Wharton Stories: Venture Capital/Private Equity

Jay Bishen, WG’22, reflects on his internship at the Development Finance Corporation, a U.S. government agency.

Investing in Emerging Markets One Social Enterprise at a Time

Medical student Medha Sharma joined the Fund for Health to support Penn’s investment in the social determinants of health. She shares her methodology for finding and investing in companies that make a difference.

How I Found That Deal: Impact Investing in the Social Determinants of Health

In Wharton Social Impact’s Dollars and Change podcast, Vice Dean Katherine Klein talks with leaders and researchers about the power of business and finance to drive positive societal and environmental change.

2021 Year in Review: Dollars and Change Podcast

The field of gender lens investing is growing. A new report by Wharton Social Impact and Catalyst at Large analyzes data from over 200 funds and shares key numbers and trends.

New Gender Lens Investing Research: Insights from Project Sage 4.0

Caroline Culmo, W’24, C’24 discusses how her impact investing experience at the Fund for Health helped her learn about the private sector’s role in reimagining health equity.

How Working With the Fund for Health Reshaped My Understanding of Health Equity

“If we want to create a world that’s a better place, we need people who can bring that sense of social justice and combine it with some practical Wharton toolkits so that they can be more impactful.”

From Peace Corps to Wharton

Lizbeth Nunez, WG’22, reflects on her internship with Firework Ventures — an impact venture capital firm co-founded by alum Ashley Bittner, WG’13, that invests in future-of-work companies.

Investing to Impact the Future of Work

Measuring impact is tricky. Wharton Social Impact’s Head of Research Maoz (Michael) Brown and Doctoral Fellow Lauren Kaufmann discuss key findings from their forthcoming research on how investors assess impact for social and environmental change.

Research Spotlight: How Impact Investors Measure Impact

Through a series of conversations on the Dollars and Change podcast, Vice Dean Katherine Klein explores the topics of racial equity in investing and diversity in the workplace with leaders in the field.

Diversity and Racial Equity in Investing: Conversations with Industry Leaders and Researchers

“I’m most interested in the rebels always having a fighting chance, not just because it’s my business and my livelihood, but also because I think it’s better for innovation.”

Alexis Ohanian: Supporting Business Rebels Through Venture Capital