YU alumni turn to students to manage new $10m. investment fund
The fund will be run professionally by experienced venture capitalists but administered by students of Yeshiva University's Sy Syms School of Business Honors program.
By EYTAN HALONDepartment of Communications and Public Affairs, Yeshiva University(photo credit: SCALIGERA/ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA)
MAC Ventures, a venture capital fund founded by graduates of Yeshiva University, announced the launch of a pioneering $10 million investment fund on Thursday, especially designed to be administered by students at their Manhattan alma mater.The fund, associated with but separate from the Orthodox institution, will be run professionally by experienced venture capitalists but administered by students of Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business Honors program.The inaugural fund will target investments in early-stage technology companies located in North America and Israel. It will focus on innovation in fields including software as a service (SaaS), business-to-business (B2B) solutions, fintech, cybersecurity, proptech, digital health and silvertech.MAC Ventures is led by Blumberg Capital managing director Bruce Taragin and Midwest angel investor Moshe Bellows, both Yeshiva University alumni and teachers of courses at the Sy Syms School of Business, located at the university’s Washington Heights and Murray Hill campuses.“As alumni, we feel a deep responsibility to give back by creating a dynamic, real-world learning environment for our students,” said Taragin. “We believe that MAC Ventures provides more than just capital to our portfolio companies. A MAC Ventures investment leverages the deep and diverse intellectual assets of YU’s undergraduate and graduate programs and its vibrant, global alumni ecosystem to support and accelerate MAC Ventures-related companies.”The new fund will seek to both leverage the know-how of the 60,000-strong global Yeshiva University alumni network, including many graduates in Israel, and enable students to work hands-on with investment opportunities and execution in North America and Israel.According to MAC Ventures vision, the fund offers a triple bottom line: generating attractive financial returns; providing students with real-world investment experience; and engaging alumni as investors, subject matter experts and advisers to foster a deeper connection with the university.“Bruce and Moshe are model alumni of Yeshiva University, returning to campus to develop our next generation of entrepreneurial leaders, while helping strengthen our culture of entrepreneurship,” said Noam Wasserman, dean of the business school.“The addition of MAC Ventures within the orbit of our entrepreneurship courses, clubs, and other start-up activities gives YU a full range of opportunities for students to get real-life experiences while on campus, helping them develop their career goals, and distinguishing them when they hit the job market or when they decide to found their own ventures.”
