The University of Austin (UATX), a new school proclaiming its dedication to freedom of thought and discourse, is tightly intertwined with—and quickly racking up support from—a powerful and pointedly vocal group of venture capitalists.
The school has put down roots in the now hometown of Joe Lonsdale, the co-founder of Palantir who runs the multi-billion Austin-based venture firm 8VC. Over a hot weekend at Lonsdale’s enormous 11-bedroom home on the west side of Austin, a group that included former New York Times opinion editor Bari Weiss, evolutionary biologist Heather Heying, and Harvard University professor Arthur Brooks hashed out what it would look like to set up a new university, explains Pano Kanelos, president of the University of Austin, in an interview with Fortune. Kanelos, who Weiss enticed away from his role as president of St. John's College, says he was drawn to the various personalities all converging over the importance of higher education.
