Fealy Bearcat Bridge Fund Founders

Thanks to the financial support of the Coleman Foundation, Mr. Robert L. Fealy, and other generous donors, the Fealy Bearcat Bridge Fund provides cash grants to UC entrepreneurs each summer.

Mr. Robert Fealy

Founding Managing Director, Limerick Investments

Robert Fealy headshot

Mr. Fealy is founding Managing Director of Limerick Investments, a seed-early stage investment firm that empowers exceptional entrepreneurs to pursue emerging ideas and markets applying disruptive strategies and technologies. For over two decades, he has been involved with early stage technology companies, having founded Duchossois Technology Partners and serving as Chairman of the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund (i2A Fund) and Chicago Ventures. His past board seats include the boards of Alereon Semiconductor, NetEffect (acquired by Intel), Aura Communications (acquired by Freelinc), Continental Community Holdings (sold to private investment group), Chairman of AMX Corporation (acquired by Harman International) and Chairman of Milestone AV Technologies (acquired by The Pritzker Group). From 2001, he served as Chairman of Brivo Systems, which was sold in 2015 to an entity controlled by Dean Drako, founder of Barracuda Networks. In 1986, he co-founded Chicago’s first Chinese-American Bank, New Asia Bancorp, which became one of Chicago’s largest minority owned businesses, and which was acquired in 2006 by Cathay General Bancorp. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive and Strategy Committees of Churchill Downs, Inc (NASDAQ: CHDN) and is Lead Director of Pella Corporation. Mr. Fealy recently co-founded with his daughter Live Grit Multisport, Chicago’s “laid-back triathlon center” in the West Loop. He is a founding board member and Chairman of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and is a member of its Political Action Committee. He was awarded the 2010 Richard J. Daley Medal for his contributions to the Illinois venture capital and private equity community.

Mr. Fealy previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Duchossois Group, a privately-owned diversified operating and investment firm. Prior to Duchossois, he was Vice President, Business Strategy of Cummins, Inc., where his responsibilities included the establishment of various global alliances, acquisition and divestiture activities, and oversight of the Company’s minority investments in various technology ventures.

His current not-for-profit work includes serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Cincinnati Foundation, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Children’s Choir, board member and co-chair of the capital campaign of The Morton Arboretum, a partner in Social Venture Partners, an Advisory Board member of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School, and a member of the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business Advisory Council, which awarded him the 2009 Carl H. Lindner Award for Outstanding Business Achievement. Mr. Fealy holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree from the University in 2013 and he is a certified public accountant (inactive), as well as a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Executives’ Club and the National Venture Capital Association.

The Coleman Foundation

The Coleman Foundation logo

The Coleman Foundation concentrates on a set of primary program areas, maintains a regional geographic focus on metropolitan Chicago and select parts of the Midwest.

The foundation offers support for educational institutions that provide opportunities for emerging student entrepreneurs to experience richer experiential co-curricular activities over the course of their academic education. The Foundation's vision of success is that emerging entrepreneurs will be successful at starting and running their businesses as a result of their exposure to entrepreneurship education.

FBBF grant recipients also receive in-kind support to establish and grow their businesses thanks to our prestigious sponsors!