Getting Exposure
Ben Schroeder came to DePauw on the recommendation of a family member who graduated in the 1980s. Having just completed his sophomore year, Schroeder is preparing to return to Indiana in late May for a summer-long internship at Founders Mosaic, a small private equity firm with a long-standing relationship with DePauw and the Management Fellows Program.
A West Coast Opportunity
In spring 2025, Schroeder traveled to California for a unique co-curricular experience with North Bay Angels (NBA), an angel investor group based north of San Francisco. The opportunity was facilitated by NBA member Michele Chaboudy ’69 and organized as a “micro-internship.”
How It Came About
Chaboudy had heard about DePauw’s launch of the School of Business and Leadership and reached out to Dean John Clarke. Inspired to reconnect, she traveled to Greencastle — her first visit back in years — and after spending time on campus, proposed the idea of a micro-internship. Her goal: to connect a DePauw student with the North Bay Angels and provide a firsthand look at early-stage investment evaluation.
The Micro-Internship
North Bay Angels conducts a seasonal pitch cycle during which startup founders present to a panel of investors. Schroeder and Dean Clarke were invited to observe the first round of the spring cycle, which featured five companies — all with environmental or ecological missions — presenting 30-minute pitches via Zoom.
Following the initial session, Schroeder and Clarke discussed each presentation and considered the investors’ likely perspectives. From that group, NBA narrowed the list to two or three startups to move forward to an in-person event where founders would pitch to a larger investor audience.
Schroeder was invited by Chaboudy and Lance Cotterell to attend that event in person.
“I flew to California, drove around for a few hours with Michelle and learned about her experiences,” he says. “Then we went to the pitch presentation where I had the chance to network with investors, listen to the pitches, and see the process play out.”
Major: Finance
Hometown: Sherborn, Mass.
Campus Involvement: Management Fellows, Investment Club, Admissions Liaison
Class: 2027
Other: Founders Mosaic Intern
