Yale Impact Investing Conference 2025

Kobby Amoah is the CEO and Founder of River Health, an affordable health plan designed to meet the everyday health needs of hourly workers without breaking the bank. River Health combines excellent care from primary care physicians with wellness services and chronic condition management to deliver a holistic healthcare experience.

Celso Catan is an Investment Associate at Pegasus Capital Advisors, a global private markets impact investment firm dedicated to sustainable investments. At Pegasus, Celso works across the Global Fund for Coral Reefs and the Subnational Climate Fund—two pioneering blended finance vehicles created in partnership with the United Nations and the Green Climate Fund. He focuses on investing in scalable, nature-based and low-carbon solutions across emerging markets in a range of blue and green industries.

Celso began his private equity career at Stratus Group, a middle-market investment firm in Brazil, after working as a lawyer in big law. He later joined Solum Partners—the former natural resources team of Harvard Management Company—where he was introduced to the natural resources space. He then worked with Neptune NRCP, the first aquaculture-focused private equity firm.

Celso holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a law degree from Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo. He is based in New York and enjoys surfing, scuba diving, and DJing for friends.

Eliza Chory-Noyes is a second-year MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management. Prior to SOM, she worked in sustainable and impact investing at Cambridge Associates, sourcing and underwriting market-rate impact funds for institutional investment portfolios. Eliza came to SOM to pivot to an impact-first organization—a nonprofit, family office, or philanthropy—that is addressing systemic causes of social injustice through innovative and cross-sector solutions.

Dr. Todd Cort is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability; Faculty Director of Sustainability Program, MBA for Executives; Faculty Co-Director, Yale Center for Business and the Environment. He works at the intersection of sustainability and investor value. Over the course of 20 years, in consulting and academia, he has applied a scientific and economic lens to corporate social and environmental responsibility (or sustainability) in order to identify the tools, mechanisms, metrics and indicators that create the greatest value for investors, businesses and society. Todd has worked extensively with companies and investors across industrial sectors. His experience ranges from ‘on the ground’ implementation of sustainability programs to corporate level communication and investor strategy development. He has also worked extensively on integrated programs to meet regulatory requirements while promoting awareness and understanding of sustainability priorities through communications and engagement with communities, regulators, policy makers and internal stakeholders. 

Todd has a courtesy appointment at the Yale School of the Environment. He serves as Faculty Co-Director for the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY) and the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance (YISF). He serves on a variety of advisory boards including the JUST Capital Scientific Advisory Board and the PRIME Coalition Academic Advisory Committee and Merck Sustainability Advisory Committee. He is also currently Board Chair for Save the Sound, a regional environmental non-profit serving communities around Long Island Sound.

Anger Dok is a first-year MPH student in Healthcare Management. Before Yale, she worked in international development consulting, contributing to Global Health Supply Chain and Economic Reform Initiatives. On the Healthcare Deal Team, she’s most energized by engaging with founders who are solving healthcare’s most complex challenges. After Yale, Anger plans to pursue a career in healthcare venture capital or impact investing.

Stefano Giglio is the Frederic D. Wolfe Professor of Finance and Management at the Yale School of Management. Professor Giglio’s research interests span several topics, including asset pricing, macroeconomics, and climate finance, with a particular focus on hedging macroeconomic risks, like crash risk, uncertainty risk, and climate risk, using different financial instruments.

Before joining Yale, Professor Giglio was an Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, after receiving his PhD in Economics from Harvard University. He is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research Affiliate at the Center for Economic Policy Research, and has served as an editor for the Review of Financial Studies. He has been awarded several prizes, including the 2021 Carlo Alberto medal, awarded to an Italian economist under the age of 40 for outstanding research contributions to the field of Economics, the AQR Insight Award, and the Fama-DFA Prize, and the Moskowitz prize for sustainable finance.

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund. He is a Sri Lankan economist with a PhD from Yale University in the United States.

Prior to joining UNCDF, Pradeep was the Executive Coordinator of Environment Finance at UNDP where he oversaw a US$ 5 billion environment, climate and energy portfolio across 140 countries and provided strategic leadership of partnerships with the multilateral environment and climate funds, as well as with the private sector, development banks, and private equity funds related to climate finance.

From 2019-2023, Pradeep led UNDP’s Nature, Climate, and Energy Practice, with 300+ personnel across headquarters and 5 Regional Hubs. Previously, he led the development and oversight of UNDP’s Climate Change Adaptation portfolio, and as the senior technical lead in the Global Environmental Finance team from 2010-2018, he played a key role in the trebling of UNDP's resource mobilization efforts for nature, climate and energy.

Prior to joining UNDP in 2006, he worked with the World Bank and an NGO in Sri Lanka.

Johannes Lee is Vice President, Investments, at Builders Asset Management, and works across private fund investments, public fund investments, and co-investments. He is responsible for aiding in capital allocation to best-in-class managers to drive long-term returns and advance the mission of providing for a more humane and healthier planet. He collaborates across the Builders Vision platform and with industry counterparts, seeking to identify outperforming, impactful opportunities.

Previously, Johannes was a Senior Fund Research Analyst covering growth funds at Fidelity. Prior to that, Johannes was an Investment Consulting Associate with Mercer.

Johannes is a CFA charter holder and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Bentley University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Yale School of Management. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, enjoys hiking, golf, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Camila Novo-Viaño is a second-year MBA student at the Yale School of Management, where she leads the Education and Workforce deal team for the Meng Impact Investing Fund. Prior to SOM, she spent five years at FSG, a social impact consulting firm, advising corporations and foundations on philanthropic strategy and shared value initiatives. At Yale, Camila serves as Co-President of the American Latine Business Association (ALBA) and is a Consortium Fellow. She co-chaired the 2025 Yale Philanthropy Conference and is a Non-Profit Board Fellow for Amistad Academy, a K-12 school in New Haven. Camila holds a BA in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. After Yale, she is joining Stepful, a Series B workforce technology startup in New York City.

Natalya Sanghvi is a Senior Associate at Satrdust. Natalya helps facilitate Stardust Equity’s investment activities, and supports engagements with external managers on ESG integration across asset classes. Natalya began her career at Sageview Capital, a growth equity firm focused on high growth tech-enabled businesses, where she sourced deals, conducted diligence, and supported portfolio companies. Natalya also worked at DoorDash in a strategy and operations role supporting key user experience initiatives. She holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University. Natalya is based in New York.

Rahul Shah is a 1st year MEM candidate and Three Cairns Scholar at the Yale School of the Environment with an interest in studying the connections between regenerative agriculture, land conservation and climate finance. Before coming to Yale, Rahul worked at Marubeni Corporation's Sub-Saharan Africa headquarters where he oversaw climate investments and green business opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has expertise in developing investment strategies for developing markets and building green capital portfolios across a wide range of sectors, including mobility, financial access, renewable energy, agriculture, and nature-based solutions. Outside of work and study, Rahul enjoys wildlife photography and has travelled far and wide in search of elusive creatures. You can also find him playing all kinds of sports.

Sara Shoff is the Program Manager at Global Adaptation and Resilience Investment (GARI) working group leading GARI’s efforts in the Climate Adaptation Innovation Learning (CAIL) initiative and growing GARI’s global network and impact. Prior to GARI Sara led operations and impact at Provenance Capital Group, a start-up investment advisor focused on regenerative food and agriculture. Earlier she led Oikocredit US’ efforts to re-enter the US retail impact investing market.

Sara started her career as an agro-forestry extension agent with the US Peace Corps in Senegal then support the US’s international development finance institution by implementing environmental and social safeguards.

Sara holds a BS in Environmental Management from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

De’Havia has a passion and makes an effort to help increase diverse representation in venture capital as she actively supports underrepresented founders and investors.

She has helped invest into 60+ underrepresented founders in her venture capital career. She has mentored 200+ founders through organizations like Microsoft for Startups, Google for Startups, Techstars, etc. She has also helped impact 100+ investors ranging from student investors to check writers through leadership roles with non-profit organizations such as HBCUvc, BLCK VC, and All Raise.

Sheena Strawter-Anthony is the Director of Impact Investment Strategy at the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, founder of Feel Good Investments, an impact advisory firm, and is currently serving on the Board of Capital for Change, a Connecticut-based Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). She has worked across financial services in asset and wealth management, investment banking, and insurance in North America and Europe. She embarked on a career in finance because she always knew that if utilized responsibly, it can help solve socioeconomic problems. Sheena is driven to utilize the knowledge and skills that she has obtained throughout her career to inspire generational wealth and sustainable investments.

George Suttles, is the executive director of the Commonfund Institute, an organization dedicated to the advancement of investment knowledge and the promotion of best practices in financial management. Previously, Mr. Suttles was the director of research at the Commonfund, supporting its educational, market research, and professional development activities. He also serves as a member of the Commonfund Diversity and Inclusion Office. Prior to joining Commonfund, Mr. Suttles was a program officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, an independent, national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults. Before joining the foundation, he was a vice president, senior philanthropic relationship manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America. In this role, he worked with private and institutional clients on issues related to best practices in strategic grantmaking. Throughout his career, Mr. Suttles has supported the philanthropic activities of leading nonprofits with a focus on healthcare and related missions. He is also a member of numerous nonprofit boards, including Odyssey House, Drive Change, and the Support Center for Nonprofit Management. Currently, he is on the adjunct faculty at the New York University School of Professional Studies. Mr. Suttles received a bachelor of arts from Wesleyan University, a master of arts in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and an MPA from Baruch CUNY School of Public Affairs.

Anderson Thees is the Managing Director of Endeavor Brazil. A pioneering venture capitalist, Thees is also the co-founder and Managing Partner of Redpoint eventures, an early-stage VC fund that has backed some of Brazil’s first unicorns, including Wellhub, Creditas, Olist, Rappi, and Pismo. Prior to this, Thees served as CEO of Apontador, Brazil’s leading local search startup, and as Investment Director at Naspers/MIH, where he played a key role in establishing the company’s Internet unit in Latin America. During his tenure at Naspers, he invested in and served on the boards of several leading companies, including another early unicorn in the region, Movile/iFood. Thees has also served as a Global Ambassador for Endeavor, vice-president of the board of ABVCAP, and is currently a board member of Cubo Itaú, BayBrazil, and the Emerging VC Fellows (EVCF). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Unicamp, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and SEP at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Emily is a vice president for Calvert Research and Management. She is an ESG research analyst responsible for environmental, social and governance (ESG) research coverage of the industrials and materials sectors. She joined Calvert Research and Management in 2022.

Emily began her career in the investment management industry in 2012 in sell-side equity research, covering commodity and agricultural chemicals first at Cowen and then at Susquehanna, with expanded coverage in industrial gases and coatings.

Emily earned a B.B.A in finance from the George Washington University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Julianne Zimmerman is all in on durable, transformative, reparative systems change. In her current role as Co-CEO of Adasina Capital, she is on the front lines of social justice investing, drawing on more than 30 years’ experience putting technology and capital to work for the greater good. She has been a change instigator across multiple sectors, where she and her co-conspirators have catalyzed industry shifts, won awards, and set new standards. She created the highly-rated Innovative Social Enterprises course for Tufts University and taught there for eight years. Julianne is an active participant in communities advancing racial / social / gender equity; serves as a part-time GP with Malaika Ventures and an advisor to the Criterion Institute and Global InvestHer; speaks and writes on innovation and impact; mentors with MIT VMS and others; and frequently serves as a reviewer, judge and connectrix in the US and abroad.

Julianne earned two SB degrees from MIT an MS from the University of Maryland, an executive certificate from Presidio Graduate School; and completed CRT Summer School. She served as an EMT in Maryland and Massachusetts, and was a two-time NASA astronaut finalist, 2020 World Changing Woman, and 2022 Forbes 50>50 honoree.
 

Kate Zolner is an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management, where she is a member of Meng Impact Investment Fund's Portfolio Support Team, serves as a committee member for Women in Management, and is a Nonprofit Board Fellow with the Wallingford Public Library. Before SOM, she was a Principal in Gartner’s Research division, where she led talent analytics initiatives and authored high-impact publications on predictive analytics and generative AI for HR leaders. She began her career in equity research at AB Bernstein and MoffettNathanson, building differentiated valuation models for the payments and IT services industries. Kate holds a BA in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Harvard University, where she graduated cum laude and was active in Smart Woman Securities and women’s club basketball.

Brian Foos is Managing Partner of Virgo Strategic, an advisory firm that supports technology startups navigating the transition from early stage to growth with support for strategic planning, operational transformations, and financings/exits. Prior to his entrepreneurial leap, he was COO & CFO at pymetrics (sold to Harver) with a decade of operating and transaction experience leading strategy, corporate development, finance, legal, and HR. He led Financial Planning & Analysis at AppNexus (sold to AT&T), and held M&A and finance roles at GE Capital.

Sivagami Lakshmanan is an MBA candidate at Yale School of Management and incoming co-President of the Impact Investing Club. She has a strong background in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, where she gained extensive experience in financial strategy and executing complex transactions. Siva further expanded her expertise in sustainable investing during her time at Steinberg, working with both ESG and Emerging Markets funds to integrate environmental, social, and governance principles into investment strategies.

Passionate about leveraging finance to drive meaningful social impact, Siva is dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion within the investment landscape. Through her leadership at Yale SOM and beyond, Siva aims to inspire others to harness the power of capital for systemic change.

Swetha is a Master’s in Asset Management candidate at the Yale School of Management. Prior to Yale, she worked as an investment analyst at Atlas Square Partners, a long/short equity hedge fund, where she focused on global public equities. She has previously worked at Deloitte Australia in the specialist advisory team. 

At SOM, Swetha has explored the intersection of sustainability and investing through coursework, case competitions, and research. She is a member of the Impact Investing Club's leadership team and recently led Yale’s team to a runner-up finish at the Turner Impact Portfolio Challenge at Wharton. She is currently interning with the Global Adaptation and Resilience Investment Working Group (GARI), contributing to research and communications on climate adaptation finance.

Swetha holds a BBA from SP Jain School of Global Management and is a CFA Charterholder. She is originally from Chennai, India.

Dan Rauchwerk is a Senior Marketing Operations Manager with 13 years of experience building and optimizing global cross-channel marketing strategies. A commitment to protecting the environment through more sustainable business practices led him to Yale School of Management, where he is currently an Executive MBA candidate focusing his studies on Sustainability. He is passionate about reforming agricultural practices and food distribution systems to be more environmentally responsible while also ensuring equitable access to healthy food.

Helena Siagian is an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management. 

Cléa Wang is an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management and incoming Co-President of the Impact Investing Club. Prior to Yale, Cléa was a Senior Investment Manager at Fosun RZ Capital, where she led technology investments in emerging markets, and previously worked at MUFG, focusing on cross-border transactions and strategic investments globally.

Born in China and having lived in eight countries across three continents, Cléa is passionate about creating fair and inclusive markets in emerging economies. She began her career at the United Nations and has since deepened her interest in sustainable development, particularly in the role of venture capital in driving systemic change.

She holds a Master's in Economics from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver.