Stern Faces of Change: How the New VC Launchpad @ NYU Stern Gave Courtney Bland (MBA ’27) Insight into the World of Venture Capital
MBA students who participated in the VC Launchpad @ NYU Stern at the final pitch
In Fall 2025, NYU Stern pioneered a new way to propel MBAs into the exciting world of venture capital with its new VC Launchpad @ NYU Stern.
Led by Professor Andrew Chang, the VC Launchpad was designed to give Stern MBA students the chance to step into the role of a venture capitalist, with support, instruction and guidance along the way.
Through this experiential practicum, students:
- Spotted emerging sectors and developed investment theses
- Sourced and evaluated early-stage startups
- Conducted due diligence and pitched recommendations to an investment committee
- Built a strong network in the venture capital ecosystem by connecting with Stern alumni and partners in the NYC tech community
Meet two year Full-time MBA Courtney Bland (MBA ’27) and learn how the VC Launchpad @ NYU Stern gave her insight into the world of venture capital.
Stern Faces of Change: Courtney Bland, Full-time MBA ’27
What motivated you to get involved with the VC Launchpad @ NYU Stern?
I became involved in VC Launchpad to gain insight into the venture capital ecosystem and explore it as a potential career path. Coming from a background in public equities and derivatives trading, I was drawn to venture capital for its entrepreneurial mindset and the opportunity to invest in and build innovative companies from their earliest stages. Undoubtedly, this initiative cemented my interest in the industry and allowed me to jump start my career within it by learning what it takes to be successful, creating a thoughtful investment thesis, and meeting other students also interested in VC.
Tell us about the process of sourcing and evaluating early-stage startups. What did you learn through the process? What kind of startups were you researching? Was there anything that surprised you about the process?
Sourcing is a multistep process, and this initiative equipped me with the tools to succeed, while also encouraging me to apply those skills beyond the classroom. Sourcing really begins with simply putting yourself out there by attending startup and VC events across the city, meeting incredible founders, and learning about the innovative companies they’re building. While this can be intimidating at first, the networking techniques learned in VC Launchpad made the process feel far more approachable.
VC Launchpad also pushed me to develop more of a venture investor’s mindset, learning how to evaluate startups based on key factors such as founder credibility, market potential, and product or industry dynamics. Using this framework, I reached out to high potential startups, spoke with founders, and assessed investment opportunities accordingly. I was pleasantly surprised by how open and supportive the VC community is as many founders and investors were eager to engage with me and fellow students.
Were there any “lightbulb” or “ah ha!” or myth-busting moments during this experience?
There were many “lightbulb” moments throughout the class, but the most impactful was beginning with LinkedIn reviews and truly grasping the importance of building a personal brand. This is key in any career, but especially critical in VC. While it’s often discussed how founders must sell themselves to investors, I came to realize that investors must do the same with founders. Success in venture capital depends on building authentic relationships and earning the trust of great founders to gain access to the best, most competitive deals. The VC Launchpad helped me take meaningful first steps in that direction by refining my LinkedIn presence, perfecting my event introductions, and learning how to present myself most effectively within the ecosystem.
In the final part of the practicum, you pitched an investment committee composed of alums and leaders in the VC space. How did the pitch go and what did you learn from the committee’s feedback?
The pitch went really well! It allowed me to focus on the energy industry and connect with incredible founders working on transformational projects in renewable energy and energy infrastructure. Having studied mechanical engineering in undergrad, I’ve always been interested in the industrial space, so aligning that passion with my pitch and presenting it to a group of investors was especially rewarding.
The committee’s feedback reinforced the potential within the sector and encouraged me to dig deeper. Their questions also helped me anticipate the kinds of questions I might face in future interviews and pitches as I continue to develop and refine this thesis as part of my recruiting toolkit.
What are key learnings from this experience you will take with you as you embark on your career journey?
Beyond building meaningful relationships, this experience taught me how to communicate effectively in the VC industry, both in writing and in conversation. I learned to craft a strong investment thesis, structure a clear memo, and articulate complex ideas in an accessible way, whether in casual discussions or interviews.
These skills proved invaluable during my internship interviews this semester and were pivotal in securing my spring internship. I’m deeply appreciative of the VC Launchpad for helping me develop them and would encourage anyone genuinely considering a career in venture capital to apply.