Venture Commercial Real Estate endowed an award through the ICSC Foundation to support Southern Methodist University for at least the next 20 years. The fund will give $2k to a student studying real estate or a related field (based on academic success, entrepreneurial ambition and financial need). Venture co-founder Mike Geisler tells us he wanted to make a bigger commitment to SMU not only because it’s his alma mater, but also because Venture has drawn great talent from there. There are eight SMU ponies on the Venture team. Pictured: Mike and wife Stacy, daughter Annie (an SMU sophomore) and son Michael (a high school junior.)

When Joseph Cahoon arrived as director of the Folsom Real Estate Institute at SMU Cox in January 2014, his goal was to get the area real estate community more involved. Today, the program has classes taught by local real estate executives. The ICSC Foundation will administer the scholarship funds and is adding $25k to any scholarship that is endowed (so, it will match Venture’s $25k total gift.)