Nick Arnett

Nick Arnett is a Partner at the 1517 Fund, a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in early-stage founders, particularly those from unconventional backgrounds such as dropouts and deep-tech scientists. He has been with the 1517 Fund since March 2017, initially serving as a Principal before being promoted to Partner in March 2023. The firm is known for backing innovative teams and projects that operate outside traditional institutional frameworks.

Arnett's professional background includes founding and directing the WayPaver Foundation, which aimed to tackle significant global challenges through sustainable lunar settlement initiatives, from 2014 to 2019. He also worked as the Summit Community Development Manager at The Thiel Foundation, where he managed a network of young entrepreneurs and visionaries from 2012 to 2015. Additionally, he founded the Twelve Cities Project, a nonprofit focused on studying entrepreneurial ecosystems across the U.S., and has held various roles in community development and urban gardening initiatives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.12