My role at the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise was centered around performing research and analysis on the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures (TFSV) in order to provide clarity on the efficacy of the fund’s selection process, determine the direct impact the fund has had on its portfolio ventures, and identify areas of strength and weakness. This project involved investigating over 900 ventures who have applied to the TFSV and a more in-depth analysis of the fund’s 30 portfolio ventures, ultimately culminating in a research report and presentation deck. As an organization that prioritizes social and environmental impact, my research for the TFSV was valuable in measuring and comparing the success and social impact of ventures, a task that is not easily quantified and rarely attempted at other organizations such as impact investing funds who often put financial returns ahead of impact. In addition, validating the fund’s success over the past years was very important to the organization, especially in realizing that the time and efforts of the fund and the fund’s Investment Board are paying off.

As a computer science major with a very technical curriculum, the analytical abilities developed from my coursework and other experiences translated smoothly to the skill set required in analyzing a social venture portfolio. Moreover, my role allowed me to exercise freedom, creativity, and self-direction, qualities that I’ve come to associate with my love for problem solving. In addition, my passion for entrepreneurship and impact investing/finance was further fueled by the amount I was able to learn from immersing in startup ventures and interacting with startup founders. It is truly inspiring to hear from individuals, some as young as myself, who are in the works of building a social venture from the ground up. As I continue to pursue the intersection of computer science and entrepreneurship, my experience at the Tamer Center for Social enterprise will no doubt serve as a stepping stone to future career paths.

By nature of being a new role at the Tamer Center, my project was relatively loosely defined and had unknown expectations. While this allowed me the liberty of self-direction, it also meant taking the reins on my project and owning full responsibility for its direction and outcome. Thus, being new to the realm of impact investing, my summer was an iterative process. As I became more and more familiar with the TFSV portfolio, the fund’s application process, and impact investing in general, my project took shape and I was able to identify key areas which would be most impactful and meaningful to the TFSV. While more challenging than an internship that might be more structured, I found this process of identifying and tailoring a solution to a problem from the ground-up much more rewarding and exciting.

Interning at the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise confirmed my passion for problem solving and ownership of an idea/project from start to finish. Whether it be impact investing, product management, or entrepreneurship, the skills and exposure I gained during my ten weeks will prove invaluable in any area I choose to pursue in the coming years. Coming into my internship at the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, I was mainly hoping to gain insight into the world of early stage ventures, and what it takes to run a startup. However, I quickly realized that my experience would give me much more than that when I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 Spring Investment Board pitches and meet some of the venture founders. The experience opened my eyes to the power of social ventures; since we live in a capitalist society driven by profit, it is amazing to see how much can be accomplished if that same energy is instead utilized for social and environmental causes. As our future becomes ever more uncertain and global issues teeter on the brink of catastrophe, I believe that channeling entrepreneurial spirit into impact ventures has the potential to have a major influence on the world in the years to come.