The rest of the 100 (in alphabetical order): Teri Willey, managing director and fund manager, IU Philanthropic Venture Fund
Following high-profile tech transfer roles at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation arm of University of Cambridge, Teri Willey took control of Indiana University’s $15m Philanthropic Venture Fund when it was launched in February this year.
The evergreen fund aims to provide capital for prototyping, proof-of-concept testing and equity investments, and is principally focused on early-stage and seed investments.
The creation of the Philanthropic Venture Fund followed the reorganisation of Indiana University Research and Technology Corp (IURTC) in mid-2017, an overhaul in which technology transfer activities were brought under the supervision of the office of the vice-president for research. Willey’s official title is IURTC’s managing director and fund manager, and the Philanthropic Venture Fund will largely be funded with tax-deductible gifts to the university.
Among the fund’s first-year investments is Care Revolution, a medical training business which received $150,000 in seed funding in August.
