For Entrepreneurs

Opportunity Profile

Entrepreneurs interested in applying for funding should keep in mind the following investee profile preferences:

Early and Seed stage companies
Strong management team
Large or fast growing market
Proprietary or innovative product or service with a scalable business model
Preferably based in the Midwest (but not exclusively)

Harvard affiliation is not a prerequisite for application for funding.

Application Process

To submit your venture for funding consideration:

Please visit our Gust.com site at and complete the online funding application: APPLY
A screening process will be performed by the Screening Committee.
Promising companies with a good potential fit are invited to meet with members of the screening committee.
Screening committee chooses which companies are to present at our next quarterly dinner meeting.
Presenting companies are given the opportunity to present their ventures to our membership, followed by a question and answer session.
We review applications as part of a quarterly opportunity screening process. Quarterly application deadlines for 2024 are:
- Q1: December 31 (2023)
- Q2: March 15
- Q3: June 21
- Q4: September 6

Please note that there is a $50 processing fee for each application. We apologize for imposing an application fee. The fee is not in any way intended to generate revenue from entrepreneurs. Rather, it is a mechanism to prevent large quantities of submissions by applicants having a poor fit with our criteria, thereby hindering our ability to identify quality applicants. This application fee is the only fee we charge throughout our process. We encourage you to network with one of our members to get a warm introduction to our organization.

Apply for Funding