Michael Collins

CEO of Alumni Ventures

CEO
2014 - Current
Alumni Ventures Group creates and manages alumni venture capital funds. Our core philosophy is based on a simple idea: alums do better investing together than alone. Our process makes assembling a VC portfolio simple, fun, and educational for our investors. Our funds are private, for profit, and not affiliated with their respective schools. AVG is one of the most active VC firms in the world.

Fund Manager
2014 - 2018
Green D Ventures is a community of accredited Dartmouth alums who pool money into a VC fund to invest in Dartmouth-connected companies. We are private, for profit, ROI driven, and not part of Dartmouth College. We create a diverse portfolio for our investors, following in smart leads and investing over industry, stage, and geography. Our goal is to raise a fund each year that benefits entrepreneurs, the school's ecosystem, and of course our investors. If you're a Dartmouth alum who wants to learn more about investing with Green D--or have a Dartmouth-connected deal--please contact me. You can also visit our website at www.av.vc. Current investments include: BinaryVR, Blade Financial, Clear Ballot, CloudApp, Compass Therapeutics, Conversica, EnergySavvy, EverQuote, FINSix, Florence Healthcare, Groups, Hillflint, Homepolish, Iris Plans, ISOThrive, Koru, Kuvee, Lish, Madison Reed, Particle, Pelvalon, RevolutionCredit, Rinse, Sapho, Sighten, SparkFund, Tulip, Vestmark, Whistle (successful exit), and Wootric.

Founder & CEO
2000 - 2015
Big Idea Group was an incubator that helped launched dozens of new products and businesses--including Alumni Ventures. BIG was partially bought by WPP, one of the world’s largest advertising and public relations holding companies.

President
1994 - 1995
Headed a new educational offshoot of Pleasant Co. (maker of American Girl dolls). Short stint, but amazing experience into a company that lived and breathed quality. Pleasant Co. was eventually sold to Mattel.

Analyst, Associate
1986 - 1990
My first real job was at this powerhouse of Boston private equity, identifying and vetting companies to invest in. There were vital lessons I learned here about how to assess businesses quickly and intelligently. I loved the experience and worked with amazing people like Brian Conway, Richard Tadler, Jacqueline Morby, and Kevin Landry. But it confirmed that I wanted to be on the other end: starting businesses.