We’re excited to have Rachel Braun and Emily Elia join us for the first part of 2021 as Venture Fellows. As Fellows, they will be involved in all aspects of the venture investment and fund management process. Rachel and Emily will source startups, take meetings with partners, and research markets, among other things.

‍Rachel graduated from Penn State where she studied Information Sciences & Technology, and Security Risk Analysis. At Penn State, Rachel was a research assistant in the disability department, assisting in the creation of learning technology for those in the blind community. Rachel has also spent time as a Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs as an Operations Analyst in their Investment Banking division. Rachel has also assisted with growth at several startups, including Solve Tomorrow, which helps college students in finding jobs and internships. Rachel found her passion for startups and venture capital from the student-run VC club, Happy Valley Capital. Their role at Penn State is to educate, mentor, and connect students to opportunities in the world of startups. In the future, Rachel hopes to give back to the HVC community by mentoring students interested in startups and VC.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys running her podcast Braun & Brains, volunteering with the Naval Academy as a sponsor, walking in nature, and reading. Rachel's favorite books from 2020 were The Defining Decade, Talking to Strangers, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Park Avenue Summer. Give her a shout at rbraun@dynamo.vc to chat about your startup!

Emily recently graduated from the University of Florida where she studied computer science and entrepreneurship. She just wrapped up a fellowship at New Stack Ventures in Chicago, where she analyzed how COVID-19 is affecting the future of marketplaces. Emily has previous experience as a Venture Scout at the Wiress, a Data Science Intern at Knack, and a Research Assistant at the University of Florida’s Graphics, Imaging, and Light Measurement Lab. Emily got her first taste of the startup ecosystem at the University of Florida’s Entrepreneurship Center and at UF’s Engineering Leadership Institute. At these places, she got to learn about the impact that new, innovative technology has on the market and how successful founders have gone from idea to IPO.

In her free time Emily enjoys exercising, writing, playing and coaching volleyball, painting, photography, and reading; she is currently reading and loving The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design. If you want to talk shop, introduce yourself at eelia@dynamo.vc.

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The Dynamo Venture Fellows Program is 6 months long and provides college graduates with exposure to startups, supply chain and mobility, and the venture capital ecosystem. Fellows are exposed to every aspect of venture capital including but not limited to sourcing, research, decision making, and post-investment support. We will work with the Fellows to find a role post-program in venture capital, startups, or whatever their interest might be. We believe it’s a unique way to support the development of the ecosystem and are excited to improve the program in the coming months. If you’re interested in the program, send us a note to hello@dynamo.vc.