WRITER/SOURCE: Carlos Murguia Davalos, 575-646-2025, cmurguia@nmsu.edu
The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, housed at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center, welcomes the spring 2023 class of Fourth Industrial Revolution Economy (FIRE) Venture Fellows.
The FIRE Fellows Venture Fellowship is a competitive program focused on training Borderplex university students in venture capital for the benefit of the regional startup ecosystem.
A lack of diversity in venture capital positions can encompass gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. It can also create a self-perpetuating cycle of inequality. If certain groups are consistently overlooked for funding, they may struggle to gain traction and visibility in the startup world, making it harder for them to succeed and ultimately perpetuating the lack of diversity in the industry.
The FIRE Fellows Venture Fellowship is designed to train underrepresented groups of students in the Borderplex and create a more inclusive culture.
FIRE Venture Fellows will undertake a one-semester training and apprenticeship; over the semester, fellows will earn about investment, venture capital and startup entrepreneurship. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students from NMSU and the University of Texas at El Paso, the fellowship prompts participants to put this learning to practice by creating investment memos on real companies, creating their investment theses and working within their desired industrial sectors.
Venture capital deals involve a great deal of analysis, research and due diligence. By learning about the process of evaluating potential investments and the risks involved, FIRE Fellows will develop a strong foundation in critical thinking and analytical skills that can be applied to a variety of business situations.
“The impressive pool of applicants is evidence that the talent pool in our region runs deep with candidates who can join the ranks of venture capitalists, startups and innovation centers. I’m excited to share content and context that will spark the capabilities of this class’s fellows,” said Beto Pallares, FIRE Fellows lead instructor and an experienced venture capitalist.
By bringing diverse perspectives to the decision-making process, venture capital firms can create a more vibrant and innovative startup ecosystem that benefits everyone. The spring 2023 class features six NMSU students and six UTEP students from diverse academic backgrounds including accounting, finance, computer science and marketing. The students bring diverse internship experiences, education levels and career interests.
“This program showcases the vibrant collaboration happening in the Borderplex and we look forward to continuing the developing of programs that serve our region,” said Kathryn Hansen, director of Arrowhead Center. “The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship supports programs that train and assist the next generation of entrepreneurs, and we are now expanding the out offering to train the next generation of investors, which will benefit our entrepreneurship ecosystem and create abundant opportunities”.
For more information about FIRE Fellows, contact Carlos Cuesta at carlosic@nmsu.edu or visit https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/fire-fellows/.
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PHOTO CAPTION: The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, housed at New Mexico State University´s Arrowhead Center, welcomes the spring 2023 class of Fourth Industrial Revolution Economy (FIRE) Venture Fellows. (NMSU photo)
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