The former Strada Education managing director has been selected to oversee a newly-launched WGU venture fund targeting the education space.
André Bennin (pictured) has been appointed managing director of NewU Venture Partners (NUVP), an education-focused venture fund formed by online higher-education provider Western Governors University.
NUVP aims to improve college education access and quality by investing in products and business models that intersect with the “learning-to-earning” life cycle.
The fund will operate as a subsidiary of the Corporation of WGU, a non-profit arm of the university. It will target significant impact potential for students, focusing on areas such as affordability, course preparation and transitioning into the workforce.
Bennin will lead the fund’s investment committee, working closely with Nick Efstratis and Kent Madsen, co-managing directors at Epic Ventures, the venture firm selected as WGU’s partner.
He joins the team from non-profit school performance thinktank Strada Education Network, where he was managing director from early 2018 until last month.
Bennin previously worked for Strada’s USA Funds unit between 2013 and 2017, finishing up as deputy chief of staff after a tenure as senior adviser to the division’s president and CEO.
His other career highlights include a year-long stint as senior operations director for the office of the governor of Indiana from early 2017, during which he spearheaded the launch of a $250m investment vehicle.
Bennin also spent more than seven years as president of the International Aids Prevention and Research Organization from 2010 until 2017.
Bennin said: “NUVP’s focus on investing in innovations that can improve outcomes for millions of people appealed to me.
“As someone who is passionate about higher education, technology and workforce development, I am committed to ensuring that NUVP has the kind of impact we envision, and that it is a win-win for investors and startups who share our mission.”
