Inspiring Integrity: Brandon Farwell’s Mission to Foster Ethical Entrepreneurship in Students at Stanford
Brandon Farwell, a Stanford alumnus (BA ’08 in economics) and Harvard MBA, is a general partner at Xfund, the venture capital firm founded in partnership with Accel, NEA, and Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Leveraging his VC journey – and his experiences helping run the Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students (BASES) while at Stanford – Brandon co-teaches ethics in entrepreneurship within the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) and supports the Xfund Ethics Fellows Program, which prepares students to address real-world dilemmas in early-stage entrepreneurship. STVP Executive Director Ash Wallington spoke with Brandon about his commitment to mentoring budding student founders.
Ash: What initially drew you to mentoring entrepreneurship students at Stanford?
Brandon: As a Silicon Valley native, exposure to entrepreneurship arrived early in my life. When I was a first-year student at Stanford, I was part of the varsity rowing team, which left me with little extra time to engage in broader student life. Someone invited me to the startup competition called E-Challenge run by BASES, and I was blown away by the entrepreneurial projects that my fellow students were working on. Most importantly, it opened my eyes to what I could achieve, prompting me to ask, “How do I become a part of this?” I soon joined the leadership team of BASES and was quickly immersed in the vortex: interfacing with the VC community, building my fellow-founder network, and even working on a venture with fellow Stanford classmates. It had a profoundly positive influence on my career journey. I now co-manage Xfund with Patrick Chung, former NEA partner, who I met via my BASES role while at Stanford. That was 20 years ago, and I naturally stayed connected to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs and open my network to help them realize their potential.
Ash: Ethics in entrepreneurial practice has become an important focus of your work in higher education. Can you explain how that comes to life through your mentorship today?
Brandon: Ten years ago, ethics weren’t an integral part of an entrepreneur’s founding thoughts. It was also never at the forefront of VC’s underwriting decisions either, and universities didn’t offer courses connecting entrepreneurship and ethics. All the industry championed was “move fast and break things.” The entire sector was somewhat naive – what could possibly go wrong?
Ash: But something went wrong?
Brandon: I witnessed firsthand a trusted friend and business partner whom I had invested in succumb to ego, poor governance, and unethical conduct. This was entirely preventable, but it spiraled out of control, and I became a key witness in a DOJ trial where my old colleague was convicted of 21 charges of fraud and money laundering. After months of damage control speaking with LPs and the founders we supported, I finally distanced myself enough to reflect on how this happened. There were clear warning signs: excessive and furtive spending, high turnover in executive roles, a lack of delegation, opaque financial practices, etc. – many of which were hard to catch when you’re in the “fog of war” building a startup and moving 100 miles per hour. I wanted to help the next generation of founders develop their intuition to identify and respond to similar patterns.
Ash: At the same time, STVP had been developing a model for teaching ethics in entrepreneurship, led by Tom Byers. How did you realize your experience was teaching material, and how did you integrate this module at STVP?
Brandon: Harvard Business School was already writing a case about this firm’s innovative approach to VC. When everything went wrong, they converted it into an ethics case focusing on the rise and fall of the firm. I joined the teaching team to help students navigate ethical lines and make sound decisions. We then brought the concept to Stanford, integrating it into several programs, including STVP fellows programs and GSB classes, ultimately forming a cornerstone of the Xfund Ethics Fellows Program.
Ash: How did you become more formally involved with Stanford as a VC?
Brandon: Xfund has a central educational mission, which we pursue through office hours, mentoring, speaking engagements, and classroom teaching at both Harvard and Stanford. I’ve always been interested in the intersection of universities and venture capital, which led me to cofound a university VC fund. One of my regrets as a student was not becoming an STVP Mayfield Fellow. Since many of my classmates and friends were BASES members and Mayfield Fellows – and I have invested in numerous Mayfield companies – I really believe in the fellows format and was excited to get involved. It was then a matter of finding content I was passionate about.
Ash: Are there any memorable moments from mentoring students?
Brandon: A few years ago, a sophomore faced pressure from family and friends to pursue a traditional consulting internship, but she also wanted to explore her own idea. I encouraged her, saying, “Try it! As a sophomore, there’s no risk!” She pursued the idea and made life-changing career choices as a result. Many of my classmates have become some of Silicon Valley’s most successful founders; it’s a reminder that bright, capable individuals can achieve great things here if they seize the opportunity.
Ash: This isn’t solely about deal flow, is it?
Brandon: I see this as “non-transactional support,” which means we provide mentorship and advice regardless of whether the idea has potential for our fund. Of course, if I hear a great idea, I may want to invest, or I might connect talented individuals with our portfolio companies, but my primary goal is to help students explore their entrepreneurial potential.
Ash: After working closely with students over the past two decades, what stands out about the next generation of entrepreneurs?
Brandon: This generation is much more focused on building companies with enduring positive impacts on the world – leveraging AI to scale medical knowledge, building autonomous systems to streamline operations in specific industries, and so on. Each week, I meet founders extending the boundaries of established business models to create genuine value for customers. We are seeing a shift from traditional subscription models to outcome-based payment structures. Digital twins, autonomous agents, and next generation chips are already feeling like yesterday’s news.
Ash: Do you have any advice for others considering mentoring young entrepreneurs?
Brandon: Be open-minded to different avenues of mentoring. Don’t assume your path is their path or that you have all the answers. It’s impossible to be a master of everything, and if you don’t know the answer, don’t pretend to! Be prepared to open your network to find solutions to challenges you can’t address.
Ash: How has your experience been on the teaching team of your fellows program?
Brandon: I’ve learned so much by observing and now teaching alongside my friend and colleague, Tom Byers. With a background in high school theater, I like to infuse my teaching with a touch of drama – using role-play to animate ethical questions and encouraging constructive disagreement to spark deeper learning. Most importantly, you have to genuinely care about helping these students learn and grow – so they can see and grasp the things I once overlooked.
