Executives atop Harvard University’s $51 billion endowment made an unusual tour of Silicon Valley last week to try to smooth relationships with top venture-capital investors. Some have been upset at the university’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Some of the venture-capital executives who invest money for Harvard had pushed the endowment’s executives to try to get the university to address their concerns about what they viewed as Harvard’s weak response to the attacks and to antisemitism under former Harvard President Claudine Gay. …
The pressure by some of Harvard’s money managers, which hasn’t previously been reported, adds another dynamic to the tumult that has enveloped elite universities since the attacks on Israel.
[They may not be as vocal as Bill Ackman, but their displeasure is likely to have more impact. Harvard’s endowment needs careful managing and access to the higher returns that can be achieved through the VC industry. Apparently some of the leaders in the VC community have actively opposed allowing Harvard to participate in their funds under current conditions for Jewish students on campus, and Harvard wants to woo them back. Hopefully they stick to their guns and force some real change in both the Harvard Corporation and in the university. — Ed]
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