Insight Partners Wants To Diversify The VC Space — Here’s How You Can Be A Part Of The Change

Insight Partners has taken on 21 diversity initiatives to combat systemic racism. One of those initiatives is the Insight Partners education series, which is a unique opportunity for college students to receive an unparalleled introduction to all things Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE).

If you’re not sure what VC and PE mean, you’re not alone. That’s why the Insight Partners online educational series was created. The best part about this program is that all college students are welcome to participate (no application necessary). 

To learn more about what this program offers, I spoke with two Insight Partners employees who helped bring it to life. Here’s what they had to say.

After interning at Insight Partners her junior year at Princeton University, Kelly decided to join the company full-time. 

Before Insight Partners visited her college, Kelly didn’t know much about VC.  She wished she had access to a resource like Insight Partners’ education program to give her a better understanding. Now, four years into her career at Insight Partners, Kelly is a Senior Associate on a mission to make the VC industry more accessible to college students of all backgrounds. 

When Kelly and her team recognized that VC and PE were inaccessible for most college students, they wanted to find a solution to close the gap. Their answer was to share the information that early-career hires receive in their training to provide students with a foundation. Insight Partners is uniquely positioned to open the door to VC and PE as each year they hire 20 or more analysts right out of college , and prepare specific training to help them understand the VC/PE landscape. 

Any college student who is interested in learning more about the VC space is encouraged to join the Insight Partners educational program. The program will be hosted on a website where students have access to videos ranging from the life cycle of an investment deal to sourcing investments to the closing of a deal. 

“If you’re someone with zero knowledge of VC, you can come to the website, go through the videos, and at the end, you’ll have a high-level understanding of what VC is and if it’s interesting to you,” said Kelly. 

Adam is the Manager of Talent Partnerships and DE&I at Insight Partners, and he has spent the past 3.5 years bringing early-career talent to the company. 

Adam sees a need for increased representation of underrepresented minorities across the entire VC ecosystem. He explained that the education program is a way to fast-track students’ careers if they’re interested in joining a VC or PE firm. 

What initially attracted Adam to Insight Partners was that from day one he was able to have a voice at the table in important business decisions. Part of what makes Insight so unique is the overall open culture that is encouraged. “VC is a unique space because it is about fostering new and innovative ideas and pivoting quickly which is something I love,” shared Adam. 

Adam recommends the Insight Partners education program for anyone curious to learn more about VC and PE. He wants students to know that you CAN do this type of work directly out of undergrad if it’s something you’re passionate and interested in. 

When asked what can students expect from the program? Adam said, “Students can expect an interactive soup to nuts boot camp on what Venture Capital is and how VCs and PE firms execute deals.”

The Insight Partners’ educational series will be open to students in September. If you decide to join the education series, you’ll be able to walk away with a foundational knowledge of the VC and PE industry, and possibly a new career path. In the meantime, you can learn more about Insight Partners and their early-career opportunities here.