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University of Akron Foundation
The University of Akron Foundation was incorporated in 1966 as a 501(c)(3) to receive and administer gifts supporting the university's students and faculty.
University of Akron Foundation
The University of Akron Foundation was incorporated in 1966 as a 501(c)(3) to receive and administer gifts supporting the university's students and faculty. Kim Cole leads the foundation as Executive Director and Vice President of Advancement. Its board includes Valmark Financial Group CEO Larry Rybka and NCR Atleos Corp. Chairman Joseph Reece, embedding financial-services and public-company operating experience in its governance. The foundation blends traditional endowment management with an owner-operator posture toward physical campus assets — the Goodyear Polymer Center, the Akron Innovation Campus on Wolf Ledges Parkway, and several commercial properties in the city's Mill Street corridor. On the investment side, it targets early-stage and seed-stage companies through the ARCHAngels network, an investor group formed in partnership with the University of Akron Research Foundation. The network syndicates deals across the Ohio Angel Network and utilizes Angel Capital Association educational resources, with the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund acting as a co-investor on select rounds. Total foundation assets are not publicly disclosed. The portfolio spans venture, real estate, and buyout strategies with a geographic concentration in Northeast Ohio. The ARCHAngels deal-flow pipeline is managed through the University of Akron Research Foundation, where Senior Fellows Gordon Schorr and Barry Rosenbaum lead network operations. The John R. Buchtel Society and the 1870 Society function as adjacent philanthropic vehicles that cultivate the donor base feeding the foundation's AUM. What distinguishes the foundation structurally is its dual role as both a conventional university endowment and the sponsor of an active angel-investor network. ARCHAngels is not a passive LP vehicle; it is a member-driven network that sources, screens, and syndicates direct investments in early-stage companies, making the foundation a bridge between Akron's donor wealth and its technology-transfer ambitions.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1966
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Akron
Corporate office
Akron, OH, United States
Principals
Kim Cole
Executive Director, University of Akron Foundation and VP of Advancement
Larry Rybka
Board Member, University of Akron Foundation; CEO, Valmark Financial Group
Joseph Reece
Board Member, University of Akron Foundation; Chairman, NCR Atleos Corp.
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the University of Akron Foundation's relationship to the ARCHAngels network?
The foundation, through its partnership with the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), is a sponsor and operational partner of the ARCHAngels network. This member-driven group sources and syndicates direct investments in early-stage companies, primarily in the Northeast Ohio region. Its deal flow is managed by UARF Senior Fellows Gordon Schorr and Barry Rosenbaum.
Does the foundation invest directly in early-stage companies or only through fund commitments?
The foundation accesses early-stage investments directly through the ARCHAngels network, which acts as a syndicated angel group rather than a traditional fund-of-funds. It also participates in fund commitments, including the University of Akron Foundation Fund LP, and co-invests alongside vehicles such as the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund.
Who runs investment and governance decisions at the University of Akron Foundation?
Kim Cole serves as Executive Director and VP of Advancement, leading day-to-day operations and investment oversight. The board of directors includes Larry Rybka, CEO of Valmark Financial Group, and Joseph Reece, Chairman of NCR Atleos Corp., providing strategic governance and financial-sector expertise.
What real estate assets does the foundation control?
The foundation's portfolio includes the Goodyear Polymer Center, the Akron Innovation Campus at 411 and 441 Wolf Ledges Parkway, and several commercial and mixed-use properties along East Mill Street in downtown Akron, including the Radiator Rich Property and the Administrative Services Building.
How does the University of Akron Foundation source its donor capital?
Major donor cultivation runs through the John R. Buchtel Society, with eleven giving levels for annual contributors, and the 1870 Society for alumni and friends who include the university in their estate plans. The Women in Philanthropy committee broadens the donor base through targeted engagement.
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