07 Jan Eric Tobias, partner at High Alpha, Speaks to Students in IU’s CEO Club
IU students recently gathered at the IU Innovates/VonLee Entrepreneurship Center to listen to a fireside chat with Eric Tobias, a co-partner and operating partner at High Alpha, an Indianapolis-based venture firm.
The event was a partnership between Indiana University’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, IU Innovates, and IU Ventures’ Founders and Funders Network Fireside Chat series. The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO Club) is IU’s largest entrepreneurship organization dedicated to empowering members with professional, valuable information in an innovative, intuitive way.
Tobias discussed his time as a student at Indiana University, his first start up batteries.com, and how, as an investor, he assesses new investment opportunities. He also shared advice for students on how to select a co-founder and how important it is to constantly assess the problem a startup is trying to address.
“This is what makes entrepreneurship at IU special,” said Isaiah “Izzy” Branam, one of the CEO Club student leaders, reflecting on the event. “These personal interactions with accomplished entrepreneurs and investors like Eric don’t just provide practical insights—they expand what’s possible and inspire us to think bigger.”
The students weren’t the only ones to find value in the event. Tobias, a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, enjoyed the opportunity to speak with IU’s current students.
“The opportunity to witness IU Innovates first-hand, to connect with IU student entrepreneurs, and to experience their enthusiasm and passion, along with the growth of IU’s entrepreneurial support system, was incredibly exciting,” said Tobias.