Hugo Van Vuuren

Hugo Van Vuuren is a South African American entrepreneur and investor, born in 1984. He is currently a Board Member at the Parachute Project, a nonprofit organization that assists immigrants in navigating the complexities of securing employment in the U.S. through cap-exempt H-1B visas.

Education and Early Career

Van Vuuren began his studies at Harvard University in 2003, earning a BA in Economics in 2007, followed by a master's degree in Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2012. During his time at Harvard, he was involved in various innovative projects, including co-developing off-grid microbial fuel cells for sub-Saharan Africa and serving as the founding director of ArtScience Labs, an interdisciplinary platform for experimentation in the arts and sciences.12

Professional Ventures

He co-founded Work-Bench, an early-stage enterprise technology venture fund, and the Experiment Fund, which supports student startups at Harvard. His investment efforts have included backing notable companies such as Kensho and Philo. In 2014, he also co-founded Xfund, which focuses on supporting technically skilled entrepreneurs with a liberal arts background.12

Current Role

At the Parachute Project, Van Vuuren leverages his extensive experience in entrepreneurship and investment to help immigrants secure employment opportunities in the U.S. His passion for supporting immigrant founders is evident in his involvement with various initiatives aimed at facilitating their integration into the tech ecosystem.34

In addition to his work with the Parachute Project, he is known for his contributions to the entrepreneurial community and has been recognized as a TED Fellow.2