The first time I served as a judge at the Velocity (now Concept) $5K semi-finals was winter 2019. As I observed presenters rehearing their pitches prior to the start of the event, I recall saying to myself that I was likely just as nervous as the presenters, if not more so. The other judges on the panel were all founders of their own start-ups, and I was petrified of having no feedback to provide or providing feedback that the presenters did not find helpful.
The event itself is now a blur because of how quickly the pitches followed each other, but the feedback I received reassured that my comments added value – precisely because I was not a founder. Instead, my experience on the Student Venture Fund allowed me to bring an investor’s perspective and help identify gaps in business models and product-market fit that others may have missed.
Value, I realized after the event, is derived from service to others. I strongly believe that SAF students have a lot to offer to the wider community because of our breadth of experience and ability to view problems at the organizational level. Activities like the Student Venture Fund (“SVF”) and Student Investment Fund (“SIF”) add breadth of exposure and practical hands-on learning experiences. They provide an active learning experience in the truest sense: learning by working in teams to conduct due diligence, triangulating investment theses with investors and management teams, and by debating ideas in class.
The end goal of our technical training from SAF, I believe, is to apply our knowledge by contributing to our communities and society at large. Through opportunities like SVF, we can find new ways to give back, and in the process, surprise ourselves with what we have to offer.