Our History

Brought to Kansas City in 2017 by Royal Street Ventures, University Venture Fund Crossroads started as a private scholarship program designed to bring together a diverse group of students to learn the ins-and-outs of venture capital. This experiential learning program helped support regional venture firms and accelerators with our students performing due diligence, completing market analyses, and competitive landscapes, working with portfolio companies, and making investments.

Soon we saw the bigger picture and expanded the program to serve the broader community. After creating the University Venture Program–Crossroads, Inc. and obtaining its 501(c)(3) status, we began growing the education program to serve a larger number of students and accept applications from those at colleges and universities across a broader midwest region.

Over time, we’ve grown from our pilot cohort of 12 students to an annual cohort of 25+ students. For the 2025-2026 academic cohort, we accepted 30 students, ranging from undergraduate sophomores to law school students, hailing from 18 different academic disciplines and six universities.

Moving forward, per our strategic plan, we will add additional student cohorts per academic year, launch a summer program, and create a student-founder incubator that allows our students to assist early-stage founders with pitch mastery and capacity building.

University Venture Program – we’re doing exciting things and changing the face of entrepreneurship. One cohort at a time, we’ve opened the normally secrecy-shrouded world of venture capital and finance to a demographic of youth who would traditionally never have the opportunity to experience this industry.

Come along with us to create entrepreneurs and founders who know what it takes to succeed in the world of business. But sure to sign up for our newsletter to become a part of our support network and community.