IVCA Invitational

The IVCA Foundation's 2026 Invitational brought together leaders from Illinois's private equity, venture capital, private credit, and advisory communities for a memorable day of networking, competition, and philanthropy at the historic Olympia Fields Country Club.

The Invitational continues to serve as the Foundation's premier fundraising event, bringing together investors, limited partners, lenders, advisors, and industry partners committed to strengthening Illinois's investment ecosystem and supporting the next generation of industry leaders.

We extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors, golfer participants, volunteers, and Golf Committee members whose dedication and support made this year's event a tremendous success.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Champion Sponsors

• RSM US LLP

• Winston Taylor

Supporter Sponsor

• Wintrust Sponsor Finance

Mentor Sponsors

• Alvarez & Marsal

• Antares Capital

• Arbor Investments/The Purcell Company

• BakerHostetler

• BCG

• BMO

• Deloitte

• Eaton Partners

• EY

• Goldman Sachs

• Houlihan Lokey

• Katten

• Kayne Anderson

• Kirkland & Ellis

• Lockton

• McDermott, Will & Schulte

• Monroe Capital

• OCA Ventures

• Ocean M19

• O2 Sponsor Finance

• Plante Moran

• PPC

• Twin Brook Capital Partners

• Vokal

Friend Sponsor

•  Simon Compliance

Contest Sponsor

•  Lincoln International

Thank You to Our Investor Foursomes

A special thank you to the investment firms that participated in this year's Invitational:

• 50 South Capital

• ARCH Venture Partners

• Avathon Capital

• Baird Capital

• CIBC

• Frontenac

• Listen Ventures

• May River Capital

• Mid Oaks Investments

• Prairie Capital

• Sandbox Industries

• Shore Capital Partners

• Thoma Bravo

• The Vistria Group

• Water Street Healthcare Partners

Your participation helped make the Invitational a premier gathering of Illinois' private markets community while supporting the mission of the IVCA Foundation.

Thank You to the Golf Committee

The success of the Invitational would not have been possible without the leadership, planning, and enthusiasm of our Golf Committee. We are grateful for their commitment to the Foundation and our mission.

• Kaitlyn Desai - Chair, PPC

• Walter Florence, Frontenac

• Chris Killackey, Prairie Capital 

• Adam Kleffner, The Vistria Group

• Rocco Martino, OceanM19

• Jeff Piper, Semper Fi Partners

• Christie Pruyn, IVCA | IVCA Foundation

• Shoshana Vernick, Avathon Capital 

Investing in the Future

Proceeds from the Invitational support the IVCA Foundation's mission to increase access to careers in private equity and venture capital, particularly for talented students who may have limited exposure to the industry. Through the IVCA Scholars Program, the Foundation provides students with industry education, mentorship, professional networking opportunities, and hands-on exposure to careers in private markets, helping build a stronger and more inclusive talent pipeline for Illinois's investment community.

Thank you to everyone who participated in making the 2026 IVCA Invitational such a success. We are grateful for your support and look forward to continuing this important work together. Stay tuned for more information on the 2027 IVCA Invitational.