Key Takeaways
- • Stetson University entrepreneur students facilitated $400,000 in venture capital investments through the Hatter Angels Network, an alumni-led angel investor group, with capital deployed to two Florida-based startups in June 2022.
- • VerdeGo Aero (Daytona Beach) received $265,000 and Xendoo (Fort Lauderdale) received $135,000 from the angel network following formal student-led investment pitches conducted in April 2022.
- • The student investment class, established in spring 2021 and taught by Lou Paris, has become one of Stetson's most popular courses, with the spring 2022 cohort of 15 students reviewing 30 companies and generating five investment recommendations.
- • The Hatter Angels Network was co-founded by Stetson alumni Dan Glunt (class of 1993) and Milt Douglass (bachelor's 1982, master's 1983), with concept development beginning in 2019; the network comprises accredited investors exclusively from Stetson's alumni base.
- • The initiative represents an emerging model of experiential venture capital education, positioning students as active deal sourcing and vetting participants within a real capital deployment framework managed by institutional investors.
Summary
Stetson University has operationalized a student-led venture capital pipeline that resulted in $400,000 in equity investments deployed to two Florida companies during the second quarter of 2022. In April, entrepreneur students pitched vetted investment opportunities to the Hatter Angels Network, a private angel investment group composed of Stetson University alumni accredited investors. Following these pitches, formal capital commitments were finalized, with VerdeGo Aero in Daytona Beach securing $265,000 and Xendoo in Fort Lauderdale securing $135,000. Formal check presentations occurred on June 17, 2022, in both locations.
The student investment class originated during Stetson's spring 2021 semester under the instruction of Lou Paris, assistant professor of practice and management, and assistant director of the university's Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program. The curriculum requires students to conduct fundamental research and due diligence on operating companies, culminating in formal investment recommendations presented to the Hatter Angels Network membership. The spring 2022 iteration of the course enrolled 15 students who collectively reviewed 30 companies and advanced five formal investment recommendations to the angel network.
The Hatter Angels Network was co-founded by Stetson alumni Dan Glunt and Milt Douglass, with initial concept exploration occurring in 2019. Douglass holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Stetson (1982 and 1983, respectively) and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the university. Glunt graduated from Stetson in 1993. Membership in the network is limited to Stetson alumni who qualify as accredited investors under SEC regulations, creating a structured, university-affiliated capital source for early-stage companies.
The program remains nascent but has demonstrated rapid institutional adoption and popularity within the student body. The combination of experiential learning, real capital deployment, and alumni investor participation positions the initiative within an emerging pedagogical model gaining traction across higher education institutions seeking to deepen practical venture capital exposure for undergraduate and graduate students.
The student investment class originated during Stetson's spring 2021 semester under the instruction of Lou Paris, assistant professor of practice and management, and assistant director of the university's Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program. The curriculum requires students to conduct fundamental research and due diligence on operating companies, culminating in formal investment recommendations presented to the Hatter Angels Network membership. The spring 2022 iteration of the course enrolled 15 students who collectively reviewed 30 companies and advanced five formal investment recommendations to the angel network.
The Hatter Angels Network was co-founded by Stetson alumni Dan Glunt and Milt Douglass, with initial concept exploration occurring in 2019. Douglass holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Stetson (1982 and 1983, respectively) and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the university. Glunt graduated from Stetson in 1993. Membership in the network is limited to Stetson alumni who qualify as accredited investors under SEC regulations, creating a structured, university-affiliated capital source for early-stage companies.
The program remains nascent but has demonstrated rapid institutional adoption and popularity within the student body. The combination of experiential learning, real capital deployment, and alumni investor participation positions the initiative within an emerging pedagogical model gaining traction across higher education institutions seeking to deepen practical venture capital exposure for undergraduate and graduate students.
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