named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
AgriTech Investment Initiative
Targets agriculture technology ventures in Asia that support smallholder farmers through improved market access, financial tools, and climate-resilient practices
EdTech Investment Initiative
Focuses on debt and equity investments in education technology startups across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those addressing foundational learning, teacher development, and AI-enabled tutoring solutions
activities · 8 groups
What they do
-
Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Delivering hands-on impact investing education and training for studentsProvides hands-on impact investing experience for Columbia MBA students through activities including sourcing, screening, due diligence, funding, monitoring, and impact measurement. Offers structured membership tiers—general members, investment associates, and assistant vice presidents—with progressive leadership and operational responsibilities.
-
-
Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
- Funding EdTech and AI-enabled learning tools in sub-Saharan Africa and IndiaFunds evidence-based, government-partnered EdTech solutions for foundational learning and data systems in sub-Saharan Africa and India through co-financing schemes. Finances the scaling of AI-enabled teacher tools and personalized learning technology via a $40 million partnership with ADQ.
-
-
Interest-Free Loan and Grant Support 1 activity
- Funding early-stage social enterprises through debt investmentsProvides direct debt investments ranging from $20,000 to $75,000 with a two-year maturity to early-stage impact enterprises globally. Maintains active relationships with investees to support their development and growth.
-
-
Professional Field Knowledge Development 1 activity
- Hosting educational programming on impact investingProvides lecture series, speaker panels, conferences, and newsletters to educate the Columbia University community about impact investing and support networking and career development.
-
-
Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Investing in microfinance institutions globallyInvested over $100,000 in four microfinance institutions across four continents, supporting economic development in underserved communities through financial capital.
-
-
Small Business and Nonprofit Lending 1 activity
- Operating debt and equity investments in underserved communitiesOperates as a student-run organization making debt and equity investments in underserved communities to support economic development. Provides investment-related support to small businesses and high-impact startups in New York, across the United States, and internationally.
-
-
Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
- Providing pro-bono consulting and due diligence services to investeesDesigns and implements three-month consulting and due diligence projects for investees and partners, staffed by volunteer Columbia MBA students who travel and work on-site internationally at no cost. Deployed students on more than 36 pro-bono consulting projects across five continents.
-
-
Uncategorized 2 activities
- Conducting investment sourcing and due diligence through student associatesEngages investment associate members in sourcing and conducting due diligence on potential investments as part of the fund’s investment pipeline and decision-making process.
- Operating a student-led impact investing fund with full operational structureOperates an impact investing fund and nonprofit organization managed by a student leadership team with executive and vice-presidential roles covering all operational functions. Manages regional investment teams and functional teams in operations, finance, fundraising, external relations, marketing, education, and impact measurement.
-
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$16K
Contributions & grants$12K73%
Program service revenue$2K10%
Investment income$3K17%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$25K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$22K
balance sheet
Total assets$106K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$106K
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +13.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 4
- COURTNEY THOMPSON — BOARD CO-CHAIR
- JASON NAVARINO — DIRECTOR
- KATIE LEONBERGER — DIRECTOR
- REID SPEARIN — BOARD CO-CHAIR
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- ADQ Partner — Jointly funds the scaling of AI-enabled teacher tools and personalized learning technology in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Accion Partner — Hosted speakers from Accion as part of engagement with impact investing organizations.
- Acumen Partner — Hosted speakers from Acumen as part of engagement with impact investing organizations.
- Asaak Partner — Investee fintech organization supporting marginalized small and medium business owners through financial services.
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Funder — Provides grant funding for evidence-based, government-partnered EdTech solutions in foundational learning and data systems.
- Columbia Business School Network — Graduate students from Columbia Business School compose the student management team.
- Columbia Business School Network — Primarily staffed by MBA students from Columbia Business School, though organizationally independent.
- Columbia Business School Partner — Primary source of volunteer staff, particularly MBA students, who carry out investment, education, and consulting activities.
- Columbia Business School Partner — Source of volunteer staff, primarily MBA students, who staff the organization annually.
- Community Development Venture Capital Alliance Partner — Hosted speakers from the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance as part of engagement with impact investing organizations.
- FORME – Educação Financeira Partner — Investee organization providing financial education in primary schools in Brazil.
- Fairbanc Partner — Investee organization operating an AI-powered mobile loan and payments platform for SMEs in emerging markets.
- SKS Microfinance Partner — Hosted speakers from SKS Microfinance as part of engagement with microfinance organizations.
- Salym Finance Partner — Investee microfinance organization providing affordable lending and deposit services in Kyrgyzstan.
- Tulaa Partner — Investee organization connecting agri-input suppliers, financial services, and commodity buyers to smallholder farmers via mobile technology.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Board-Student Governance Partnership for Sustainable Leadershipmethodology: board-student_governance_partnershipBy pairing a permanent Board of Directors with rotating student leadership, we ensure organizational continuity and strategic rigor while empowering students to lead real-world operations, because this governance hybrid balances institutional memory with fresh innovation and experiential learning.
- Student-Led Impact Investing with Experiential Educationmethodology: experiential-education-and-impact-investingBy engaging MBA students in the full lifecycle of impact investing — from sourcing and due diligence to execution and advisory — we generate scalable social impact in underserved markets, because direct practitioner experience builds skilled impact investors while simultaneously delivering catalytic capital to high-potential social enterprises.
- Targeted Impact Investing in Early-Stage Innovation for Underserved Marketsmethodology: impact_investing_in_early-stage_innovationBy deploying venture debt and equity-like instruments to early-stage social enterprises in healthcare, education, climate, and financial technology, we drive systemic change in underbanked populations, because innovation in these sectors can generate scalable, high-leverage social returns where traditional capital does not reach.