The faculty of business administration at UNB Fredericton has a new investment fund program thanks to Charles 'Chuck' Fraser (BBA’68).
The retired wealth manager returned to UNB to celebrate his 50th reunion at Homecoming 2018. After visiting with the Dean of Management, Dev Mitra, and meeting fourth-year BBA student Herbert Bempah, he was intrigued with the faculty’s strengths in entrepreneurship and finance and wondered how he could give back to the university that launched his career.
After further discussions with Mitra, Fraser agreed to establish the Fraser Student Venture Fund with a gift of $320,000. This fund will give students the opportunity to research and analyze businesses that are in the start-up stage of development. Once selected for investment, these start-ups will then be ready for further development.
Fraser is a long-time donor to UNB and wanted the gift that marked his 50th reunion to have a lasting impact.
“The primary objective of this program is to support and develop the natural entrepreneurial spirit within the management faculty,” says Fraser. “In turn, I see this fund eventually helping UNB play a more supportive role in the province’s economic growth.”
“It is also my hope that this fund inspires others to give – either to this project or to another area of interest,” he adds.
The Fraser Student Venture Fund program will build on the faculty’s existing strengths in the areas of student investment and entrepreneurship.
“The BBA program’s concentration in entrepreneurship is one of the most popular specializations among students and our Student Investment Fund (SIF) program has gained recognition across the country,” says Mitra. “The Fraser Student Venture Fund is the next step in enhancing the entrepreneurial finance experience of our students.”
The Fraser Student Venture Fund program will play an important role in advancing UNB’s mission to provide more experiential learning opportunities for students. Visit unb.ca/donate to support the program.
If you would like more information about the Fraser Student Venture Fund, contact UNB’s Office of Development and Donor Relations at 506-453-5053 or devdr@unb.ca.
Photo caption: Chuck Fraser (centre, BBA'68) joined his 50th reunion classmates Duncan MacDonald (BBA'68) and David Christie (BA'68, LLB'73) at Homecoming 2018.
