Our BuildTN Fellows program is for undergrad/graduate students who have an interest in the VC industry. Our Fellows spend real time working up close with VCs and Founders over the course of a semester and are eligible for college credit. Fellows conduct market research on a chosen industry vertical, taking on the role of domain expert within LaunchTN for deals in that industry. They’re also responsible for due diligence for early stage investments, driving deals forward with research activities including but not limited to bottoms-up market sizing, financial analysis, and supporting the creation of investment briefs and memos for investment committee consideration. They are also given the opportunity to execute portfolio reporting activities across the several funds managed by LaunchTN’s capital team. This is a one of a kind opportunity for those looking to begin a career in the VC realm and provides hands-on experience within their chosen industry.
Applications closed on September 2nd, and we’re excited to introduce this semesters BuildTn Fellows! We look forward to the upcoming semester and are thrilled to see how these individuals will move the needle forward in our mission to make Tennessee the most startup friendly state.
Alexander Rodriguez
Name: Alexander Rodriguez
School: Sewanee – The University of the South
Degree: BA International & Global Studies; Minor in Business Finance
BuildTN Fund Industry: Fintech
Extracurriculars: Sewanee Men’s Varsity Basketball Team, Green’s View Capital Investment Club
Why I’m a Venture Fellow: “I wanted to be a fellow because I am very passionate about startup companies and Ideas. I love watching early-stage companies flourish; to be a part of that, especially in my state of Tennessee, means so much to me. I love finance and would love to learn as much as possible with experienced mentors, and I feel like LaunchTN has helped me fulfill that desire during this school semester.”
Name: Juliana Yang
School: Vanderbilt University
Degree: Graduate Student, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
BuildTN Fund Industry: Biotech
Extracurriculars: Teaching assistant for an elective immunoengineering course
Why I’m a Venture Fellow: “I became captivated by entrepreneurship (particularly the focus on addressing the real needs of real people) through participating in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps. I would like to gain experience in venture capital to support the development of early-stage startups with the potential of becoming changemakers. I became a BuildTN Venture Fellow to help build Tennessee’s young but continuously growing entrepreneurial ecosystem through the identification of opportunity areas in biotech.”
Name: Sambhav Bansal
School: Sewanee – The University of the South
Degree: BA Economics; Double Minor in Business & Psychology
BuildTN Fund Industry: Automotive & Transportation
Extracurriculars: Co-Founder & CEO, Tiger Student Ventures
Why I’m a Venture Fellow: “I am very excited to be a Venture Fellow with LaunchTN because of the amazing opportunity to learn the foundations and depth of the VC industry and to be surrounded by startups that focus on creating an impact and leading with purpose! I am super excited to perform market research for the state of Tennessee as I’m very passionate about helping developing economies unlock and realize their potential.”