Eaglebrook Alumnus, Julian Fialkow, Speaks to Students about Capital Risk

The first Hilly Chase Speaker Series of the 2022-2023 school year featured Julian Fialkow ’09. Julian is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder at 186 Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to backing founders and companies who have the potential to grow fast. The 186 Ventures name comes from the constant speed of light or 186,000 miles per second.

“My entrepreneurial career started at Eaglebrook,” he told the students, because Eaglebrook was where he learned the importance of teamwork. While he was working at Draft Kings, he met his eventual partner. A friendship blossomed, but it also became clear that the two of them drove each other to be better. An opportunity arose for them to move on from Draft Kings together, and they took it. 

Julian loves working in venture capital. He loves learning from people, taking calculated risks, and knowing that the risks do not always pan out as planned. “Most people understand that the best learning you get from life is from trying something, not achieving the outcome you planned for, and going back and having the confidence to do it again,” he told the crowd. “You need to be willing to fail,” he said. 

In his role at 186 Ventures, Julian is constantly looking for other entrepreneurs to partner with, which requires putting yourself out there, traveling,  and connecting with people you may never see more than once. “I think a lot of that for me came from my time at Eaglebrook, being away from my family, learning how to interact with people I had never met, and finding ways to see common ground even if we have two different backgrounds,” he explained. “I think Eaglebrook for me, and hopefully for you, provides the same level of value.” 

Watch Julian’s full presentation here, and listen to the podcast he recorded with Drake E.’24 after the presentation here.