Impact investing has become an increasingly popular field for business students in recent years. As a leading Ivy League university, Cornell offers a wealth of impact investing resources and hands-on learning opportunities. Its flexible MBA curriculum allows students to tailor their coursework, while its Extracurricular Treks provide exposure to real-world scenarios. Notably, Cornell enables students to manage an impact investing fund and participate in competitions. By leveraging these offerings, MBA candidates can gain practical skills for careers in impact investing.
Cornell’s wide array of impact investing courses
Cornell Johnson provides over 15 electives related to impact investing, social entrepreneurship and ESG practices. Courses like “Finance for Impact Investing” offer frameworks to assess impact models, while “Impact Investing” focuses on deal sourcing and portfolio construction. Additionally, “Designing for Social Impact” trains students to launch ventures creating positive change. Participants also learn to integrate ESG factors into investment decisions through “Sustainable Accounting” and “ESG, SRI & Impact Investing”. By exploring intersections with strategy, operations and marketing, the curriculum enables a multi-disciplinary understanding.
Immersive learning via the Impact Investing Treks
As part of its Immersion Learning programs, Cornell organizes an annual Impact Investing Trek open to all MBAs. This 4-5 day experiential learning trip provides exposure to leading impact investing firms in cities like San Francisco and New York. Through office visits, participants interact with practitioners to learn about deal flows, investment processes and portfolio management. They also attend industry conferences to expand perspectives. Such activities prepare students for summer internships and full-time positions by cultivating connections and clarifying career paths.
Hands-on practice through managing an impact fund
The student-led Cornell Impact Investing Fund allows members to directly source, evaluate and select impact investments. Currently managing over $2 million, the fund focuses on companies driving innovation for global development. Participants perform market research, financial modeling, portfolio analysis and shareholder engagement. They also craft investment theses and present to the advisory board. This clinical experience develops hard skills like valuation, due diligence and portfolio oversight. Fund members leverage this training to demonstrate readiness to entry-level impact investing roles.
Gaining additional expertise via competitions
To supplement course learnings, Cornell encourages MBAs to enter impact business idea contests like the Cornell Social Business Challenge and the Diller Prize Competition. These programs award funding for high-potential startups tackling social or environmental issues. Participants refine pitches, hone financials and receive expert feedback. Additionally, the MIINT Network Investment Competition allows student teams to experiment with constructing and defending an impact investing portfolio. Through these experiences, MBAs gain communication, strategic and analytical aptitudes valued by the industry.
With its flexible MBA curriculum, experiential treks, student-run fund and business competitions, Cornell Johnson provides impact investing-focused students with diverse real-world experiences needed to excel in the field. Participants develop hard skills in areas like financial analysis, portfolio management and venture evaluation while cultivating connections with practitioners across sectors. By actively engaging these offerings, candidates build specialized expertise to position themselves for coveted roles driving capital to meet pressing global needs.