Founders And Funders

Former football player turned venture capitalist believes alumni should use their capital to build entrepreneurial ecosystems at their universities. (Listen) Episode Summary: Many graduates recall their college experiences fondly, but few strive to give back to their alma maters as much as David Beazley does. Once a Wildcat wide receiver — credited with making one of the most memorable touchdown catches in Northwestern University (NU) history) — Beazley has a new playbook to follow. He is the founder and Managing Partner at Purple Arch Ventures (PAV), a private, for-profit venture capital fund for Northwestern alums (not affiliated with the University). For the past several years, David has been supporting the NU entrepreneurial ecosystem from the sidelines. As a former Wildcat Angel, he now works full time matching NU alumni founders with investors and has a goal to deploy "at least $100 million over the next 10 years into 200-250 alum-led startups." In this episode, you will learn why David believes that N