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Tuesday, April 5, 2022
By: Krista Henry (she/her)
Hiring employees with passion is the key to success for Good News Ventures. The Toronto-based venture capital fund relies on interns and co-op students to use their grit and technology-savvy skills to make an impact.
“Interns are a really integral part of the fund,” says Brent Matterson (he/him), analyst at Good News Ventures. “We provide a great learning experience for people that are passionate about venture capital and entrepreneurship. It would be tough for us without this talent.”
Brent Matterson (he/him)
Analyst at Good News Ventures
The industry agnostic ICT venture capital fund, Good News Ventures, focuses on startups in North America or serving the
North American market.
The fund invests in all software categories including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT), blockchain and quantum computing.
Before becoming a full-time employee, Matterson started his journey at Good News Ventures as an intern.
“I really fell in love with the culture, the team is comprised of enjoyable people to work with have a wide verity of expertise”
he says.
“What makes it stand out is that anyone in the organization can make a significant impact on the firm. It is not like working at a big corporation where you get stuck doing the same thing repeatedly.”
Waterloo students have tech and business talent
Matterson works closely with interns, both recruiting and training them. He recently hired a University of Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management co-op student as a venture capital analyst.
“At Good News Ventures our focus is both on tech and business. We are looking for is the best students in these areas and we found that at Waterloo,” he adds.
Jalp Shah (he/him), a Waterloo student who spent his co-op work term at Good News Ventures, displayed his expertise tackling a variety of projects. Shah works on sourcing deals for demo days and hackathons, speaking with founders and writing investment memos. He is also helping with backend financial modelling, monitoring social media and organizing events.
Jalp Shah (he/him)
Accounting and Financial Management co-op student
Why involve students in venture capital?
Matterson admits that breaking into the venture capital field is not always easy. Especially for talent coming straight out of school. However, he notes that if students can get an internship, have previous startup experience, or network within the field, it makes it easier. Matterson offered the following reasons for interns to get involved in the venture capital industry:
1. Students can help drive solutions
“There are so many problems in the world to be solved and as an early-stage investor, we back entrepreneurs who are producing solutions. Students can listen to innovative ideas to help solve various problems across various industries.”
2. Students can peek into the future of technology
“Venture capitals investing in deep tech/high growth tech companies get a sneak peek into the future. There is a lot of disruptive technology still to be built by startups needing VC funding related to space, AI, Web3, 5G, and much more that will shape the lives of people in the short and long term. Web3 infrastructure is a fitting example of this and is something we have been focusing more on lately.”
3. Students can join great talent
“People working in venture capital are often previous successful entrepreneurs with deep tech backgrounds who are passionate and perseverant. As a venture capital, I have found myself surrounded with people who have big, bold visions, who want to make a difference in the world, and who have operational experience in a multitude of sectors. The learning gained about all aspects of business through this is unparalleled.”
Good News Ventures is looking forward to hiring more Waterloo co-op students through the fund’s internship program.
Connect with our Co-op Specialist, Alyssa!
She can provide you with guidance and answer questions you may have about hiring from Waterloo.
Email: alyssa.kuron@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 226-972-3821