The Eagle Venture Seed Fund

The Eagle Venture Seed Fund, LLC (EVSF or Student-Managed Seed Fund) is a donor/gift-supported fund created by American University to provide real-life experiential learning opportunities to AU students in identifying, screening, evaluating and investing in promising early-stage companies.

Participating in the Student-Managed Seed Fund operations will foster students’ entrepreneurial mindset and analytical skills, and encourage them to engage with early-stage companies, start their own ventures, or enter the venture capital industry.

With a deep belief in the power of innovation, students leverage their collective expertise across finance, entrepreneurship, and diverse industries to identify early-stage companies with transformative potential. At EVSF, we are more than investors—we are collaborators, committed to empowering founders and fostering meaningful partnerships to help shape the future of business.

Investment Strategy

The Eagle Seed Fund invests in a broad range of early-stage companies. These will generally be defined as “pre-seed” or “seed” stage investments. These investment instruments may include SAFE notes, convertible notes, or equity investments.

The Student Managers (see student team below) are responsible for identifying, screening, conducting due diligence, and making investment recommendations in early-stage companies ("Deal Flow"). They will also oversee the portfolio of invested companies and draft required report-outs for key stakeholders.

Deal flow will primarily be sourced on the East Coast, focusing on, but not limited to, the Washington, DC area. Partner organizations include area angel groups, venture capital firms, and incubator/accelerator programs.

In a twelve month period, the Eagle Venture Seed Fund will likely screen 100 to 150 early-staged companies and make four to eight new investments annually. There may be opportunities to invest additional funds in existing portfolio companies over time. Funds will be reserved (“dry powder”) for these potential follow-on investments.

Oversight is provided by the Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship. Final investment decisions are confirmed by the American University’s Office of Finance and Treasurer.

Hassan Gad, Co-Director

With 3 years of experience in venture capital, Hassan has built a strong foundation in managing multi-million-dollar deals, sourcing investments, and driving product development in sectors like MedTech and AI. Currently, he is a 2nd-year STEM MBA student at American University - Kogod School of Business, specializing in business analytics and sustainability.

Sophia Sabbagh, Co-Director

Sophia earned her business degree with a specialization in entrepreneurship and has four years of experience participating in venture capital competitions. As the president of the Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, Sophia has honed her leadership skills and leveraged her expertise to foster collaboration with other organizations, expanding her team’s networks and industry knowledge. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in sustainability management, with plans to graduate in 2025.

Shane Martin, Deal-Flow Manager

Shane is a second-year STEM MBA Student at Kogod Business School. He has spent 10 years in startups—5 in tech, 5 in consulting and is now an investor at B Ventures, sourcing deals, supporting portfolio founders, and building AI agents to streamline workflows.

Nishitha Viswanathan, Deal-Flow Manager

Nishitha is a graduate student at the School of International Service, studying Development Management with a concentration in Sustainable Technologies and Venture Capital. She has six years of experience in tech startups, including founding Silicon Valley-based Versai and consulting for VC firm, FINCA Ventures. She is also the founder of non-profit, Dhadkan, which has hosted concerts up to 14,000 attendees at Oracle Arena to sponsor education for children in rural India. She leads initiatives to spotlight women in venture capital and is committed to empowering underserved communities through innovation and sustainable investment strategies.

Stefania Biondino, Portfolio Analyst Manager

Stefania is an industrial engineer with 8 years of experience in the automotive, aerospace and defense, and luxury sectors. She has worked in the purchasing department of Leonardo Helicopters and has held managerial roles at Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Her expertise spans operations, quality management, and customer experience. Stefania is currently pursuing her second master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) at the Kogod School of Business, American University, where she also serves as the President of Kogod Women in Business.

Nick Zahn, Portfolio Analyst Manager

Nick is a senior majoring in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance. As Vice President of the Private Equity and Venture Capital Club and President of the Club Basketball Team, he has developed strong leadership skills and gained experience and connections in the field of venture capital. Nick has also participated in the Venture Capital Investment Competition 3 times and will represent AU at the regional competition this year.

Jacqueline Estrada, Communications and Report Out Manager

Jacqueline is a transfer student from SBCC, set to graduate in 2025 with a BS in Business Administration, specializing in Entrepreneurship. As President of the Entrepreneurship Club at AU, she has developed strong leadership skills and fostered a collaborative environment for aspiring entrepreneurs. Jacqueline has also participated in the Venture Capital Competition for the past two years, and will represent AU at this year’s Regionals.

Angelina Lombardo, Investment Analyst

Angelina is a sophomore pursuing a BS in Finance. She has participated in the annual Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), and is an alumna of the Girls into VC fellowship. She is also actively involved in the PEVC club, Kogod Women in Business, and Entrepreneurship club.

Kai Beltz, Investment Analyst

Kai is a sophomore pursuing a BS in Economics. He was a team leader in the annual Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), in which he led his team to 2nd place in the 2025 internal round. Beyond this, he was a Management Consultant with Kogod in Practice, as well as an Entrepreneur, founding 012 Studios, a music production studio that operates virtually with clients. He has also embarked on independent research initiatives utilizing data science technologies and statistical methods.

Curt Gammer, Investment Analyst

Curt is a sophomore pursuing a BA in Business Administration, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. He was a team member in the annual Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), in which his team placed in the 2024 internal round. In addition to this, he is an active entrepreneur, founding Sugarloaf Coin, an online rare coin retailer, as well as Curoko Solutions, a new government contracting service that aims to help democratic governments worldwide.

Charles Herman, Investment Analyst

As President and Founder of the Kogod Pride Alliance, Charles has created a vibrant organization supporting LGBTQ+ students, fostering inclusivity, and driving conversations about equity in the business world. The Two-time participant in the annual VCIC competition. AU Honors Program, BSBA in Entrepreneurship, 2027.

What We Look For to Invest

When evaluating potential investments for the Eagle Venture Seed Fund, we focus on key areas that align with our mission and goals:

Traction: We look for evidence that the company has gained initial momentum, whether through early adopters, pilot projects, a steady increase in user engagement or revenue generation. Companies demonstrating progress in solving real customer problems and have created a “moat” with their value proposition are ideal for our fund's focus on technology, sustainability, and impactful investments.

Industry Fit: The industries we target align with the fund’s philosophy, particularly those with strong growth potential and opportunities for innovation.

Market Opportunity and Size: A strong market fit and clear potential for growth are critical. We analyze whether the company’s solution addresses a substantial and growing need, ensuring it aligns with our goal of generating a solid return while supporting visionary founders.

Go-to-Market Strategy: Understanding your customers and how you will reach them at every stage of the ventures growth is crucial.

Team: We back founders who embody the entrepreneurial mindset we aim to foster. A strong, passionate, and resilient team with complementary skills is essential, as we believe in investing in people who can adapt and thrive through challenges.

Current Funding: Understanding the company’s current financial status is crucial. We assess their existing capital, burn rate, and how recent funding rounds have been used. This helps us gauge whether our investment can provide a meaningful boost while aligning with our strategy of fostering early-stage growth.

Emerging Technology: We fund bold, cutting-edge innovations in AI and sustainability, fueling solutions that shape the future of the world. We look for visionary technologies that redefine industries and accelerate a sustainable tomorrow.

Tommy White

Director, Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship

Department of Management

(202) 885-1862
Kogod School of Business
DMTI - 231
Email Tommy White

Biography

Tommy White is a Senior Professorial Lecturer (formerly “Executive-in-Residence”) at the Kogod School of Business at American University. In this role, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on introduction to business, introduction to entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship business planning, revenue/financial forecast modeling and start-up launch, and venture capital.

Professor White is also the Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship, where he works promotes/directs entrepreneurial experiential learning activities throughout the AU campus and directly works with student entrepreneurs launching companies.

Professor White is an entrepreneur with 3 successful exits and 2 failed ventures. He is an active angel investor and coaches/mentors 20 – 25 startup ventures annually throughout the DC Startup Ecosystem.

Professor White received his MBA in Marketing from the Kogod School of Business, American University (1995) and his BA in Economics and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1986).

More About Tommy White

Octavian Ionici

Senior Professorial Lecturer

Department of Real Estate and Finance

Kogod School of Business

Biography

Dr. Octavian Ionici is a finance professor in the Department of Finance and Real Estate at Kogod School of Business and the Director of the Financial Services and Information Technology Lab. He currently teaches Financial Modeling, Private Company Valuation, Investment Banking, Real Estate Modeling & Valuation and Money Matters courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. His research interests cover all areas of finance, in particular financial and real estate modeling, corporate valuation as well as the developments concerning integrating reporting as a process for companies to enhance their ability to create value and achieve greater sustainability. He also specializes in conducting training seminars and workshops on using state-of-art software applications and databases, such as Bloomberg, LSEG Refinitiv, S&P CapIQ, WRDS and @Risk for risk analysis which develop essential skills and hands-on experience in finance and allied fields. In addition to being involved in academia for more than 20 years, he worked in the US and abroad in various managerial positions in the financial economics areas where he was responsible for corporate finance, research and private equity investments.

Early Stage Company Application for Funding

We focus primarily on companies based in the DMV area (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) but companies on the East Coast and elsewhere in the US are eligible.

We prioritize companies that are disrupting industries with emerging technologies (AI), sustainability, and/or those with a social impact.

Early-staged companies can apply through our application form.

The process involves submitting general information, a pitch deck, and undergoing a review process by our team. All information submitted is confidential. All student team members sign an overall NDA in their roles.

Student Application to Join the Eagle Venture Seed Fund Team

Each year we have 6 - 12 AU undergraduate and graduate students who are directly involved in the management and operations of the Eagle Venture Seed Fund. Students initially apply for a Student Investment Analyst position.

To be eligible for a Student Investment Analyst position, a student must:

Have participated at least once in the annual Venture Capital Investment Competition sponsored by the VCE;

Be an active member of the PEVC and/or Entrepreneurship Club; and

Be in good academic standing at American University.

For more information on VCIC and the clubs, please contact Tommy White.

Student Investment Analyst roles are for a 12-month term or as determined by the Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship.

Students can apply using the application form.

Leadership positions require the above plus other requirements to be eligible.

What is the Eagle Venture Seed Fund? How is it managed?

Eagle Venture Seed Fund is student-managed, with a passionate and diverse team of graduate, undergraduate, and MBA students from American University. Oversight is provided from the Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship. Final investment decisions are confirmed with the AU University’s Office of Finance and Treasurer.

Who can apply for funding from Eagle Venture Seed Fund?

We focus primarily on companies based in the DMV area (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) but companies on the East Coast and elsewhere in the US are eligible.

We prioritize companies that are disrupting industries with emerging technologies (AI), sustainability, and/or those with a social impact.

How can early-stage companies apply for funding?

Early-staged companies can apply through our application form. The process involves submitting general information, a pitch deck, and undergoing a review process by our team. All information submitted is confidential. All student team members sign an overall NDA to be a member of the team.

What are Eagle Venture Seed Fund’s values?

At the Eagle Venture Seed Fund, our values are the foundation of everything we do. They include:

Innovation: Supporting groundbreaking ideas.

Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering diverse perspectives and opportunities.

Sustainability: Driving positive environmental and social impact.

Integrity: Committing to ethical and transparent decision-making.

Empowerment: Equipping entrepreneurs to succeed.

How much funding does Eagle Venture Seed Fund typically provide?

Our funding amount varies depending on the startup's needs and stage. Specific amounts are decided on a case-by-case basis.

How does Eagle Venture Seed Fund decide which startups to fund?

Our team evaluates startups based on several criteria, including the strength of the founding team, the innovation of the idea, market potential, go-to-market strategy, and alignment with our values.

Are there networking or mentorship opportunities for startups funded by Eagle Venture Seed Fund?

Yes! Startups funded by Eagle Venture Seed Fund gain access to our network of advisors, alumni, and industry professionals who provide valuable mentorship and guidance.

What investment instruments does the Eagle Venture Seed Fund utilize?

The Eagle Seed Fund invests in a broad range of early-stage companies. These will generally be defined as “pre-seed” or “seed” stage investments. These investment instruments may include SAFE notes, convertible notes, or equity investments.

Can students from American University get involved with Eagle Venture Seed Fund?

Absolutely! Eagle Venture Seed Fund is always looking for driven and passionate students to join our team. If you’re interested, please contact Tommy White at twhite@american.edu.

How is Eagle Venture Seed Fund funded? Can I donate a financial gift?

The Eagle Venture Seed Fund is funded through generous gift donations from American University alumni and other supporters passionate about fostering innovation and providing a learning platform for students to learn about venture capital investments. For more information on providing a gift to the fund, please contact Zach Vlahos, Assistant Dean of Advancement in KSB at vlahos@american.edu. All proceeds go to the operations and investments of the EVSF.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

For any additional questions, feel free to contact Tommy White at twhite@american.edu.

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