# Otterbein University Endowment Fund

Otterbein University Endowment Fund is an Endowment / Foundation based in Westerville, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Westerville, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Westerville, Ohio, United States
- **Founded:** 2023
- **Assets under management:** $128M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** otterbein.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/otterbein-university/

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Otterbein University Endowment Fund was formally established in 2023 to consolidate and invest gifts in support of perpetual income for the university. President John Comerford and CFO Jeff Nutter oversee the fund's operations from Westerville, Ohio, with financial governance provided by trustee Peter Bible, who chairs the Financial Resources Committee, and by a board led by William E. Harrell, Jr. Its predecessor assets and pooled gifts fund scholarships, academic programs, and faculty positions across the liberal arts campus. The fund pursues a multi-asset strategy spanning distressed debt, natural resources, fund-of-funds commitments, and direct venture allocations. Its most distinctive exposure comes through limited-partner stakes in Flyover Capital Tech Fund I LP and Flyover Capital Tech Fund II LP — Kansas City-based vehicles managed by Thad Langford and Keith Molzer. Martin Bicknell, CEO of Mariner Wealth Advisors, co-invests alongside those funds via 1248 Holdings. On the real-assets side, the university retains ownership of commercial properties including The Point at Otterbein, a mixed-use development at 60 Collegeview Road, and the Otterbein University Rolling Green Fund, a dedicated real estate vehicle. The endowment operates within a network of industry and educational alliances. It participates in NACUBO, the sector's primary benchmarking body, and belongs to the Coalition for the Common Good, a national consortium of private non-profit universities that includes Antioch University. Otterbein's endowment stands out for embedding venture-capital exposure to Midcontinent technology companies within a traditional college pool. Rather than relying exclusively on standard consultant-driven portfolios, it has partnered directly with Flyover Capital — a regionally focused firm with deep ties to Kansas City's entrepreneurial ecosystem — making its structure unusual among small-liberal-arts endowments of comparable size.

## Sectors

- Distressed Debt
- Fund of Funds
- Natural Resources
- Venture Capital
- Real Estate

## People

- John Comerford — President of Otterbein University
- Jeff Nutter — Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Business Affairs
- Peter Bible — Trustee and Chair of the Financial Resources Committee
- William E. Harrell, Jr. — Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Mark Thresher — Former Chair of the Board of Trustees

## Questions

### How does Otterbein source its venture-capital exposure?

Rather than building an in-house direct-investment team, Otterbein commits capital as a limited partner to Flyover Capital's Tech Fund I and Tech Fund II. Flyover, based in Kansas City, is managed by Thad Langford and Keith Molzer and has attracted co-investment from Martin Bicknell's 1248 Holdings, the parent of Mariner Wealth Advisors. This gives the endowment exposure to early-stage technology companies in the Midwest and Plains states.

### What asset classes does the endowment target?

The fund allocates across distressed debt, natural resources, fund-of-funds structures, venture capital, and real estate. Its real estate holdings include campus-adjacent commercial properties like The Point at Otterbein and the Otterbein University Rolling Green Fund. The distressed and natural-resources sleeves suggest a total-return orientation alongside the growth-oriented venture commitments.

### Is the endowment affiliated with any broader university networks?

Yes. Otterbein is a member of the Coalition for the Common Good, a national system of private, non-profit universities formed with Antioch University. The endowment also participates in NACUBO, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, which is the standard benchmarking and advocacy body for higher-education endowments in the United States.

## Related profiles

- [BCPREVI](https://altss.com/profile/bcprevi)
- [Alcoa Corporate Pension](https://altss.com/profile/alcoa-corporate-pension)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/otterbein-university-endowment-fund

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