The University of Oregon Foundation launched a seed fund today with $500,000 from the Willamette Investment Pool. The fund, managed by UO business and law students, will be used to make investments in emerging local companies, according to Chief Investment Officer Jay Namyet.
Guided by staff and advisers, the UO Foundation Seed Fund is prepared to make “initial investments of $20,000-$75,000″ over the next three years, with following investments on top of that, according to a press release from the UO Foundation.
The Business Innovation Institute and its Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship will provide advice for the group of student managers. The fund will invest in both on-campus and off-campus startup companies.
The Business Innovation Institute and the Lundquist College of Business hope this fund will provide a learning opportunity for students.
“As a fiduciary for the University of Oregon, the Foundation’s chief responsibility is to protect the purchasing power of the endowment,” Namyet said in the press release. “As portfolio managers, students in the UO Foundation Seed Fund program will take an active role in ensuring stable financial support for future students as they seek to achieve positive returns on their investments.”
via UO Foundation to invest $500k in local business | Emerald Media.
