INTRODUCING
VENTURE FORAGERS
Venture Foragers is a student-run organization that delivers industry assessments and analyses of narrow of-interest spaces, aiding venture capitalists, startups, and students themselves.
Our student foragers identify key disruptors in the competitive landscape, develop evaluation criteria through close relationships with subject matter experts, and vet these companies through the initial of diligence to deliver best-in-class industry reports for venture capital partners. Students, venture capitalists and startups all gain from this process.
Venture Foragers was founded at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and aims to roll out across schools nationwide in the coming years.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
JJ Caffey
JJ Caffey is an entrepreneur specializing in the future of work as Founder and CEO of Order In, a private membership club for the young leaders of remote work. Prior to becoming a founder, JJ had early-stage operating experience as the first employee of an enterprise SaaS startup, and venture experience through her work with First Round Capital, Boost VC, and retail tech accelerator XRC Labs.
Arif Damji
Arif is a former management consultant who specialized in financial services, travel sector and marketing. He pivoted into the tech startup world where he scaled a SaaS platform and integrated the company post sale. Arif works as an investor at Conductive Ventures to help source and scale startups across the hardware and software world.
OUR FORAGERS
Our foragers come from various backgrounds, from consulting and engineering to education and entrepreneurship. All share three commonalities: a developed industry expertise, a deep passion for their area, and an innate scrappiness.
Foragers spend months getting up-to-speed on industries and are available for our partners throughout the year.
45
Student
Foragers
131
Alumni Foragers
8
Industry Areas
30
Partner
VCs
WHO WE SUPPORT
VENTURE CAPITALISTS
Faced with an overwhelming deluge of new companies to discover and vet, which is time consuming. Sometimes awareness is limited by popular press and relationships.
STUDENTS
Seeking to learn the key players in each industry and develop an industry analysis toolkit, as they explore the venture capital career path.
STARTUPS
Limited by awareness built through the press and relationships,
as it relates to recruiting and fundraising. Additionally, every interaction requires re-establishing credibility.