At the UC Irvine ANTrepreneur Center, our mission is to empower undergraduate students to explore, build, and launch their entrepreneurial ideas. We provide hands-on experiences, real-world resources, and meaningful connections that help turn classroom learning into startup action. The Center serves as a campus hub for innovation, offering mentorship, workshops, Micro-Internships, and access to technology that helps students bring their ideas to life.
In addition to our programming, the ANTrepreneur Center supports a growing network of affiliated student-led clubs and organizations. These student groups use our space to collaborate and host events that further their goals. One of the most active and fast-growing of these is the UC Irvine Venture Capital Club, an organization that teaches students how venture capital fuels the startup ecosystem and prepares them for future roles as founders, analysts, and investors.
The UC Irvine Venture Capital Club
The Venture Capital Club was founded to bridge the gap between academia and the venture capital industry. Its vision is to become the leading student organization at UC Irvine for connecting classroom learning with real-world investing, while fostering the next generation of leaders in deal-sourcing, investment, and entrepreneurship.
The club’s mission is to educate and empower students by providing practical experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities with industry professionals across Southern California. Through hands-on workshops, simulations, and partnerships, members gain a deeper understanding of the private equity and startup investment landscape.
Their strategy includes four key areas:
- Education and training through workshops, seminars, and simulated investment experiences.
- Partnership development with local venture capital firms, investors, and professionals.
- Practical experience via real projects and internships that apply theory to practice.
- Inclusive growth through a two-tier committee system that welcomes both beginners and experienced members.
Each quarter, the club aims to educate at least 30 students, form partnerships with local VC firms, and conduct between four and seven educational sessions. The club’s long-term goal is to develop a pipeline of talent through its Learning Development Team and prepare members to take on leadership positions on the club’s Executive Board.
Partnering with the ANTrepreneur Center
The ANTrepreneur Center and the Venture Capital Club share a common goal: to build a stronger bridge between students and the business community. This fall, we are collaborating on a Call for Guest Speakers and Investors who can share their expertise with UC Irvine students.
We are seeking venture capitalists, angel investors, family offices, and other investment professionals who can speak about fundraising, portfolio management, startup evaluation, due diligence, and the realities of investing at different stages. Guest speakers can deliver individual talks, join panels, or lead interactive workshops that help students understand the investor mindset and the path to startup funding.
In-person participation is especially valuable, as it allows students to connect directly with professionals and build relationships. However, we also welcome virtual guest speakers who would like to share their experience remotely. Whether local to Irvine or located across the country, anyone with insight into the venture capital space can make a meaningful impact.
Why Speaking Matters
Many student founders begin their journey focused on product design and customer discovery, often overlooking how funding strategy fits into the overall picture. As their ventures grow, they quickly realize how essential capital becomes and how important it is to structure their companies for long-term investment readiness. Hearing directly from professionals who live and breathe these decisions helps demystify the process and prepares students to engage with investors more effectively.
At the same time, guest speakers gain early access to a pool of promising student entrepreneurs. Many of these students are already building startups, some of which attract seed funding and competition prizes. Speaking at UC Irvine offers an opportunity to meet these founders early, share insights, and establish relationships that can continue beyond campus. It also creates visibility and early brand awareness for your firm among emerging founders, future investors, and potential collaborators.
Sharing your knowledge also helps nurture the next generation of investors. The students who are learning about venture capital today will eventually become the analysts, partners, and fund managers who drive tomorrow’s investment ecosystem. By taking time to teach, you are helping to shape the mindset and ethics of future leaders in finance and innovation.
A Catalyst for Connection
The ANTrepreneur Center is a catalyst for connection and collaboration. Our programs unite students, alumni, and professionals who believe that innovation grows through community. Alumni speakers in particular provide powerful examples of what is possible beyond graduation, inspiring current students to take the next step in their own journeys.
By partnering with the Venture Capital Club, we aim to make discussions around funding and investment accessible to undergraduates who are eager to learn how ideas become companies. Each speaker who visits the Center helps bridge the gap between education and experience, and each conversation plants a seed that can grow into future partnerships and ventures.
Join Us
If you are an investor or know someone who would enjoy sharing their experience with students, we invite you to get involved. Whether you speak in person at the ANTrepreneur Center or virtually from anywhere in the world, your insight can shape how students understand entrepreneurship and funding. We especially welcome UC Irvine alumni and Southern California investors who want to connect with the next generation of innovators and contribute to building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.
To express interest in speaking or to share this opportunity with a colleague, please complete the Call for Venture Capital Speakers form. Together, we can help students learn and grow as they prepare to launch the next wave of startups and investment ventures.