133 | The Investment Game Is Rigged… Here's How to Get On the Right Side of It with Mike Collins
What if the most powerful wealth-building investment on the planet has been deliberately kept out of reach, until now? In this episode of the Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast, host Patrick Lonergan sits down with Mike Collins, founder of Alumni Ventures, one of the most active venture capital firms in the United States, for a conversation that will fundamentally change the way entrepreneurs think about building and growing wealth. Mike brings over three decades of venture capital experience, starting at TA Associates in Boston in 1986, and has spent the last 12 years cracking open access to elite startup deals for everyday investors, the same deals backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Benchmark and making them available to a community of 25,000 individual investors through Alumni Ventures.
Patrick and Mike go deep on exactly how venture capital works, how it differs from private equity, and why a diversified portfolio of startups may actually be one of the most prudent moves an entrepreneur can make with their wealth. They unpack the explosive opportunities emerging right now in AI, defense tech, nuclear energy, and biotech drug discovery, and reveal why 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most target-rich environments for venture investing in a generation. Mike also shares the Alumni Ventures framework for evaluating deals, the tax advantages savvy investors are using, including QSBS, Roth IRA conversion strategies, and cash balance plan rollovers and why the illiquidity of venture capital is actually one of its greatest strengths for long-term wealth building. This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur serious about putting their money where the real value is being created.
Key Takeaways
* The best venture capital deals have historically been locked behind institutional access; Alumni Ventures pools capital from 25,000 individuals to co-invest alongside tier-one VCs like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Benchmark under the same terms
* A smart VC strategy targets a portfolio of approximately 100 companies built over 3–4 years - 5–10% of those investments can generate returns large enough to make the entire portfolio worthwhile
* Venture capital and private equity are fundamentally different, VC bets on early-stage growth companies while PE focuses on established businesses, leverage, and financial engineering
* Adding alternatives like venture capital to a portfolio reduces overall volatility and protects against the compounding damage that market drawdowns cause to long-term wealth
* The illiquidity of venture capital is a feature, not a flaw, it eliminates emotional short-term decision making and forces the patient, disciplined approach that actually builds generational wealth
* AI is just one of several exciting frontiers right now, nuclear energy, space communications, defense tech, and AI-driven drug discovery are all generating compelling venture opportunities in 2026
* Powerful tax strategies including QSBS (Section 1202), Roth IRA conversions on discounted private holdings, and cash balance plan rollovers can dramatically reduce or eliminate the tax burden on venture capital gains
* Alumni Ventures offers flexible entry points including diversified funds, sector-specific funds, and individual deal access so investors can participate at whatever level fits their goals and risk tolerance
* By the time a company goes public, the most explosive growth phase is already over; getting in early through venture capital means investing where value is actually being created, not chasing it after the fact
Learn More About Mike:
* Website: av.vc [https://av.vc]
Resources:
Visit www.vitalstrategies.com [http://www.vitalstrategies.com/] to download FREE resources
Listen to the podcast on your favorite app: Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast | Tax & Financial Strategies for Entrepreneurs [https://www.vitalwealth.com/podcasts/]
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies [https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies]
Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast]
Follow on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/]
Credits:
Sponsored by https://www.vitalwealth.com/Vital Wealth [https://www.vitalwealth.com/]
Music by https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ullBRZTTK0lT7fUqbgbKD?si=GlsDiJdeSg2bLkb3lxO0Ig&fbclid=IwAR1Gn1Jz2thWofOrFilg6HV1AcxV5AumMjNyTH_5xvrtQsnVuPElY9XzVFU&nd=1&dlsi=fed5b9538f23480eCephas [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ullBRZTTK0lT7fUqbgbKD?si=GlsDiJdeSg2bLkb3lxO0Ig&fbclid=IwAR1Gn1Jz2thWofOrFilg6HV1AcxV5AumMjNyTH_5xvrtQsnVuPElY9XzVFU&nd=1&dlsi=fed5b9538f23480e]
Art work by Two Tone Creative [https://www.twotonecreative.com/strategy-consulting/]
Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O'Brien