Entrepreneurship and angel investing are increasingly popular fields for Wharton alumni. The following alumni-led groups each have a slightly different structure and focus on entrepreneurship. If you would like to get involved in one of the following groups, please contact them directly or email [email protected].
Global Affinity Clubs
Wharton Alumni Angels
We are enthusiastic about entrepreneurs and passionate teams pursuing their dreams. We predominantly invest in early-stage investments in technology start-ups. Wharton Alumni Angels seeks to add value and actively provide mentoring and assistance to young companies.
Founded in 2016, Wharton Alumni Angels is an active angel investment group composed of University of Pennsylvania alumni and non-Penn alumni who have joined our community. Our members are entrepreneurs, senior business executives, and institutional investors with a global reach. Our members are located on every continent and invest in start-ups worldwide.
We have a deep network and working relationships with venture capital funds, other angel networks, and innovation ecosystems globally to cultivate the growth of technology start-ups. Wharton Alumni Angels participates most often in seed and Series A investments, and occasionally later-stage rounds. We do not focus on specific verticals or industries.
Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association
The Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to accelerate the success of Penn Wharton female founders and investors. Today, 13% of Penn founders are women but they raise just 6% of venture capital. WAFFA harnesses the power of the Penn Wharton network to educate, support, and foster connections for female founders and funders.
Regional Club Subgroups
Wharton Club of Boston Alumni Angel Network
Wharton Alumni Angel Network (WAAN) Boston provides a forum to connect and nurture relationships between angel investors, mentors and entrepreneurs through pitch sessions from top-tier startups, education programs, and mentorship initiatives. For alumni angels, we provide opportunities to meet and evaluate presenting companies, network and collaborate with fellow investors, increase their investment portfolios, and sharpen their knowledge. For entrepreneurs, WAAN Boston helps them grow their companies and enhance their skills and knowledge. For mentors, we have a forum to connect and advise growing start-up companies. Since its founding, WAAN has also become a part of a strong, growing global network. We have affiliation with groups based domestically in other major cities in the US, as well as internationally in Latin America, UK, Asia, and Middle East.
Wharton Club of the UK Alumni Angel Network (WAAN)
The Wharton Alumni Angel Network is a professional network of the Wharton Club of UK and connects entrepreneurs and early-stage investors across Europe. The Wharton School is the University of Pennsylvania’s business school and has a worldwide network of over 90,000 alumni, representing a formidable knowledge base that can benefit entrepreneurs and investors alike. The Wharton Alumni Angel Network is not only a facilitator of seed capital flows but also a place where knowledge and experience are created, deepened and exchanged. We help entrepreneurs to grow their business and investors to enhance their investment returns.
The Wharton Alumni Angel Network is a not-for-profit group. It sees its role in providing an open, inclusive, effective and efficient platform to further support the European venture ecosystem. We are open to partnerships with other venture organisations and, so far, have partnerships with Chicago Booth Angels and INSEAD Angels Network.
Wharton Club of New York Angel Network
The Wharton Alumni Angel Network (WAAN) - a group of the Wharton Club of New York fosters an entrepreneurial community backed by the strength of the Penn and Wharton alumni network. We help members and entrepreneurs:
- Develop and build relationships around investment opportunities
- Learn about angel investing and discover the tools needed to become a better investor
- Connect with exceptional mentors
- Be a trusted, go-to destination for capital, advisory, or educational needs
Unofficial Alumni Groups
Wharton Alumni Mentors (WHAM)
Startups provide solutions to new challenges and contribute to the rapid and profound transformations in society that we are witnessing today. Led by dreamers and visionaries, startups are a powerful tool for improving the world. At the same time, Wharton graduates are trained and experienced to help businesses succeed and become important actors of these changes in society.
The goals of volunteer mentoring are straightforward. The most frequent are to review and give advice relating to the strategic plan or the pitch for investors. But the discussions can extend to advice on communications and the operational structure to helping face a particular challenge and networking . The framework of the program is one hour per week for two months. However each situation is different, and the details are agreed upon between the startup and the mentor.
Wharton Alumni Mentors is an informal structure of volunteers operating within the local alumni associations with strong support from their boards. The goal is to manage a simple process to allow alumni to participate in this mentoring adventure. As of December 2020, WHAM has already logged over 100 mentor volunteers in Europe, and set up over 20 mentorships with some relationships leading to investor pitches and continuing relationships.
Wharton International Network of Entrepreneurs (WINE)
Energized by the wonderful community that’s developed to-date and the impact WINE has had on WG’95 entrepreneurs, we believe all Wharton entrepreneurs (along with Wharton innovators, investors and those discovering their inner entrepreneur) will find WINE equally enriching and rewarding. We can all certainly benefit and learn by sharing with one another both the successes, failures and emotional roller coasters we’ve each experienced throughout our entrepreneurial journeys.
School Sponsored Resources
Venture Lab
Venture Lab is a resource for Penn and Wharton students and alumni who are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. We maximize the ability of our students and alumni to address important challenges through entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking.
Ignited by great ideas, our faculty, students, and alumni turn innovative concepts into scalable and sustainable businesses, and bring entrepreneurial development to existing companies eager for change. In a world hungry for productive innovation, our disciplined approach challenges concepts, focuses ideas, and provides the know-how to turn fledgling businesses into strong, enduring organizations.