How is the final selection of fellows made?
Candidates not currently in the venture capital industry apply to become Kauffman Finalists; these applications are carefully screened to select approximately 30-40 finalists annually, all of whom are qualified and appropriate for the fellowship. Once the slate of finalists are chosen, the candidate and KFP staff combine resources to begin the process of securing a position with a venture firm. The program distributes a “bio book”, containing 1-page histories of each finalist, to all Kauffman Fellows and Mentors as well as other venture firms of interest. Finalists work in conjunction with program staff as well as on their own to secure interviews and discussions with venture firms. Our experience has shown that venture capital firms are more than happy to talk to potential candidates who have survived the strict scrutiny of the Kauffman Finalist selection process. The program also holds one or more Finalist Introduction events in which interested firms and finalists come together for
