait for this year’s new members of the summer tracks community. Apply now.