Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

What Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association does

The Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (WPEVCAA, operating as WPEVC) is a member-supported nonprofit alumni organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. It aggregates more than 4,000 Wharton School and University of Pennsylvania alumni working in private equity and venture capital, including general partners, limited partners, family offices, and fund-of-funds managers. The organization's stated purpose is to foster connection, share best practices, improve member standing in the private investment industry, and bridge engagement between alumni and the Wharton School.

The organization operates an event- and membership-driven platform delivered through an AlumniMagnet-powered website (wpen.org). Core offerings include annual ($100) and three-year ($250) memberships, the Annual Alumni Forum & Dinner (~175 attendees), the CIO Alternative Investments Summit co-hosted with Kellogg Finance Network (~300 senior-level attendees), regional chapter networking dinners (Boston, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Denver, South Florida), and international chapter programming in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Riyadh. Member-facing services include a directory, job board, mentorship program with the Wharton MBA PE/VC Club, and the Wharton Women in PE & VC Initiative sub-brand. The platform is administered by an Executive Director (Jennifer Simons) with Co-Presidents Alina DiMeglio (WG'14) and Mark Solovy (L'96), and governed by a volunteer board with 70+ alumni volunteers.

Revenue is generated from three streams: recurring membership dues, recurring corporate sponsorships (e.g., Morgan Lewis, JM Search, WTW as annual sponsors), and one-time event revenue (CIO Summit tickets at $995-$1,295, Forum tickets at $175-$235, table sponsorships at $2,300, and chapter dinner fees). Inbound distribution is primarily word-of-mouth through the Wharton alumni network, supported by the official website, LinkedIn, email, and co-distribution through knowledge@Wharton. Service providers (investment bankers, placement agents, lawyers, consultants, accountants) are explicitly excluded from membership but may participate in select events.

Name

Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

Legal name

Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

Website

https://wpen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wharton PE & VC Association (WPEVC) is a 1998-founded nonprofit membership organization serving 4,000+ Wharton and UPenn alumni who invest in private equity and venture capital, offering subscriptions, networking events, a job board, mentorship, and corporate sponsorship programs globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association and Alumni Network

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Capital Introducers (PE/VC/Private Credit) (FSAEAMAE)

Keywords

• Alumni membership association
• Private equity networking
• Venture capital events
• Professional networking conferences
• Industry job board

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues providing access to member-only events, conferences, networking, job board, and member directory. Standard one-year and discounted three-year options available.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual corporate sponsors and event sponsors receive visibility and access to the network of 4,000+ Wharton PE & VC alumni investors. Sponsorship tiers include annual corporate sponsors and event-specific sponsors.
3. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for conferences, summits, and networking events. Includes member discounts and special bundles combining membership with event access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association is a membership-based nonprofit alumni organization that provides paid memberships, networking events and conferences, a member-only job board, and mentorship programs exclusively for Wharton and University of Pennsylvania alumni working in private equity, venture capital, and private alternatives investments. Members include general partners (GPs) and limited partners (LPs) across venture, growth equity, buyouts, real estate, take-privates, secondaries, family offices, and fund-of-funds.

Product overview

Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Alumni Association (WPEVCAA) is a membership-based professional organization rather than a software product company. The organization operates as a platform offering membership services, professional networking events, a job board, mentorship programs, and educational resources exclusively for Wharton and University of Pennsylvania alumni working in private equity, venture capital, and private alternatives investments. The core offerings include annual/threeship membership, curated networking events and conferences (including the annual Alumni Forum, CIO Summit, and regional chapter events), a member-only job board, mentorship matching with MBA students, the Women in PE & VC Initiative, and access to Wharton research and career development resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wharton Women in PE & VC Initiative: Initiative connecting Wharton and UPenn alumnae investing in private equity and venture capital by creating a confidential peer environment for open discussion, guidance, networking and best practice sharing.

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual and three-year memberships that grant access to networking events, conferences, the job board, mentorship programs, and member-only resources for Wharton/UPenn alumni working in private equity, venture capital, and private alternatives.
• Events and Conferences Networking dinners, the Annual Alumni Forum & Dinner, the CIO Alternative Investments Summit (300+ attendees), and chapter events in major cities globally for PE and VC professionals.
• Job Board Member-only job board providing access to job postings and the ability for firms to post positions targeting Wharton and UPenn alumni in private equity, venture capital, and private alternatives.
• Mentorship Program Partnership with the Wharton MBA PE/VC Club matching alumni mentors with second-year MBA students for career guidance and industry knowledge sharing.
• Member Directory Exclusive online directory enabling paid members to find and connect with other Wharton/UPenn alumni working in the PE and VC community.
• Wharton Women in PE & VC Initiative Sub-brand initiative connecting Wharton and UPenn alumnae in private equity and venture capital through a confidential peer environment for open discussion, guidance, networking, and best-practice sharing.
• Resources and Research Access Access to Wharton research, webinars, career development tools, and industry-specific resources curated for members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 Wharton and UPenn alumni investing in PE and VC worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Morgan Lewis (Annual Corporate Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMorgan Lewis serves as an annual corporate sponsor of WPEVC. The law firm represents a broad range of private equity sponsors and venture capital funds, providing legal counsel on acquisitions, financing, and exits. Contact: Kevin Shmelzer, Partner, Private Equity Practice.
• JM Search (Annual Corporate Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerJM Search is a leading retained executive search firm for private equity and growth-oriented organizations. Serves as annual corporate sponsor providing recruitment expertise and visibility to WPEVC members.
• WTW - Willis Towers Watson (Annual Corporate Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRisk advisory and consulting firm serving as annual corporate sponsor, providing insurance and risk management expertise visibility to the WPEVC network.
• Portal Ventures (Event Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPortal Ventures is a thematic investment firm that exclusively leads the first institutional round for blockchain startups. Sponsored the San Francisco GP/LP Dinner event.
• Kellogg Finance NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the annual CIO Alternative Investments Summit with WPEVC. The 13th annual summit was held December 5, 2024 at the New York Athletic Club, attracting 300+ senior-level investment decision makers.
• Harris Family Alternative Investments ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Wharton's Harris Family Alternative Investments Program for Alternative Investments Day events. The program, established in 2019 and funded by Josh Harris (26North founder, co-founder of Apollo Global Management), brings together alumni and industry experts.
• Chicago Private Equity NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts events with Chicago Private Equity Network to allow members and non-members to share ideas and source deals.
• Wharton Alumni Executive BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPEVC maintains engagement with the Wharton Alumni Executive Board for cross-alumni organization coordination.
• Blank Rome (Event Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlank Rome served as event sponsor for Alternative Investments Day 2024 in Philadelphia.
• Canaccord Genuity (Forum Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanaccord Genuity, an investment bank, served as forum sponsor for the 2024 Annual Alumni Forum & Dinner.
• Grant Thornton (Forum Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant Thornton, an audit and advisory firm, served as forum sponsor for the 2024 Annual Alumni Forum & Dinner.
• Pillsbury (Forum Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP served as forum sponsor for the 2024 Annual Alumni Forum & Dinner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Preqin: Leading alternative assets data and intelligence platform serving PE/VC LPs and GPs. Adjacent incumbent that interacts with the same institutional audience WPEVC serves at the CIO Summit, and competes for corporate sponsor mindshare.
• PEI Group: Global PE/VC media, data, and events company (formerly PEI Media) operating across the alternative investments industry. Broad incumbent offering publications, conferences (e.g., PERE, Private Equity International) that overlap with WPEVC's CIO Summit audience and corporate sponsor universe.

Direct peers

• Kellogg Finance Network: Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) alumni network for finance and PE/VC professionals. Confirmed direct co-host of WPEVC's CIO Alternative Investments Summit — directly comparable business-school alumni network with similar mission and event franchise.
• Columbia Business School Private Equity & Venture Capital Alumni Association: Columbia Business School alumni association for PE and VC professionals in NYC. Comparable membership-driven community serving PE/VC alumni with events, mentorship, and networking — direct competitor for NYC-based senior PE/VC talent.
• Chicago Private Equity Network: Midwest-focused PE professional community that is a confirmed WPEVC event co-host. Comparable model of regional events, networking dinners, and cross-school collaboration for deal sourcing and idea-sharing.
• Harvard Business School Private Equity Professional Network: HBS alumni network serving PE professionals with similar membership, events, and career programming. Most analogous competitor by scale and prestige; overlaps with WPEVC in institutional LP/GP audience and corporate sponsor universe.
• University of Chicago Booth School PE/VC Alumni Network: Booth (Chicago) alumni network for PE and VC professionals with strong Chicago chapter presence. Closely comparable peer given Booth's pipeline into PE/VC careers and shared Chicago Private Equity Network overlap.
• MIT Sloan School PE/VC Alumni Network: MIT Sloan alumni network serving PE and VC professionals, particularly strong in tech-focused and deep-tech investing. Comparable model of alumni-driven events, mentorship with current students, and chapter-based programming.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business PE/VC Alumni Network: Stanford GSB alumni network serving PE and VC professionals on the West Coast and globally. Closest competitor for senior PE/VC talent pipelines; comparable membership, events, and job-board model targeting a top-tier business school alumni base.

Emerging players

• HBS Alumni Angels: Harvard Business School alumni angel investing group that brings together alumni for early-stage investment and education. Comparable business-school alumni investment community model, but narrower scope (angel-stage only) than WPEVC's full PE/VC remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wharton-private-equity-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Association