School of Business launches partnership with Keiretsu Forum by hosting Investor Capital Expo

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Keiretsu Forum presentation on Atlanta campus

ATLANTA – Mercer University hosted more than 100 investors and guests at the Keiretsu Forum’s 10th annual Investor Capital Expo held Nov. 16-18 on the Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta. 

The Keiretsu Forum met for two days, with day one focusing on investors and companies looking for investments, while day two provided time for Mercer students, faculty and staff to meet with forum members and investors.

“Hosting this event was a great way to start our partnership with Keiretsu Forum,” said Dr. Julie Petherbridge, dean of Mercer’s School of Business. “Faculty and students were able to network and learn from the pitches and members. We look forward to enhancing our partnership this spring with students working on the due diligence teams. What better way to learn what is needed to fund your business endeavor than by working on others.”

Keiretsu Forum is a worldwide network of capital, resources and deal flow with 55 chapters on four continents. Members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities.

The forum is the most active angel group across the U.S, as reported by the Angel Resource Institute’s most recent 2021 HALO Report. Last year marked the most capital ever invested in Seed and Series A deals, representing a 29% year-over-year increase.

The Keiretsu Forum Atlanta Chapter is just seven years old and is experiencing tremendous growth. As noted in the HALO Report, Keiretsu Forum South-East is the second largest in total company funding, growing steadily yearly, which was cited as a primary reason for bringing an investor expo of this size and caliber to the region.  

“The Investor Capital Expo is the premier gathering of the angel capital community and was created to foster collaboration among angel groups, family offices, venture capitalists and independent investors active in early-stage opportunities. It also provides a platform to showcase the best of the companies and leadership teams that are actively funding,” said Howard Lubert, area president of Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic and South-East.

About Keiretsu Forum

Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. Founded 23 years ago by Randy Williams, Keiretsu Forum today is a worldwide network of capital, resources and deal flow with more than 50 chapters on four continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. To date it has invested over $1 billion in more than 2,000 companies.

About the School of Business

Established in 1984, Mercer’s School of Business is named for Eugene W. Stetson, a 1901 Mercer graduate and business pioneer who leveraged the first major buyout in corporate history, and his grandson Robert F. (Bob) Hatcher, a Macon businessman, longtime supporter, trustee and former board chair for the University. Over the past 80 years, Mercer has granted over 12,000 business degrees, and many of its graduates hold senior leadership positions in companies around the world. Mercer’s business school delivers career-focused business education in order to develop innovative leaders who are responsible global citizens. It holds accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which places it among the top five percent of all top business schools worldwide. Mercer’s business school has been recognized by The Princeton Review for “Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students” and “Greatest Opportunity for Women” as well as being one of its “Best Business Schools.” In addition, it has been recognized among the “Top 15 Schools in the Nation for Marketing and Accounting.” The School offers the following programs: Atlanta (Evening and Online BBA, Full-Time (Day) MBA, Evening MBA, Online MBA, Master of Accountancy, M.S. in Business Analytics), Macon (Traditional BBA, Evening MBA, Health Care MBA, and Innovation MBA), Henry County (Evening BBA). For more information, visit business.mercer.edu.

Featured photo courtesy Julie Petherbridge