Invaluable learnings
The experience that J. Skyler Fernandes and Andrew Zalasin share is invaluable.If you put in the work, you are set up for success.
Giordano
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venture.university
4.950 reviews
Last reviewed: Jun 14, 2025Do you agree with venture.university's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 62 customers have already said.
venture.universityMember since Mar 2026
venture.university is an online company. Based on 50 reviews on TrustPlane, it has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Last reviewed June 14, 2025.
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Great for starters to learn about the Venture Capital landscape
The Venture University program is a worthy educational investment for those who are interested in private investing or simply knowing more about the venture capitalist landscape. There are both academic studies as well as real world practice in doing real deal sourcing and company due diligence. Would highly recommend for those interested to explore this industry further.
rex chen
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My experience at VU Venture Partners…
My experience at VU Venture Partners was incredibly valuable. The program is thoughtfully designed, offering a perfect blend of learning and hands-on experience. I particularly appreciated the insights from Skyler and Andrew, who generously shared their own investment experiences and perspectives, providing priceless knowledge. As an investor in the program, I enjoyed actively participating in deal sourcing and presenting to partners, which gave me real-world experience in venture capital. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to enter the VC world. It’s an excellent opportunity to gain practical skills, expand your network, and learn from some of the best in the industry
Yasmine Zhu
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This program is superb
This program is superb! I enjoyed interacting with the partners at VU, as well as the members of the cohort. digging into hundreds of deals, interface with founders from around the world, navigating multiple industry sectors, andhaving exposure to a variety of business models is priceless! I want more of this!
Reginald Turner
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Venture University realizes the…
Venture University realizes the untapped talent that is looked passed for so many reasons. VU understands that everyone does not come from the"right pedigree". VU had given me the opportunity I've been looking for all my professional life. Thank you.
Byron Cowan
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Excellent experience in Cohort 35!
I was a member of Venture University’s 35th cohort in the Fall of 2023 and it was such an awesome experience!At the very start of the program one of the partners told us that ‘you get out what you put in’ and that couldn’t be truer. It’s intense and you learn A LOT very quickly, but it’s very structured which makes it easier and allowed me to plan around my consulting work. After our initial Masterclass week, we met with multiple startups and got to listen in on how the partners at VU approached the calls with founders. Each had a different style that complimented the others very well and it was really interesting to learn from them all. We were then ‘off to the races’ so to speak, deal sourcing and doing diligence on startups ourselves and I really enjoyed this because the cohort members began to naturally work together even more at this stage. Including each other on calls, sharing experiences and insight etc. I really got to know the other team members well during this stage and I hope to continue those relationships for a long time to come!The cohort was divided into five teams: Healthcare, Proptech/Fintech. Enterprise, Consumer & Frontier and each week the teams would present their best deals at partner meetings. Needless to say, we had to come into those partner meetings very well prepared and we never had all the answers but even though the questions were tough, honest, and to the point, all of the feedback that was given was constructive and as the weeks went on we all got better at fine tuning our sourcing and due diligence skills. By the end of the program I felt our cohort had become a tight knit group and we had the investment committees and an amazing trip to Nappa Valley to celebrate!One final observation. As you go through the program it becomes really clear that the Partners and the entire VU team just really loves venture capital and are building something great to give back to the community. I’m really glad that I joined the team and am a VU alum, highly recommend!
Eoin
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Very engaging and productive Program
It is an amazing experience learning concepts, pitching companies at the partner's meeting, doing due diligence, getting tips on looking at different aspects of the deals, then taking the deal to the Investment Committee, and then if it goes through, do the Syndicate call and Reverse Demo Day. This is not very easy to do even by big name Universities. Invaluable experience! Also, we need to remember that we can make the best out of this program by completely immersing yourself in this. I enjoyed my time thoroughly. Sky, Andrew, Jenna, Aakash, and Arpan were all amazing in helping us with different aspects in their own way. I highly recommend this program which gives you all you need to confidently transition into a VC/PE career, provided that it is dependent on you if you can handle all the work and transition from apprentice to a VC career path in 3 months or a year. Nevertheless, every bit of your time is going to be fruitful with this program.
Jai Krishnamurthy
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VU gets 10/5 starts - amazing program
In Sep 2021, I did something unprecedented and decided to take a leap of faith and leave my cushy corp fin job in private equity because I realized I wasn't passionate about FP&A. I had no idea what would come next - I just knew I was intellectually curious about the deals I witnessed while in PE. Two days later, as if by fate, VU popped up on my LinkedIn, and the description/purpose of the program seemed to speak to my exact situation at that time. I knew I wanted to be an investor in private companies, but I didn't know much about VC. VU immersed me into the full-time role of a VC Associate, and I gained real day-to-day experience sourcing, evaluating, and pitching deals. I've never enjoyed "work" so much in my entire life. This program changed my life, literally, in that I found my intersection of "career" and "passion" at VU. The experience you gain is high-quality, and the feedback and coaching you get from Sky, Andrew, and Aakash is unparalleled with anything else out there. I never knew I could wake up everyday excited to get back to it. Thanks to the entire team for introducing me to the VC industry I'll happily spend the rest of my career in.
Carlos Guzman
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One of the best choices in career
VU was a very quick decision for me and it is by far among the best I've made! Coming from startups as a founder and operator, VU opened up a new perspective for me - almost like taking a new seat around the same table but getting a clearer view. A year later after graduation, I've accelerated my career greatly now working with founders that seek support in fundraise. The knowledge, skills and network gained from the experience are benefiting not only me but to dozens of founder in developing nations.
Alisa Chalakhyan
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The best vc apprenticeship out there!
The best program/internship I have taken thus far. Was a great learning curve to learn from the top industry experts about Venture Capital. Special kudos to Andrew, Skyler, Aakash, and the whole cohort for making this an amazing experience professionally and personally over the last three months. Greatest value add to my career trajectory by a mile.
Dhanush Sivakaminathan
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Incredible people and experience
I just finished my first cohort and am trying to plan when I can do my next one. I was able to work with and learn from some amazing people. It was an incredible experience and opportunity.
Sam Heidelberg
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The Most Practical and Efficient Way to Get into VC
I loved, loved, loved the Venture University experience. The program surpassed all my expectations.I started my full-time startup and venture journey in March 2021 and spent every week of the last year talking to entrepreneurs/founders, VC Funds, Funds of Funds, foundations, angel investor groups, and more than 50 corporates. In addition, I consumed hundreds of hours of Y Combinator, DreamIt Ventures, and other startup/founder videos, podcasts, articles, plus attended dozens of events, seminars, and panels about VCs, emerging fund managers, and startups. I spent one year absorbing as much content as possible and actually building ventures and startups with entrepreneurs before doing Venture University. I wish I had done Venture University before starting startups and investing. Net, VU has been by far, the best and most useful content and learning experience I have had. I found more value in what VU put together and shared with us in the first week than in one year of all the other resources. The two VU leaders distilled the fundamentals of Venture Capital and the startup world and shared useful guidance on how to move forward based on their decades of VC experience. This is priceless! I wish that I had done this program sooner.Bottom line, I value the experience, the content, the insights, and wisdom that Skyler, Andrew and the rest of the VU team shared. I highly recommend this program.
Jose Pinero
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I did 3 semesters and it was a great…
I did 3 semesters and it was a great experience. I highly recommend it if you wish to understand Venture Capital and want to join the industry.
Matthew Stokey
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VU Master Class
I did an analysis of a 100 page Fund Constitution and Subscription doc for a Fund and was able to do that effectively because of VU Master Class lessons. The feeling is like when all what you studied appears on an exam!!! Recommend the Program!!!
Meron Mekonnen
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Amazing program
Amazing program. Would highly recommend for anyone trying to break into venture or private equity.
Karthi Chakaravarty
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This was an amazing experience
This was an amazing experience. Joining this cohort and the next will probably go down as the best decision that I have ever made.
Matthew Stokey
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VU Venture Partners: Spreading VC Knowledge To All
An amazing fund to get to be a part of and learn from with very high caliber members in the program to grow alongside of. It was a great real first taste for me to deep dive and learn more about the Venture Capital and Private Equity space, and I will definitely be looking for opportunities to join a fund down the road. Overall great experience, and grateful for the opportunity.
Garrett Zeiler
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GOOD PRACTICE
GOOD PRACTICE
Gerald Martinez
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Amazing program and people
Joining VU was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The VC/PE industry is very competitive to get into, and VU offered me a rare chance to learn what it's like to be a VC from every angle and with hands-on experience. I loved every part of it! We met with startup founders, brought deals to Partners meetings, presented to Investment Committees (and each had a voice to help make decisions about cohort investments), and presented in front of 50-100+ syndicate investors each time we found outstanding deals. I would never have had the opportunity to learn (and accomplish) as much as I did, so quickly, and from such bright and experienced teachers, without VU's program.Through VU, in addition to learning a ton and gaining valuable experience, I was also lucky enough to land a new job in VC/PE. Joining VU does not guarantee you a job automatically, but if recruiting is a priority for you then in my opinion there is no better place to be than in a VU cohort. I learned about my new role through VU, applied with a resume that VU helped me refine, and had great guidance from VU leaders throughout the process to help me best position myself and make the right career decision.VU leadership wants you to succeed and will be on your side, and the people at VU make the apprenticeship an incredible (and really fun) experience. Be prepared to work hard so that you can get the most out of everything VU offers. I would highly recommend joining VU if you're able to; find a way to make it happen because the opportunity is one-of-a-kind.
Erin
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Super great, learn by doing experience. Highly recommended!
Highly recommended and a great way of learning to be a VC. A very engaging and satisfying program led by knowledgeable industry experts and a great team. It's a super great opportunity to meet and engage with the founders, LPs, GPS, and other VCs. Learn by doing.
Aj
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According to TrustPlane, venture.university has a 4.9/5 rating based on 50 verified reviews as of April 2026. Source: trustplane.app/company/venture-university