Entrepreneurs and Investors: Insights and Strategies for Growing Successful Ventures Forum
Insight from Annie Henry, originally published on October 27, 2019
This year’s homecoming season marked the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics’ fifth year anniversary, which was honored by a grand celebration highlighting the school’s “five years of success and innovation”. Like many of the other top business schools in the country, Paul College has placed a growing emphasis on the importance of hands-on and immersive learning experiences. By bridging the gap between academia and the “real world” of business, Paul College is ultimately able to provide a more effective and authentic education to its students. One of Paul College’s prime examples of this immersive approach to business education is the Rines Angel Fund. The Fund was developed, in part, around this idea that education is most effective engaged in experiential learning based opportunities within the professional business world.
The Paul College Homecoming Celebration featured the Entrepreneurs and Investors: Insights and Strategies for Growing Successful Ventures Forum, which was hosted by the Fund. Gathering students, faculty, and industry professionals from across the New England startup and private equity ecosystem, this event was a unique example of the mutual learning and engagement that can occur when students and professionals connect. The concept for this inaugural forum — which the Fund nicknamed “Angel Day” due to the forum’s focus on angel investing — originated from the Fund’s main faculty advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Sohl. Dr. Sohl wanted to create an event that would highlight the Fund members and the array of work they had accomplished. With the significant contributions of program coordinator, Laura Hill — in addition to the hard work of Rines Director of External Relations, Rachel Yee, and the rest of the Fund — Sohl’s idea became a reality.
The forum included an all-alumni entrepreneur panel, a private equity investor panel, and a keynote fireside chat between prominent NH-based entrepreneur, Jeremy Hitchcock, and Dr. Sohl. From company culture and team management, to impact investing and ESG, to factors driving innovation, panelists covered a variety of topics relevant in the modern-day startup and venture capital worlds. A wealth of information and insight was shared on the stage that day, and for the many students and professionals in the audience, it was a unique educational experience.
In addition to encouraging community engagement and education, the forum was an ideal opportunity to showcase the school’s core values. Paul College’s mission and vision are embodied by four simple words: excite, engage, empower, and excel. “An event like Angel Day is a prime example of how Paul College is supporting their mission and vision,” said Hill. The event brought a sense of excitement to the Paul College community and provided an opportunity for students to engage with professionals from across the startup and venture capital industry. Fund members were certainly empowered with the responsibility to plan and execute such an important event. The event also showcased just how essential experiential learning opportunities, like the Rines Angel Fund, are to student success. “I believe that these types of experiences and opportunities that Rines members are exposed to throughout their time in the Fund has led to our Rines alumni excelling in their careers,” Hill later remarked.
Angel Day provided value to the local community on both an educational and developmental level. “Events like Angel Day engage the NH business ecosystem, facilitate the sharing of knowledge and skills, and also provide an opportunity for NH businesses to network with current students who will be future business leaders and employees in the state,” Hill explained.
Not only was the event a value-add for the community, it was also an important step in the Fund’s growth. “In addition to educating students and connecting professionals with UNH and Paul College, this event helped Rines build relationships within the young business community, allowing us to expand our overall network and deal flow,” Yee explained. As Yee alluded to, one of the key aspects of the Fund that enables students to have such an authentic and immersive learning experience is our extensive network of entrepreneurs and investors. Hill echoed the importance of such connections; “Angel Day provided an important opportunity to really showcase the Fund and the value they bring to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Increased awareness of the Fund will help improve deal flow, investor relations, networking opportunities… and further embed the Fund in the NH startup ecosystem”.
All in all, Angel Day was a success in providing an experiential learning opportunity to students, faculty, and professionals alike. “The event would not have gone so smoothly without the help and teamwork of the entire Fund,” said Yee. The hard work and enthusiasm of Fund members were essential to the execution of Angel Day. “Not only did members of the executive committee provide invaluable assistance in coordinating all the moving parts of the event, but all members of the Fund came ready to work hard that day and contributed to the event’s success,” Hill remarked. Thank you to all who came out and supported the Fund. We look forward to our next opportunity to host another Angel Day.
Annie Henry is a senior pursuing a business administration degree focused in international business and economics. During her time studying at Paul College she has discovered a passion for economics and business development. She hopes to apply this passion in a global career geared towards environmental or social innovation. Her involvement in the Rines Angel Fund has helped open her eyes to the excitement of the start-up world, which she wishes to get involved in after she graduates. Annie hopes to someday own her own business or found a non-profit organization
