The Academies: Career Exploration for VC & PE Aspirants
Preparing for YourNext Career Pivot
Imagine being part of an investment team sourcing deals across different business sectors, speaking with dynamic startup founders, and supporting portfolio companies in scaling their teams and market connections.
Our 1 day remote-hosted Academies bring together startup founders and VC/PE leaders to interact with MBA students. TalentMBA partners with Wall Street Prep in delivering “best in class” financial training for both Academies.
Costing less than most MBA textbooks, the student fee for attending an Academy cohort is $179.* Typically, the cost of the financial modeling class alone is more than 5x that amount if a student registers individually without school sponsorship.
TalentMBA Venture Capital (VC) Academy
TalentMBA’s VC Academy is for MBA students who are VC-curious–probably looking at VC as a career lane right after the MBA, or perhaps as a longer-term destination that includes other career steps along the way.
- VC Academy Day 1 is focused on venture capital topics with experts providing insights on how VC firms operate from identifying market opportunities for investing to collaborating with founders on strategic scaling decisions.
- VC Academy Beyond Day 1 is self-paced online training on financial modeling skills specific to cap tables and business valuation.
TalentMBA Private Equity (PE) Academy
If you’re seeking a possible career in private equity, then the TalentMBA PE Academy offers a focus on learning about leveraged buyouts and getting access to a network of private equity professionals!
- PE Academy Day 1 launches your learning of the PE industry directly from experts in that industry. Key topics include due diligence of buying companies and operating companies, improving them and selling them at a profit.
- PE Academy Beyond Day 1 is all about the numbers and the financial skills for LBO modeling through self-paced online training.
Start your journey with TalentMBA’s VC or PE Academy by submitting an inquiry form on our MBA Students page that generates instructions for creating a profile on the TalentMBA platform. All students on the platform will be notified automatically when applications for the new cohorts begin.
* Special group rates can be offered for business schools that partner with TalentMBA in reserving a group of seats for their students.
VC Academy
Cohort 5: November 6, 2026
VC Academy Application Cycle Opens September 15, 2026
PE Academy
Cohort 6: February 2027 Dates TBA
What Students SayAbout VC & PE Academy
“The VC Academy program spread over two days is power packed and is truly a crash course of the knowledge you would gain over a semester when taking any other course. The presenters provide direct example from the industry which increases relatability and understanding of applications supplemented by problem solving during the session. The network one forms through enrolling for the program is an added bonus.”
MBA Candidate 2026, School of Management-Yale
“Attending the VC Academy was a great opportunity for me to network with current startup founders and hear their unique stories of entrepreneurship. It also helped build out my finance knowledge specifically in the VC space.” MBA Candidate 2026, Owen Graduate School of Management-Vanderbilt
“As a first‑year MBA with a curiosity for private equity, this learning feels like a clear‑cut map through a dense forest. I enjoyed the way our LBO instructor demystified the process of deal flows, LBO and capital structure with depth. ” MBA Candidate 2027, Herbert Business School-University of Miami
