Applications for the 2025 Junior Venture Capitalist Program are now open!

The mission of Next Generation Investors is to raise awareness, inspire and prepare the next generation of women venture capitalists and investors through education and real-life experiences.

Young women in grades 9-12 are invited to apply to become Junior Venture Capitalists (Jr. VCs).

The program is unique and created to teach high school girls about investing in businesses. There are several programs targeted at teaching entrepreneurship, but few that address the issue of financing women-founded businesses.

Once selected into the program, the Jr. VCs are taught how to evaluate a business in the same manner a venture capitalist does to determine their investment worthiness. They learn real-life lessons by having access to the Fast Pitch finalists’ information, guidance on how to select investment-worthy businesses and are provided a $5,000 grant to award one of those businesses.

In summary, over the 4 month program they:

• Learn business fundamentals
• Understand how to allocate capital to early-stage companies
• Begin to build a professional network
• Trained to look for key performance indicators from the Fast Pitch finalists’ presentations
• Interact with successful business owners and CEOs
• Become part of the WFN network

​View the application criteria and programs details, below.

Application Criteria

AGE

WFN welcomes any girl who is in 9th grade to 12th grade (in October, 2025) to apply to the program between April 1 and May 31, 2025. They value diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of their programs.

GEOGRAPHY

There will be a combination of online and in-person meetings for small groups, in accordance with current health and safety standards. They accept applications from across the United States, but note that in-person events will take place in the greater Los Angeles, California, region (including the Fast Pitch event in October).

PARTICIPATION FEE

There is a fee to participate if girls are accepted into the program. The cost for the In-Person Junior Venture Capitalist program is $800 per student. However, WFN believes in making their program accessible to everyone and if financial constraints are a concern, reach out to explore available scholarships.

​If you are not local to the Los Angeles area, please apply for their Online-Only JVC Program. The Participation Fee for this program is $100.​

​If you are local to the Los Angeles area, please apply for their In-Person JVC Program.

• Attend all online Zoom and in-person events
• Attend in-person Pre-Pitch Workshop to deep-dive into the Fast Pitch Finalist companies
• Attend in-person annual Fast Pitch Event at UCLA
• Vote to award one Fast Pitch finalist company the Jr. VC prize of $5,000

​If you are not local to the Los Angeles area, please apply for their Online-Only JVC Program.

• Attend all online Zoom events to learn about entrepreneurship and investing
• Access to all on-demand Zoom events

​EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS

Participants will need a reliable internet connection and device to participate in the program. WFN strongly encourages participating in virtual meetings with a web camera so they can create as authentic an experience as possible. If accepted into the program, Junior VCs will be notified and sent a welcome packet via email.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

In addition to participating as a "venture capitalist for a day" at the WFN Fast Pitch event in October, Junior VCs will have the opportunity to meet virtually with women CEOs, entrepreneurs and investors throughout the summer and fall to hear their stories and learn more about starting and running a company, and the fundamentals of investing.

Apply here now!