Event Dispatch: Exploring the Possibilities in Impact Investing
MBA student Robert Daly ’28 sat in on a moderated conversation with two SOM alumni to learn how finance skills can make an impact.
In this series, students answer quickfire questions about events across campus.
Event: Social Impact Lab: Impact Finance, Using MBA Skills for Growth and Good
Hosts: Social Impact Lab, the Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact (PSEII), and the Swensen Asset Management Institute
Speakers: Judith Chevalier, William S. Beinecke Professor of Finance and Economics and faculty director, PSEII; Margaret Bradley ’93, principal, Ginger Root Strategy; Carol Tsoi ’18, director of acquisitions, Red Stone Equity Partners
Location: Classroom 4400, Evans Hall
Date: September 23, 2026
What happened? Judy Chevalier spoke with two alumni about the many opportunities in impact finance. Carol worked in nonprofits and consulting before she moved into impact investing, and Margaret has over 25 years of experience in the field. I learned a lot about the different ways to work in impact finance that I didn’t know existed beforehand. For example, until today, I didn’t know what a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) was.
Who showed up? Lots of students. I learned about the event through Eytan, another MBA student who helped organize it.
Key takeaway? My biggest takeaway was seeing how many ways there are to get involved. It wasn’t something I had thought about pursuing after graduation, but after hearing about all the different paths—and the skills you can build—I definitely want to look into it more.
Who should go next time, and why? Anyone who’s interested in social impact should come—and honestly, anyone who’s interested in finance. There’s a lot of overlap. Even if you go into a traditional finance role, if you want to make a change later in your career, you’ll have a better idea of how to navigate that.
How does this fit into your SOM experience? These types of events are huge for me. I get to hear directly from people who are working in the fields I’m interested in and have paved the way for us. That’s a big focus for me right now, since I’m exploring different career paths.
