IVCA Feature: Profiles of the 2026 IVCA Scholars Participants, Part One
All through the summer of 2026 the IVCA Scholar Program has been up and running with a dozen participants in a diverse and multi-college/university force. The IVCA reached out to the Scholars, to get an idea of their experiences, interactions with firm sponsors and possible future within the Venture Capital/Private Equity industries.
The 2026 IVCA Scholar Program provides undergraduate students, – primarily from underrepresented communities – experience that could lead a possible career in the Venture Capital/Private Equity industries. The 10-week program is a deep dive, and upon completion the students will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
The Investor firms hosting this week’s group of 2026 Scholars are Avathon Capital, BPOC, Exposition Ventures, PPC, RoundTable Healthcare Partners, and Water Street Healthcare Partners.
The following three questions were asked of all the Scholars. Part Two will be published in the next bi-weekly article.
JULIE PIOT … School: Yale University, Firm: RoundTable Healthcare Partners
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
Piot: When I applied to the IVCA Scholars program, I really wanted to gain real experience in the financial industry. At school I am an Economics major and Data Science minor with the aspirations of working in finance post-grad, and being able to experience the different sectors within the larger industry is important to me in picking my long-term career.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
Piot: At RoundTable, the team has been extremely invested in my growth and has gone out of their way to help my learn. I have been exposed to the entire timeline of PE, from reviewing CIMs to a sale process, and have also been given additional responsibilities such as market mapping. The diversity of what I have been able to participate in has essentially taught me all that I know today of Private Equity.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
Piot: The IVCA has allowed me to develop a good understanding of VC, PE, fund-to-funds, and private credit. Having that knowledge into the intricacies of each type of fund has already given me valuable insight into which types of environments I am interested in and not interested in pursuing, a mindset that I find valuable to have before my investment banking internship.
TEJ SHAH … School: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Firm: Water Street Healthcare Partners
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
Shah: My initial goal in applying to the IVCA Scholars program was to gain exposure to careers in high finance, particularly Private Equity and Venture Capital, while developing a deeper understanding of the healthcare sector. Given my academic focus in finance and interest in investing, I was especially interested in learning about how investors evaluate businesses, identify growth opportunities, and make strategic decisions within a complex and evolving industry like healthcare. The program offered me a unique opportunity to connect these interests through hands-on experience at my host firm alongside weekly visits to learn about the interconnectedness of the ecosystem.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
Shah: During my time at Water Street Healthcare Partners, I have developed a more nuanced understanding of how investment management firms evaluate opportunities, across the firm's core healthcare sectors … healthcare services, medical products & diagnostics, and pharmaceutical & life sciences. Through my exposure to financial analysis, valuation methodologies, and industry roadmaps, I have gained insights into how firms assess growth potential, operational improvements, and strategic positioning. This experience has strengthened my ability to think critically about sector-specific drivers of value creation while applying core financial and strategic frameworks.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
Shah: This experience has further solidified my interest in pursuing a long-term career in investing and has also given me extremely valuable context as I prepare for my upcoming role as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at J.P. Morgan in Chicago next summer. I am particularly excited to build on this foundation by seeing transactions and client advisory work from a different perspective.
In the meantime, I plan to continue developing my technical skill set in financial modeling and accounting while also deepening my connections on campus through leadership in student organizations and alumni networks. Overall, this has been a tremendously rewarding experience, and I am very grateful for the teams at Water Street, IVCA, and everyone else involved in making this opportunity possible.
KAREN TOOR … School: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Firm: BPOC
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
Toor: My goal when I applied to the IVCA Scholars program was to get real industry experience within Private Equity to understand the space and the players. I have also wanted to own a business and through school I was introduced to how Private Equity firms buy and operate businesses. I believe that the IVCA Scholars Program allowed me to get great insights on how those interactions take place on a daily basis.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
Toor: I have had the opportunity to do multiple research projects and participate in a few diligence processes. They have allowed me to truly understand the degree of detail that is needed to analyze whether something is a worthwhile investment. I never truly understood what went into an investment decision or the process behind until I got involved with the IVCA program.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
Toor: This experience has solidified the idea that I want to pursue a career in Private Equity. When I am back at school, I plan on staying up to date with Private Equity deals and events to stay knowledgeable on the industry as I move forward in my career.
PAUL JACOB … School: University of Chicago, Firm: Exposition Ventures
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
Jacob: I applied out of a genuine interest in startups and how early-stage investment decisions actually get made, beyond the frameworks I'd studied in class. As a business economics major with a data science minor, courses like Building the New Venture and Investments pointed me toward that intersection of startups and capital, and Exposition Ventures' focus on industrial tech and physical AI was a chance to see that interest play out with real companies and real capital at stake.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
Jacob: A lot of my work has centered on financial modeling and understanding the nuances of ownership, cap tables, and how a deal is actually structured, not just the headline valuation. At the same time, I've seen how much narrative and communication matter: understanding a company's growth story and being able to explain it clearly is as important as the numbers behind it. I've also learned how much market potential factors into underwriting a deal, and how a thesis can hinge on a single unresolved number that needs to be flagged rather than assumed.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
Jacob: It's confirmed how much I like being close to the companies themselves rather than one step removed, and it's pushed me toward wanting more analytical work, the kind where the analysis actually drives a decision. I'm thinking more intentionally now about roles in investing and consulting where that link between analysis and decision-making is direct.
ANNA O’BRIEN … School: University of Notre Dame, Firm: Pritzker Private Capital (PPC)
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
O’Brien: I initially applied to the IVCA Scholars program to gain exposure to the Private Equity and Venture Capital industries and engage in meaningful learning opportunities and thoughtful career exploration. As a double major in Finance and English, I am seeking a career path that combines rigorous quantitative analysis with more qualitative, strategic thinking, and I found that PE/VC offers a unique intersection of both skill sets.
I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to work closely with a variety of businesses, develop a deep understanding of their business models and value propositions, and play a meaningful role in supporting their growth and long-term success.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
O’Brien: PPC has provided me with incredible learning and mentorship experiences, allowing me to develop my professional skills and gain valuable career advice. Throughout the summer, I have had the opportunity to shadow an associate and participate in his work streams and various calls, as well as build out an IOI deck for my summer case study project. One of the most valuable aspects of my internship has been attending the Investment Committee meetings each week as I have learned so much from hearing how the entire team makes decisions and thinks through opportunities and challenges they face.
From these experiences, I have been able to develop foundational technical skills including financial modeling and in-depth industry research, as well as learn to think critically about companies and begin to make my own judgements. Finally, I have really appreciated the whole team’s generosity with their time and genuine investment in my growth. I have made so many valuable connections both from daily collaboration with the associate team as well as numerous one-on-one conversations across the firm, providing insight and guidance on career paths.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
O’Brien: This experience has been extremely valuable in shaping my career path, as it has given me hands-on exposure to the industry and confirmed my genuine interest in the work. At PPC, I have particularly enjoyed looking deeply into companies and thinking critically about their business models, value propositions, growth opportunities, and investment potential.
I have also appreciated the opportunity to visit numerous IVCA partner firms and learn about their unique investment strategies, which has helped me better understand the types of firms and opportunities that may be the best fit for my long-term interests. I hope to continue to foster the relationships I have made, have conversations with professionals about what excites them in this industry, and further explore these interests through relevant coursework at Notre Dame.
AZEEN KHAN … School: University of Chicago, Firm: Avathon Capital
IVCA: What was your goal in initially applying to the IVCA Scholars program, and how does it connect to your academic interests?
Khan: I applied to the IVCA Scholars program to get hands-on exposure to the buy-side and see how the theory I study as an economics major actually drives investment decisions in the real world.
IVCA: What have you learned or experienced at your host firm that expanded your understanding of the Private Equity or Venture Capital industry?
Khan: At Avathon, I learned how a Private Equity firm builds conviction on a specific sector — in their case, education and workforce companies — rather than a generalist approach. Watching how deep domain expertise drives an investment thesis showed me that specialization is what creates the real edge in middle market Private Equity.
IVCA: How has this experience shaped your thinking about your future, whether in terms of career goals or what you want to focus on when you are back at school?
Khan: The experience thus far confirmed my interest in eventually pursuing a career on the buy-side. Back at UChicago, I plan on taking courses in the business school on investments and asset allocation to help build the foundation for a career in finance.ragraph