In 2013- 2014 the Social Venture Fund contained forty dedicated students, including seven juniors and seniors in the undergraduate business school. While all fund associates are at the Ross School of Business, fifteen (38% of the total fund) are undertaking dual degrees with the Ford School of Public Policy, the Law School, the School of Education, the School of Public Health, and the School of Natural Resources and Environment (the Erb Institute), and the School of Social Work, providing an essential forum for interdisciplinary education.

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Fund members screened over a hundred firms over the course of the year, finally settling on two potential transactions. With one transaction having closed by the time we go to press, our portfolio now has four companies. In addition, the fund kept up its engagement with its existing portfolio companies, through internships and capacity- building projects managed by small teams. Members also worked on projects with small companies outside our existing portfolio. While transactions and the effort involved (from pre-screening through due diligence to the actual investment itself) remains a major focus of energy for the fund, the capacity- building projects both add value to the companies and allow our students to gain first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by a small company. Details of our activities for the year are provided in the following pages.
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