Sachit Varma ’26

I was visiting my sister in Boston, and friends from my MBA program encouraged me to visit Yale SOM. I wasn’t actively planning on going back to school at the time, but learning about the MAM program helped me make that choice. I realized that SOM offered many ways to build my profile in venture capital and move squarely into impact investing. My long-term goal is to set up my own fund, and I want to lead it with a certain set of personal and professional values. Through the coursework and electives, I’ve been able to define those values for myself.

My education at SOM has been very holistic. I’ve taken tech courses. I’ve taken finance courses. Emerging markets are a major interest of mine, and I’m currently taking an elective at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs that focuses on development issues in Latin America. I don’t want to approach my work only as a financier; I want to look at it from every angle.

One of my favorite classes at SOM has been Management of Software Development. I understand the finance side of investing in tech—as a VC, I can model the returns—but it can be difficult to grasp the long-term impact of the technologies you’re backing. Understanding a software team’s journey was enlightening, especially as a SaaS investor. It really enriched my understanding of the early-stage tech space.

The MAM cohort is small and incredibly international. We’re all coming to the program with professional experience, and my classmates are so insightful in talking about their own journeys. Sometimes you don’t understand the nuances of certain issues and solutions until you hear about them firsthand—for instance, from a classmate who built a sustainable venture in Mongolia from the ground up.

I didn’t anticipate how much I’d enjoy connecting with the broader Yale community—I assumed my experience here would be centered entirely around SOM. But I’ve also been able to take classes across different schools and meet people from all over campus.

New Haven is the smallest city I’ve ever lived in. I grew up in New Delhi, then lived in Hong Kong and London, so at first, I was a little skeptical. But New Haven has so much to offer; it packs a punch for its size and has surprised me in a very good way.