Wharton Entrepreneurship held an on-campus screening last month of the documentary film Something Ventured at Wharton | San Francisco. The documentary tells the story of the creation of the venture capital industry and how it went on to become the “single greatest engine of innovation and economic growth in the 20th century.”
Ashmeet Sidana, WG’03, general partner at the Menlo Park, CA-based venture capital firm Foundation Capital, hosted the evening and led a pre- and post-screening discussion.
“Who was the first venture capitalist?” Sidana asked the audience before the screening began.
Ashmeet Sidana, WG’03
Responses included Queen Isabella, and from there the discussion turned to American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC), founded in 1946 by George Doriot, known as the “father of venture capitalism.”
Ashmeet engaged the audience in a thought-provoking discussion before and after the film. The conversation included his insights about current trends in the venture capital industry and the evolving relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
The movie is a must-see for anyone who is interested in learning the history of Silicon Valley and how it has become one of the great innovation engines in modern times.
Something Ventured was conceived by Paul Holland, general partner at Foundation Capital, and co-produced by Holland and Molly Davis of Rainmaker Communications. Emmy-Award-winning filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine directed it.
Editor’s note: This post first appeared on Wharton’s Entrepreneurship Blog on Aug. 31, 2012.
