128: From Harvard Endowment’s $4B Agriculture Team to Founding an Investment Boutique, Meet Mike Denklau of Dorset Agriculture

“Be authentic.” “Own your story.” “Sharpen your edges.”

We say these things at Havener Capital all the time (and Stacy says them a lot). But here’s the real question: do they actually move the needle?

Mike Denklau, founder of Dorset Agriculture, is here to tell you they do. Today, he’s giving us a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you stop code-switching… and start building from your real story.

Before launching Dorset, Mike was part of Harvard’s endowment, helping manage a $4B+ agriculture and timber portfolio. Long before that, he was an Iowa farm kid. The journey from flannel in the fields to fund meetings in Boston is full of lessons for any founder navigating identity, fundraising, and first-time firm-building.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:

• How a kid from Iowa ended up managing billions at Harvard and how that full-circle moment sparked Dorset’s launch

• The overlooked opportunity in ag investing most firms ignore (and where meaningful, steady alpha may actually be hiding)

• How Mike landed his first investor without a pitch and without trading his comfy flannel in for a stiff suit to fit in 

• Why boutique founders need to stop hiding behind polish and let LPs see the messy middle (because that’s where conviction is built)

• What early-stage fundraising actually feels like and how to keep going when the uncertainty feels personal and loud

This isn’t just a story about agriculture. 

It’s a case study in what happens when you own your different, build what the market didn’t even know it needed, and let your backstory do what it does best: open doors that fitting in never could. 

More about Mike Denklau: 

Mike was born into a third-generation farming family and raised on a farm in Iowa. He has 14+ years of investment and finance experience and was involved with $8B+ of transactions.

Prior to Dorset, Mike was an agriculture investor at Solum Partners and Harvard Management Company. Previously, Mike held investment and investment banking roles at Hudson Advisors, Barclays, and Lehman Brothers.

Mike earned a MBA and JD from Northwestern University and a BBA in Finance and a BS in Political Science from the University of Iowa. Mike is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Mike enjoys golf, skiing, and Hawkeye football. He currently lives in Boston with his wife, two children, and golden retriever.

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