Kauffman Fellows - Center for Venture Education

 
Kauffman Finalist Applications

Who should apply to become a Kauffman Finalist? Candidates who do not currently work in venture capital and wish to enter the industry through the Kauffman Fellows Program apply through the finalist selection process.

Candidates may apply from early April 2009 through August 20, 2009 for KFP Class 15, which begins its fellowship in July 2010. Applicants will then have the opportunity to be selected as a Kauffman Finalist, which will allow them to:

• with the assistance of the Kauffman Fellows Program, take their finalist credential and seek employment with venture firms,
• participate in our finalist introduction event with interested venture firms in February 2010,
• have the program forward their dossiers to firms expressing interest in hiring at other times of the year.

Application Review for Semi-Finalists

Each application is reviewed first by senior Kauffman Fellows Program staff members and a team of fellows and mentors specializing in the candidate’s field of expertise. These reviewers then recommend to the program selection committee the candidates they believe should advance to the next round of the process. Those chosen to progress to the semi-finals will be notified of their status in mid-October.

Semi-Finalist Interviews

Each semi-finalist will have two 45-minute interviews with Kauffman Fellows or Mentors as well as a group interview/information session with senior Kauffman Fellows Program staff. A few weeks after these interviews, applicants will be notified if they have been selected as Kauffman Finalists. Each candidate selected as a finalist is determined to be appropriate for the Kauffman Fellows Program.

Kauffman Finalist Status

Once an applicant is selected as a Kauffman Finalist, the candidate and Kauffman Fellows Program staff combine resources to begin the process of securing a position with a venture firm. In December of each year, the program distributes a "bio book", containing 1-page histories of each Finalist, to all Kauffman Fellows and Mentors as well as other venture firms of interest. Finalists work in conjunction with program staff as well as on their own to secure interviews and discussions with venture firms. Our experience has shown that venture capital firms are more than happy to talk to candidates who have survived the strict scrutiny of the Kauffman Finalist selection process.

The Kauffman Fellows Program will hold Finalist Introduction events in early February, 2010. These events are designed to provide a large number of formal and informal interactions between finalists and participating firms, with the goal of exposing finalists to large number of interested firms, and providing a time-effective way for interested firms to meet a pool of extraordinarily talented candidates.

Additionally, Kauffman Finalists can give the program permission to forward their dossiers to interested venture capital firms that contact the program at other times during the year. A number of firms inquire about potential candidates who fit job specifications desired by the firm, whether or not those firms are in a position to attend our February events.

Finalists who do not secure a venture position before the class' July start date may, at their option, retain their Finalist status for one additional year. This option may be particularly useful for finalists in specialized fields of the industry.

Submission & Approval of Fellowship Offers

Once a finalist has secured a position with a venture firm, the hiring firm completes a Statement of Commitment and forwards it to the program. Venture firms agree to add the fellow as a regular or limited-term, full-time associate or higher level professional, and agree to provide a senior level partner as a mentor. The firm and fellow negotiate salary and benefits as appropriate for the fellow’s background and experience. Candidates may begin employment at any time prior to the program's July start date.

Although all Kauffman Finalists are determined to be highly qualified and appropriate for the program, pursuant to an appropriate match, the Center for Venture Education makes the final acceptance decision on fellowships. Classes are limited to 25-30 fellows, and each class will be selected to create the optimum learning community, with diversity in: education, experience and industry background, as well as size, type, and geography of firms.
 

How to Apply for the Finalist Selection Process

Applications to become a Kauffman Finalist are submitted online by following the link below.

The application fee for the Kauffman Fellows Program is currently $250, which is processed online with the application.