CU alumni create scholarship fund in Jason Mendelson’s name

BOULDER – A group of former University of Colorado Boulder graduate students has created a fund in adjunct professor Jason Mendelson’s name that is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship on the CU campus.

The $50,000 Jason Mendelson Entrepreneurial Award Fund was formed with $50,000 by alumni of the CU law school’s Venture Capital and Private Equity course that is co-taught by Mendelson and law professor Brad Bernthal. An undisclosed community organization also provided a matching gift to help create the fund, according to a news release from CU’s Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.

Silicon Flatirons will manage the fund, which will provide cash awards, scholarships and stipends to students enrolled at CU “who demonstrate excellence in the field of entrepreneurship.” The first gift will be a $10,000 award to the CU New Venture Challenge in 2017. The NVC is an entrepreneurial competition for CU students, faculty and staff.

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Mendelson, a cofounder and managing director of Boulder venture capital firm Foundry Group, is in his ninth year teaching the VC and private-equity course at CU. He also chairs Silicon Flatirons’ Entrepreneurial Advisory Board, coaches the Venture Capital Investment Competition, and judges the finals of the New Venture Challenge.

“It’s really quite remarkable the extent to which Jason volunteers, every year, what little free time he has to impart his wisdom to the VC class, the VCIC team, and the NVC,” Chris Kaffer, one of the fund organizers and cofounder of CU spinoff Mallinda LLC. “We wanted to recognize Jason for being the incredible teacher and mentor that he is. Jason’s teaching is transformative for many students. He has a remarkable ability to teach people how to be effective in entrepreneurial and innovation environments.”