Girls Who Invest (GWI) founder Seema R. Hingorani first recognized the significant gender gap within the asset management industry while she was working at her job on Wall Street. She immediately realized she had to do something to help balance those numbers out and she made a plan to create an organization that would help more women become a part of the asset management profession.
The result of her vision, determination, and tenacity led her to create Girls Who Invest in 2015. GWI is a non-profit organization dedicated to getting more women into portfolio management and executive level positions within the asset management industry. This program includes intensive educational programs both on campus and off, paid internships, and an encouraging and inclusive community for the women who partake in GWI.
More than 500 women, 70% of whom are women of color, have completed the GWI Summer Intensive program thus far, with more than 300 women on track to finish this year. Girls Who Invest has created partnerships with more than 100 top asset management firms and educational institutions, including UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert F. Smith, who’s known for his advocacy helping people in underrepresented communities achieve their full potential, is a supporter of GWI. Reflecting on GWI’s first five years, Smith shared “I can see that it’s going to change, truly, the landscape of investing asset managers in a positive way, bringing a more diverse thinking.” Vista Equity Partners, the investment firm founded by Smith, is a benefactor of GWI.
As Girls Who Invest celebrates their 5th anniversary, Hingorani notes, “I had high expectations, but it’s even beaten my expectations. It’s been truly spectacular.”
