Zach Ellis

Zach Ellis, Jr. is an experienced professional currently serving as a Lecturer at Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business, where a course on venture capital financing for high growth businesses is taught. As Founder and Managing Partner of South Loop Ventures and Advisory Board Member of The BFM Fund, Zach Ellis focuses on investing in Black-led and innovative U.S. ventures. Additionally, Zach Ellis acts as a mentor for both Techstars and Plug and Play Tech Center. Previous roles include Managing Director at Rev1 Ventures, Director of New Ventures at The Ohio State University, Manager of PepsiCo Technology Ventures, Licensing Associate at Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and Associate Partner/Senior Consultant at Gallup. Educational credentials include a Bachelor's Degree from the United States Naval Academy, a Master's Degree in Biotechnology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.