Founded in 1995 within the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Kauffman Fellows Program pioneered the idea that venture investing can be taught through a structured mix of self‑reflection, peer learning and real–world practice. Each two‑year cohort ( “Class”) enrols 65‑70 investors drawn from venture funds, corporate VC arms, family offices and emerging‑manager GPs around the world. Fellows remain full‑time at their firms but devote ~15 hours per month to the curriculum, which combines six multi‑day in‑person summits on three continents with bi‑weekly virtual salons and small‑group coaching   .

The learning arc begins with a deep dive into personal leadership style and EQ, then moves through fund construction, portfolio strategy, governance, term‑sheet mechanics, LP relations and firm scaling. Content is taught by veteran VCs, Nobel‑winning academics and invited founders who have built $10 B+ companies. Every fellow completes a capstone project—often a new fund thesis, internal playbook or sector deep‑dive—that is peer‑reviewed and archived for future classes  .

Kauffman’s network effects are its crown jewel. Class 30 (2024‑26) spans 66 investors from 20 countries and six continents, illustrating the program’s increasingly global reach  . Across all classes the fellowship now counts 900 alumni who collectively manage more than $1 trillion in AUM and have backed 1 500+ unicorns  . The organisation convenes regional Summits—New York, Nairobi, Dubai, São Paulo—to keep knowledge flowing and to surface local founders to the global capital pool   .

Unlike many “VC schools,” Kauffman Fellows is tuition‑funded: the current fee is $80 000 over two years, typically paid by the fellow’s firm or sponsors   . Need‑based scholarships and diversity grants offset cost for under‑represented investors and emerging managers. Graduates earn lifetime access to the KF network, job board, LP round‑tables and confidential “Capital Calls” where fellows syndicate deals.

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