About

The Cougar Venture Fund was created with generous support from the Jerome Robinson Family Fund for Graduate Entrepreneurship. Jerome Robinson was a successful business owner and prominent philanthropist in the city of Houston. He and his wife Minette were involved in many civic organizations including the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, the Jewish Community Center, and the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston. In recognition of his business success and civic engagement, he was honored in 1995 as an outstanding alumnus of the Bauer College of Business.

Why Bauer College?

The C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston is one of the nation’s leading business schools. As Houston’s most comprehensive business school — the only one in the city offering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business — Bauer prepares students for the competitive job market through courses that combine the fundamentals of a business degree along with specialty programs and interaction with industry professionals.

Our students gain a competitive edge and global perspective. Bauer’s home at UH in one of the world’s most global cities attracts students from nearly 70 countries — making it one of the most diverse business schools in the United States.

Why Cougar Venture Fund?

The Cougar Venture Fund follows the Bauer College’s tradition of combining classroom knowledge and hands-on experience. Students who take the graduate-level Venture Capital class will have an opportunity to review live deals and recommend action, based on their analysis, to the Cougar Venture Fund. Through this experience, students will learn about deal sourcing, due diligence, term sheet evaluation, portfolio management, and other crucial skills, thus positioning them for a career in the sectors of entrepreneurship, venture capital, or private equity.

If you’d like to learn more about the Cougar Venture Fund, please contact Kala Marathi at kmarathi@uh.edu