Girls Who Invest

What Girls Who Invest does

Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2015 by Seema R. Hingorani, a former Chief Investment Officer of the New York City Retirement Systems, and headquartered in New York City. The organization is dedicated to increasing the representation of women in investment management, with a stated long-term vision that 30% of the world's investable capital be managed by women. GWI delivers tuition-free programming to college women across two principal tracks: the Summer Intensive Program (SIP), held at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, combining academic instruction with paid partner-firm internships; and the Online Intensive Program (OIP), an asynchronous self-directed curriculum built on modules from CFA Institute, Wall Street Prep, and Wharton Online. Retention and advancement offerings — Investor Circles, the Investor Leadership Program (ILP), and Pathways Programming (including Private Credit and Private Equity tracks) — extend engagement to alumni, supported by the Alumni Career Institute portal.

The organization operates a two-sided business model: it does not charge scholars tuition, and its operating budget is funded through charitable contributions from a tiered partner ecosystem of more than 100 asset management firms, foundations, and individual donors. Anchor Partners include Bloomberg, PIMCO, and Vista Equity Partners; Leadership Circle partners include Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, KKR, Oaktree, TPG, Brookfield, Wellington, The Baupost Group, Global Infrastructure Partners, Sixth Street, and PwC, with additional tiers (Patron, Benefactor, Visionaries, Supporter) extending to Blackstone, Apollo, Advent International, PGIM, Lord Abbett, LPL Financial, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and others. GWI reports having trained more than 4,000 alumni and serving over 700 scholars annually across all 50 states and 200+ colleges, with 75% of Summer Intensive Program alumni remaining in the finance industry. The organization employs over 30 staff under President Michelle DeFossett and is governed by a Board comprising senior executives from major investment management firms.

Name

Girls Who Invest

Legal name

Girls Who Invest, Inc.

Website

https://girlswhoinvest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Girls Who Invest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2015 that delivers tuition-free education, paid internships, and career advancement programming to college women pursuing investment management careers, funded by a tiered ecosystem of more than 100 asset management firm partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Management Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Investing Fundamentals (Stocks, Bonds, Funds, Risk) (EDAAAJAH)

Keywords

• Investment management education
• Women in finance programs
• Nonprofit financial training
• Portfolio management pipeline
• Tuition-free finance curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: GWI operates as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The organization accepts one-time donations and multi-year commitments from individual donors and institutional partners. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The organization also has a Kamla R. Hingorani Fellowship Fund for recognizing exceptional scholars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Girls Who Invest delivers tuition-free educational programs designed to attract and advance women in investment management. Core offerings include the Summer Intensive Program (SIP) with on-campus Wharton instruction paired with paid internships at partner firms, the Online Intensive Program (OIP) for asynchronous finance foundations, Retention & Advancement Programs for mid-career investors, and the Alumni Career Institute providing ongoing career support to a network of 4,000+ alumni.

Product overview

Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of tuition-free education and career development programs focused on attracting and advancing women in the investment management industry. The core programming includes the Intensive Program with two delivery formats: the Summer Intensive Program (SIP) for on-campus learning combined with paid internships, and the Online Intensive Program (OIP) for self-directed asynchronous learning. GWI also provides Retention & Advancement Programs including Investor Circles, the Investor Leadership Program, and Pathways Programming for mid-career professionals. The Alumni Career Institute serves as a dedicated career portal and community platform for over 4,000 alumni. Additionally, the Kamla R. Hingorani Fellowship Fund recognizes exceptional scholars embodying the organization's founding values.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Girls Who Invest Intensive Program: Tuition-free education paths for undergraduate students comprising Summer Intensive Program (SIP) and Online Intensive Program (OIP)
• Kamla R. Hingorani Fellowship Fund
• Alumni Career Institute
• Investor Circles
• Investor Leadership Program (ILP)
• Pathways Programming

Products and services

• Summer Intensive Program (SIP) An on-campus summer program for college sophomores combining academic instruction from Wharton School professors with a paid internship at a leading investment firm. Includes free housing and meals at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
• Online Intensive Program (OIP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of Summer Intensive Program Alumni have remained in the finance industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered anchor, leadership circle, academic, patron, visionaries, supporter and benefactor.

• BloomberganchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloomberg is an Anchor Partner of Girls Who Invest, providing financial and programmatic support to advance the organization's mission of increasing women in investment management.
• PIMCOanchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIMCO is an Anchor Partner supporting GWI's programs and initiatives to attract and advance women in the investment management industry.
• Vista Equity PartnersanchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVista Equity Partners serves as an Anchor Partner, contributing to GWI's mission through financial support and industry engagement.
• Goldman Sachsleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoldman Sachs is a Leadership Circle partner providing internship opportunities, mentorship, and financial support for GWI programs.
• Morgan Stanleyleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorgan Stanley is a Leadership Circle partner offering internship placements and industry expertise to GWI scholars and alumni.
• JPMorgan Chaseleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPMorgan Chase is a Leadership Circle partner providing internship opportunities and programmatic support for GWI.
• Vanguardleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerVanguard is a Leadership Circle partner supporting GWI's mission to advance women in investment management.
• KKRleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerKKR is a Leadership Circle partner providing financial support and internship opportunities for GWI scholars.
• Oaktree Capital Managementleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerOaktree Capital Management hosts Investor Circles sessions and provides internship and mentorship opportunities for GWI alumni.
• TPGleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPG is a Leadership Circle partner supporting GWI's programs and diversity initiatives in investment management.
• CFA InstituteacademicTechnology or IntegrationCFA Institute provides educational content including the Investment Foundations program and digital badge credentials for GWI scholars.
• Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wharton School provides academic instruction for the Summer Intensive Program, with world-class business school professors teaching GWI scholars on campus.
• Wall Street PrepacademicTechnology or IntegrationWall Street Prep provides technical training modules as part of the Online Intensive Program curriculum.
• TCWleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCW hosts Investor Circles sessions for GWI alumni in the Los Angeles region.
• Clearlake CapitalpatronStrategic or Co-development PartnerClearlake Capital hosts Investor Circles sessions and supports GWI's retention and advancement programs.
• Brookfield Asset Managementleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrookfield is a Leadership Circle partner providing internship opportunities and financial support for GWI.
• Wellington Managementleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellington Management is a Leadership Circle partner supporting GWI and hiring alumni for investment positions.
• Apollo Global ManagementvisionariesStrategic or Co-development PartnerApollo Opportunity Foundation is a Visionary partner supporting GWI's mission to advance women in investment management.
• BlackstonepatronStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackstone is a Patron partner providing internship and career opportunities for GWI alumni.
• Advent InternationalpatronStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvent International is a Patron partner supporting GWI's diversity initiatives in private equity.
• PGIMpatronStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGIM is a Patron partner providing internship opportunities and hosting events for GWI scholars.
• Lord, Abbett & Co.patronStrategic or Co-development PartnerLord, Abbett is a Patron partner that has hired GWI alumni for investment roles.
• XponancesupporterStrategic or Co-development PartnerXponance is a Supporter partner and has hired GWI alumni including hosting a 2025 scholar for a Fixed Income Investment Analyst internship.
• The Baupost Groupleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Baupost Group is a Leadership Circle partner supporting GWI programs.
• Global Infrastructure Partnersleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Infrastructure Partners is a Leadership Circle partner providing support for GWI.
• Sixth Streetleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerSixth Street is a Leadership Circle partner supporting GWI's initiatives.
• PwCleadership circleStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC is a Leadership Circle partner providing programmatic and financial support for GWI.
• PREA (Pension Real Estate Association)benefactorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPREA is a Benefactor partner supporting GWI's educational programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): Non-profit providing education and career pipeline programs for underrepresented students, with flagship finance internship programs at top firms. GWI President Michelle DeFossett was previously VP at SEO, indicating direct structural and mission overlap.
• Forté Foundation: Non-profit consortium focused on launching women into business and finance careers through MBA programs and corporate partnerships. Operates a similar scholar-to-career pipeline model targeting women in investment management and corporate finance.
• 100 Women in Finance: Global non-profit advancing women in the alternative investments industry through education, mentoring, and networking. Shares the same donor base and member firms as GWI and overlaps in mission around gender diversity in investment management.
• Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT): Non-profit career pipeline program that prepares high-achieving underrepresented students for careers at leading companies including in finance. Mirrors GWI's combination of skills training, mentoring, and guaranteed internship placement at partner firms.
• Girls Who Code: Non-profit dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology through education and career pipelines for girls and young women. Operates a structurally similar tuition-free program model with strong corporate partner engagement.
• Break Through Tech: Non-profit initiative aimed at increasing the number of women and underrepresented groups in tech through university-based programs and industry partnerships. Comparable mission, program architecture, and industry partner model as GWI but in technology rather than finance.
• The Posse Foundation: Non-profit identifying and training diverse young leaders for college and career success through cohort-based programming and partner employer pipelines. Comparable tuition-supported college-to-career model with strong corporate partner ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: Global professional body for investment management that issues the CFA charter and provides Investment Foundations content — including curriculum content and digital badges used by GWI. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same professional education space GWI serves.

Emerging players

• Wall Street Prep: For-profit provider of financial training and bootcamps that partners with GWI to deliver technical training modules. Comparable subject-matter coverage in investment and corporate finance training, with overlapping student demographics.

Others

• Wharton Online: Online learning arm of the Wharton School that provides academic instruction for GWI's Summer Intensive Program. Functions as an enabling educational partner and shares curriculum delivery to adult and undergraduate learners in business and finance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girlswhoinvest
• Xx.com/girlswhoinvest
• Facebookfacebook.com/girlwhoinvest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Girls Who Invest