28 Mar Summit Speaker CiCi Bellis Credits IU education for Facilitating Transition from Professional Tennis Player to Venture Capitalist
It might be hard to imagine exactly how a professional tennis player might pivot into becoming a respected venture capitalist. The answer? Education. An Indiana University education, to be exact. That’s the pathway that allowed CiCi Bellis to change her job description from professional tennis player to founder of Cartan Capital, a venture capital firm focused on the intersection of health and sports.
“IU was a way for me to pivot from my career in professional tennis and start a whole new path,” she explained. “I would have never been able to get into the VC world without the knowledge I gained during my undergrad degree, and the support I felt was amazing.”
During the Venture Summit, on May 17, Bellis will be part of a panel with other venture capitalists who will share their tips, strategies and inspirations for startup founders to manage through a VC funding downturn. She’ll be joined on the panel by fellow IU alum and VC leader Justin Delaney, co-founder of Wabi Capital, and Rachel Stillman, chief of staff at Transcarent and Vice President at 7wireVentures.
“I am excited to chat about how entrepreneurs can get gritty during this time, and become stronger in the long run,” said Bellis. “I will also highlight bridge rounds, and thought processes around raising capital during this time.”
Bellis earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on Finance and Entrepreneurship from IU before going on to complete her MBA. Alongside her academic achievements, she had a successful background as a professional athlete, competing at the highest level in tennis, and reaching #35 in the world on the WTA tour.
Bellis’s background as a professional athlete has influenced her life and work, where she took her approach to her athletic career into her career as a venture capitalist.
“I was known to be one of the hardest workers on the tennis tour with great git and determination,” she said. “I definitely put the same amount (or more) hours into my firm as I did into my tennis career, and can draw a lot of synergies and crossover.
She started Cartan Capital in July 2023 after working in venture capital for four years, starting in an analyst role and working her way up to leading all deal flow operations for her previous firm. It was a long term goal of hers to start her own firm.
“We are seeing some great innovation in sports data and analytics, wearable devices, at home healthcare/monitoring, and sports betting solutions,” she said. “I am excited to see more innovation in longevity, fan engagement, preventative healthcare, and sports performance.”
Bellis became involved with IU Ventures several years ago, when Jason Whitney, chief venture officer for IU Ventures and executive director of the IU Angel Network, reached out because of her IU background. Today, she engages with team members every few weeks to share deal flow, chat about market conditions, and collaborate on investment opportunities and diligence.
This will be Bellis’s first time attending and speaking at the IU Founders & Funders Network Venture Summit and she is excited to be coming back to IU.
“I’m excited to see my favorite people from IU and IU Ventures, and get a chance to hang out on campus again,” she said. “Even though my degree was completely online, I felt such a sense of community and inclusiveness from my time at IU, and I definitely miss that aspect.”
Bellis’s top piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to trust in their abilities and stay resilient, since it’s often the most resilient entrepreneurs who emerge victorious in the long run.
“In the volatile landscape of startups (and current market conditions), setbacks are inevitable,” she explained. “Embrace failures as learning opportunities, pivot when necessary, and maintain unwavering determination. Adaptability and perseverance are the skeletons of success in entrepreneurship. Stay committed to your vision, iterate quickly, and seek feedback relentlessly. Remember, it’s not about avoiding obstacles but about how you navigate through them.”
Registration for the Summit, which is limited to 250 attendees, is now open on the IU Ventures website. Registration is $100 and includes all Summit programming and networking opportunities.