Little Joe Ventures Fellowship

Launched in 2018 by Tony Owen ’97, ’03 MBA, and his wife, Monique, the Little Joe Ventures Fellowship in Entrepreneurship provides an unparalleled experience to students with a demonstrated interest in and commitment to building new ideas.

Each year, Northwestern faculty and staff committees nominate and select students who have shown exceptional promise as entrepreneurs. Five sophomores are chosen each winter quarter after a rigorous interview process. Each cohort is announced at the beginning of the spring quarter.

Fellows selected to participate in the highly competitive program receive financial awards, mentors and transformational experiences, including international travel. Additionally, the Fellows gain access to the donor’s and university’s extensive networks.

Little Joe Ventures Fellows visit the goop office in LA and meet founder Gwyneth Paltrow.

“Becoming an LJV Fellow has changed my path at Northwestern entirely. It has provided me with such an inspiring community within The Garage as well as incredible opportunities that I never would have had access to if it weren’t for the Owens’ generosity. Since being selected, I have been launched into the real world of entrepreneurship with full force, meeting some of the most influential people and gaining valuable learning experiences that have helped shape my future as a founder and beyond.”

Lilliana de Souza

McCormick ’21

“The LJV Fellowship has provided me with some of the most unique and inspiring opportunities as a student entrepreneur, including supporting trips to various conferences and access to networks of the world’s most renowned business people. Alongside The Garage, the LJV Fellowship has been a defining community of my college and professional experience and is an extraordinary prerequisite for starting my own company in the near future.”

Sam Kim

Weinberg ’21

“I am so grateful to the LJV Fellowship. It’s given me countless opportunities to grow. My internship experience made me really excited for what comes next, knowing the possibilities available to bring entrepreneurship to media.”

Audrey Valbuena

Medill ’20

“I’ve gotten a chance to learn a lot from the other LJVs and really look forward to spending more time with them. Each fellow brings a very different background to the group and I’ve learned about everything from healthcare to the music industry.”

Shyam Mani

McCormick ’21

Program

During junior year, Fellows travel to Los Angeles to explore startups and meet inspiring alumni and innovative leaders. They attend special events throughout the year like TEDxChicago. Fellows also receive 1-on-1 mentorship and/or executive coaching.

During senior year, each Fellow delivers a Senior Talk and workshop for the other Fellows on a topic that is personal and unique to their entrepreneurial journey. Topics have ranged from Designing Your Life to Building Community Cultures. During spring break of senior year, the Fellows travel internationally on an Emerging Leaders’ Expedition. This experience is thoughtfully designed to make them more purpose-driven, self-aware leaders.

Fellows receive a $5,000 award for an entrepreneurial project or internship. Fellows have used the funding to purchase inventory for their startup; to cover living expenses during an unpaid summer internship; and to travel to TechCrunch Disrupt SF and other conferences.