When I graduated undergrad with my bachelor’s in business administration all I knew I wanted was to enter the world of for-profit social entrepreneurship. The natural next step led me into the development consulting space, within education and skill development. I got the opportunity to work with several multilateral and government agencies, giving the chance to “get my hands dirty” in the field. I learned a lot about the development sector, but there was still something pulling me towards entrepreneurship. After a few years in consulting, I left my job to start a small business working with artisans across India, which was no easy feat during the pandemic. With my heavy rooted interest in social impact, I ended up in graduate school studying public policy.
At SIPA, I have had the opportunity to gain exposure to many different sides of social impact, impact investing being the one I am most drawn to. Through classes and a summer internship at a coveted organization in the area, my interest has only strengthened which eventually led me to the Sustainable Investing Research Consulting Project class. The organization my team and I are consulting for requires us to dive deep into understanding and analyzing the investing patterns of the philanthropic community. While the project is still in its nascent stage, it will serve as a window into the sustainable investing space through the lens of foundations and other philanthropic organizations throughout the United States. The sustainable finance world is often burdened with jargon and short-lived trends that each stakeholder interprets differently, bringing uncertainty along with a lack of transparency and accountability into the sector. My understanding of the project goals tells me that we will try to solve this problem by creating a large “impact data exchange,” which will enable organizations and various stakeholders in the future make smarter impact focused investing decisions.
Throughout the course of the project, I am looking forward to learning how the philanthropic community ensures mission-aligned investing. The consulting project will help me utilize my stakeholder engagement and impact data management skills, while exposing me further to the impact investing world in the US and helping me establish a strong presence somewhere in the intersection of impact investing and development.