Key Takeaways
- • Elon University's six-student team placed second in the Undergraduate East Regional Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), a national contest that simulates real venture capital investment decision-making.
- • The team, guided by assistant professor Drew Peabody and Alyssa Martina (executive director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship), outperformed regional competitors including University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Institute of Technology, American University, and Emory University.
- • All team members completed FIN4790 – Venture Capital Financing in the fall semester prior to competition, demonstrating the value of structured VC curriculum in building institutional investment evaluation skills.
- • Elon University has shown measurable improvement in VCIC performance over three years: fifth place in the university's inaugural year, third place in 2023, and second place in 2024.
- • Team diversity and cross-disciplinary backgrounds—including a double major in entrepreneurship and music—were identified as competitive advantages in evaluating startup investments and presenting to judges.
Summary
Six Elon University students competed in the Undergraduate East Regional Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition in February 2024, placing second in a field of regional competitors. The VCIC is the world's largest venture capital competition, challenging college students to evaluate real startups and make informed investment allocation decisions in a simulated VC environment.
The Elon team—composed of Sofia Ballance, Maddy Burgess, Mason DeYoung, Josh Jinks, Ben Postell, and Ryan Rosencrans—advanced past teams from the University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Institute of Technology, American University, and Emory University. Miami University finished second overall and advanced to the Global Finals, with Elon's second-place finish positioning the university as a strong regional performer.
The team was supervised by Drew Peabody, assistant professor of finance, and Alyssa Martina, executive director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. All six students had completed FIN4790 – Venture Capital Financing in the preceding fall semester, a course jointly offered by Peabody and Martina designed to build investment analysis and venture evaluation skills. According to team member Maddy Burgess, "Our team and our specialization stood out. We all come from different backgrounds and was able to use them to our advantage in the competition," highlighting the value of interdisciplinary perspectives in investment decision-making.
Elon's consistent upward trajectory in the competition reflects institutional commitment to venture capital education. The university placed fifth overall in its inaugural year of competition, improved to third place in 2023, and achieved second place in 2024—demonstrating measurable progress in student preparation and competitive performance within three years.
The Elon team—composed of Sofia Ballance, Maddy Burgess, Mason DeYoung, Josh Jinks, Ben Postell, and Ryan Rosencrans—advanced past teams from the University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Institute of Technology, American University, and Emory University. Miami University finished second overall and advanced to the Global Finals, with Elon's second-place finish positioning the university as a strong regional performer.
The team was supervised by Drew Peabody, assistant professor of finance, and Alyssa Martina, executive director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. All six students had completed FIN4790 – Venture Capital Financing in the preceding fall semester, a course jointly offered by Peabody and Martina designed to build investment analysis and venture evaluation skills. According to team member Maddy Burgess, "Our team and our specialization stood out. We all come from different backgrounds and was able to use them to our advantage in the competition," highlighting the value of interdisciplinary perspectives in investment decision-making.
Elon's consistent upward trajectory in the competition reflects institutional commitment to venture capital education. The university placed fifth overall in its inaugural year of competition, improved to third place in 2023, and achieved second place in 2024—demonstrating measurable progress in student preparation and competitive performance within three years.
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