SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - University of San Francisco Athletics and the 25V Diversity Fund, of Twenty Five Ventures, are pleased to announce a historic, multi-year partnership. Over the next several years, the 25V Diversity Fund and its series of funds will sponsor women's and men's NCAA Division I athletic events, including soccer, volleyball, baseball and basketball games in broadcast, digital and social media.
The 25V Diversity Fund logo will be displayed at most USF sporting events and its message heard on local and national broadcasts. 25V's goal with this sponsorship is to promote diversity, equity and inclusion via its newly minted venture fund—and to demonstrate the value of investing in startups founded by Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ+ and/or women entrepreneurs.
Maximillian Diez, the founder and chief executive officer at Twenty Five Ventures, is an alumnus of the University of San Francisco.
"It has always been a dream of mine to give back to USF," said Diez. "The idea of coming back to the gym where I spent many of my formative years just made sense to me. The Dons exemplify the best of teamwork, diversity and optimism—all of which align with our core values."
"Maximillian has been a Dons fan since 1997, when he attended USF games with friend and mentor Arthur Zief, USF alumnus and benefactor," added Frank Allocco, University of San Francisco Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director.
In addition to this sponsorship, Diez will continue to serve on the executive advisory board for the university's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. A 25V managing partner will also lead other initiatives at the university aimed at empowering and guiding the next generation of thought leaders.
"We're proud to partner with the University of San Francisco, a world-class academic institution that has been synonymous with winning and inclusion," said Diez. "We're excited to begin our work together to grow, educate and build our communities."
ABOUT TWENTY FIVE VENTURES:
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Twenty Five Ventures is led by Maximillian Diez, a 44-year-old Filipino American entrepreneur-turned-venture-capitalist. Diez is an investment, real estate, and proptech veteran and managed the family fund for the late Arthur C. Zief, a prominent San Francisco attorney, when he was just 20. Since then, Max has held early successful roles at Redfin and UpNest, and more recently, he served on the executive team that completed a buyout of the US-based Movoto—which was acquired within two years.
Diez is joined by managing partners; Alexandra Tieu, a Vietnamese-born investor with an impressive background as a real estate, prop tech, and legal tech executive; where she held executive roles at Keller Williams, Movoto, Propy, Brevitas, and JLG Lawyers. EJ Pineda, a Salvadoran American who is a seasoned real estate technology leader who has held leadership roles at Redfin, UpNest, and Movoto.
