Summer Internship with Social Finance
Kandasi Griffiths, Daytime MBA 2024
This summer I interned at Social Finance, a non-profit impact investing and advisory organization, out of their Boston headquarters. I was an Associate on the Investments team working on a couple of their financial products. I conducted due diligence on opportunities and a landscape analysis for the Impact-First Fund of Funds, and I assisted on business development activities for Pay-It Forward Funds that facilitate additional student financing with blended financing.
Coming from a non-finance background, it was a fantastic experience to work in impact investing, applying the skills I had gained from my first year of the MBA and learning from my colleagues. The staff is filled with so many kind and thoughtful people, so a highlight was my many coffee conversations with people on other teams. In my second year, I am eager to tell others about my experience and answer any questions about pursuing this field, rethink how we diligence with a focus on equity, and share the lessons learned from a fund of fund. My internship has also made me curious about various financial instruments that could be more suitable for impact, so I hope to learn more this year.
To those interested in pursuing impact careers at Fuqua, I want to remind you that the impact-oriented pathway is the road less traveled. It can be very appealing to choose a traditional path like many of your peers, but I encourage you to frequently return to your โwhyโ and issue areas that you are passionate about solving. Find your people to support you along the way and focus on your own journey. Youโll get where youโre meant to be!