2007 Headlines
Susan Wu (MBA '06) Awarded Prestigious Kauffman Fellowship from The Center for Venture Education
June 7, 2007 | Ithaca, NY | Susan Wu (MBA '06) was one of an elite group of young venture capitalists selected by The Center for Venture Education to participate in the twelfth class of the Kauffman Fellows Program. The members of the new class, who represent a highly diverse spectrum of backgrounds spanning the globe, include Fellows at firms located in Australia, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and Vietnam, as well as in the United States.
Wu came to the Johnson School from the West coast where she had an accomplished career as a technology entrepreneur, building several businesses in the online gaming, consumer Web, and software sectors, including one that went public. While at the Johnson School, she remained active in the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial community, volunteering and working for the Apache Software Foundation, a leading open source software organization. She is one of three Johnson School MBAs who have received the fellowship, the others being Adele Oliva, MBA '93, and Don O'Neil, MBA '02.
Wu's passion for new businesses and product creation led her to seek a job in venture capital and she was one of hundreds of aspiring venture capitalists who applied for the Kauffman Fellowship. As part of the interview process she met individuals from Charles River Ventures and joined their firm as an associate in August 2006. Wu has recently been promoted to Principal and specializes in digital entertainment, consumer Internet, and software infrastructure.
The 24-month Kauffman Fellowship is designed to develop and network emerging leaders in the venture capital industry globally. The program provides a rigorous learning and development experience connecting the best of adult learning theory with the needs of contemporary venture capitalists and features interactivity through case-based activities. The Fellowship features a structured educational curriculum, with an individual development plan, development coaching, facilitated mentoring, peer learning and networking, and a focus on giving back and one's responsibility as a leader in VC. For more information, visit www.kauffmanfellows.org.
