Meet the NYC Venture Capital Internship Alumni: Ron Kullashi

I’ve always loved finance and numbers, but what pulled me in deeper was the people. The founders who build businesses and carve out entirely new markets, often in the face of doubt and skepticism from everyone around them. There’s something magnetic about that kind of conviction. So when I came across the opportunity to intern and immerse myself in venture capital, I applied without a second thought.

From the very beginning, the experience was warm and welcoming. The Reign Ventures team took me in, made me feel like part of the group, and trusted me with relevant, meaningful work rather than busywork. That alone shaped how much I was able to learn.

My time at Reign has been nothing short of eye-opening. From learning how to give thoughtful criticism and advice to founders, to seeing firsthand how funds are actually built and how capital gets raised, my entire perspective on the buy-side of finance has shifted. I got to witness the social and personal dimensions of venture that I’d only ever heard about, the relationships, the trust, and the human judgment behind every decision, but had never truly experienced until now.

One of the things I value most is the perspective I’ve gained on fundraising. People my age will always be drawn to the buy-side and to venture because of the lucrative upside. But what I’ve come to realize is that you are only as good as the money you can raise. The trust you build with your LPs compounds more than any single investment ever will, and that is where the real skill lives.

Being part of the NYC VC Internship Program cohort added a whole other layer to that. It exposed me to the different voices and personalities that make up this industry and taught me something I hadn’t fully appreciated before: Venture isn’t a one-personality-fits-all space. There’s no single mold you have to fit. Whether you’re analytical, relationship-driven, contrarian, or somewhere in between, there’s a seat at the table. Venture is a space for everyone.

I leave this experience more curious and more certain than when I started, and excited to keep building on what I’ve learned.