[Event Recap]: Fund I Celebration

1809 Capital and Miami Partners and friends enjoyed a beautiful evening on the Fisher Innovation College@Elm rooftop.  The reception celebrated the successful closing of 1809 Capital Fund I and provide the opportunity to thank the of our Fund I founding sponsors and champions, including President Crawford, Altman Chair Tim Holcomb, Assistant External Relations Dean Kirk Bogard and Jim Ryan. The following afternoon, Jim delivered the Farmer School of Business Commencement speech, leaving the audience energized and motivated for what is to come next.

Attendees heard updates from Farmer School Dean Jenny Darroch, whose insights into the future of business education were both enlightening and encouraging. Randi Thomas spoke about the success and impact of the Fisher Innovation College@Elm, underscoring the importance of fostering entrepreneurial talent.

We're immensely grateful to everyone who came out to connect, share, and celebrate this milestone with us. Your support is invaluable and fuels our mission to drive innovation forward deliver impact for Miami students, faculty and alumni. Stay tuned for 1809 Capital sponsored events this summer in partnership with the Altman Institute and Department of Entrepreneurship.  

[EVENT RECAP]: 1809 Capital / RedHawk Ventures Collaboration Event

Throwback to May 9th: 1809 Capital and RedHawk Ventures (the Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship’s student-led pre-seed and seed stage venture fund) co-hosted an event to showcase their collaboration with the Fisher Innovation College@Elm this past academic year.

RedHawk Ventures student leadership presented on their mission to cultivate promising venture capital talent while supporting early-stage founders within the thriving Miami innovation ecosystem. They also highlighted the invaluable professional experience and operational guidance gained through their collaboration with 1809 Capital.

1809 Capital Partner, Mark Richey, shared the Fund’s investment philosophy and how to related mission of alumni and student engagement aligns perfectly with the RedHawk partnership. The discussion delved into the exciting potential of the "cross-stage model" as a support system for disruptive companies from pre-seed through growth stages.

Tim Holcomb, Chair of the globally ranked Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship, emphasized how this collaboration exemplifies the institute's "learning by doing" approach, while providing Miami-based founders with a dedicated investment platform to fuel the local ecosystem.

Chris Lawson, Head of the Fisher Innovation College@Elm, concluded by highlighting the immense potential impact this partnership of all three entities holds for the Miami innovation community and beyond.

Looking ahead: The three parties remain enthusiastic about continuing this initiative and fostering a robust platform for founders, students, alumni and innovators.

Exciting Week at the Fisher Innovation College@Elm!

Highlighting our second spring semester Innovation and New Ventures Speed Mentorship Day! Co-Hosted by 1809 Capital and Miami’s student-led venture capital fund, RedHawk Ventures. It was a rapid fire opportunity for RedHawk Venture Pitch teams to fine tune their business proposals and presentations, awhile also providing Miami faculty and student entrepreneurs access to seasoned industry leaders and professionals in venture capital firms like CincyTech, Cintrifuse Capital, Jumpstart Ventures, Ohio Innovation Fund, High Alpha and 1809 Capital.

Following the mentoring program we launched the Fisher Innovation College@Elm’s Industry Leaders Speaker Series, for an eager crowd of students, faculty, and alumni. Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada, who participated earlier as a mentor, delved into the transformative impact of Electrada's 360 Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) in a fireside chat with 1809 Capital Partner, Mark Richey. Kevin provided insider insights into the regulatory complexities and compelling economics of EV adoption, and unraveling Electrada’s role in reshaping the landscape of electric vehicle adoption across fleets of every size and type.

There will be more exciting conversations as the Industry Leader Speaker Series continues at the Fisher Innovation College@Elm. Stay tuned for more engaging sessions and opportunities to explore innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture initiatives at Miami University.