Interested candidates can be nominated by a peer or colleague. More weight is given to nominations from individuals who can speak to the nominee’s experience in venture capital. Ideal nominators include VC Unlocked alumni, 500 Startups’ employees or portfolio companies, and peers from VC firms, family offices, fund managers, and other financial fields.

**Please note we will not accept self-nominations.

We look for candidates with experience in the investment space and who are interested in building and growing their local tech ecosystems. Prior attendees have come from VC firms, government-led funds, family offices, angel syndicates, accelerator programs, or are high-net worth individuals looking to diversify their investment portfolio. Candidates should meet the following criteria:

• Have at least 1 year of experience in angel investing, venture capital, or a similar financial field (or 5 years of experience as an operator).
• Be able to commit to four weeks of online coursework
• Be proficient in written and spoken English
• Be focused on identifying and empowering great founders in their ecosystems

The diversity scholarship and early application deadline is extended to June 30, 2021. If you are invited to interview and are then accepted, the early admissions program tuition is due by July 16, 2021.

The general application deadline is July 30, 2021. If you are invited to interview and are then accepted, the general admissions program tuition is due by August 20, 2021.

500 Startups, in collaboration with the Stanford Center for Professional Development, is excited to again be offering two full scholarships ($9,999) for underrepresented early-stage investors, especially women and/or people of color.

The Diversity Scholarship decisions will be announced on July 14, 2021.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be nominated by a peer or colleague. Nominators do not need to be a part of the venture world, they can be founders you have helped, mentors, and anyone who can speak to the candidate’s interest in early-stage investing and empowering founders. If selected for the next round, candidates must fill out the application form, including the supplemental scholarship questions. It is recommended that applicants submit their responses as early as possible.

The early admissions program tuition is $7,999. The general admissions program tuition is $9,999.

Contact us at vcunlocked@500startups.com