Stanford GSB Impact Fund

?? ?? Are you an early-stage founder with a mission-driven, impactful, for-profit venture? Are you building in climate, education, fintech, healthcare, justice, or urban development? Are you actively raising? If so, the GSB Impact Fund is interested in hearing from you! The GSB Impact Fund is now sourcing for our '24-'25 cycle. The Fund is a student-led evergreen fund and has invested in over 20 early-stage pioneering ventures across the globe. The Fund invests $25-75k checks and provides hands-on advisory support to portfolio companies. For more information, please visit our website. https://lnkd.in/g7XmCWqN #gsbimpactfund #impactfund #impactinvesting #vc

?? The Future of Education is Now From K-12 to higher education to lifelong learning, the education landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. The rise of AI, digital learning, and skills-based hiring is redefining how we acquire knowledge, prepare for the workforce, and support student well-being. Yet, deep inequities remain, and millions of learners still lack access to high-quality education that meets their needs. As the GSB Impact Fund’s Education Team, we believe in investing in technology-enabled, human-centered solutions that make education more equitable, effective, and future-ready. Our latest Education Investment Thesis focuses on three core areas: ?? K-12 Innovation – Personalized learning, social-emotional development, and AI-powered tools to support both students and educators. ?? Higher Education Transformation – Flexible, skills-based learning models, AI-driven platforms, and mental health support to improve student success. ?? Lifelong Learning & the Future of Work – Workforce development, upskilling, and digital entrepreneurship to prepare individuals for the jobs of tomorrow. We see massive opportunities in companies that prioritize accessibility, engagement, and measurable impact—because the future of learning should be inclusive, dynamic, and built for all. ?? If you're building the next great EdTech company, pioneering new education models, or driving systems-level change, we’d love to connect. Let’s shape the future of education—together. Read our full Education investment thesis here: https://lnkd.in/gkw4eZCF Written By: - K-12: Danielle Nguyen, Alexis Brown, Rohan Angadi - Higher Education: Dana Yeleussiz, Sriram Varun Vobilisetty - Lifelong Learning: Ekin Karamalak, Linda Z. Education Team Lead: Imren Johar Edited By: Caroline Chen #Education #EdTech #ImpactInvesting #FutureOfWork #AI #HigherEducation #LifelongLearning #SocialImpact

?? Building a More Just Future Through Impact Investing As the GSB Impact Fund’s Justice Team, we believe justice is more than a legal principle - it’s an investment in equity, opportunity, and lasting change. Too many communities remain locked out of economic mobility, legal protections, and access to essential products and services. We’re committed to backing visionary founders who are changing that. This year, we’re doubling down on investments in venture-scale businesses tackling systemic inequities—from financial inclusion to ethical AI, legal access, and cultural preservation. Our Focus Areas: ?? Unlocking economic mobility and access to capital ?? Building inclusive products that serve marginalized communities ?? Advancing equity in legal systems and second-chance hiring ?? Supporting ethical technology that protects privacy and fairness ?? Preserving arts and cultural heritage as a driver of economic justice If you're building solutions that align with our mission, we’d love to connect. Let’s work together to create a world where justice is not just an ideal, but a lived reality. Read our full Justice investment thesis here:?https://lnkd.in/gyb2CGTf Written By: Zooey Carter Wilkinson (Team Lead), Antonia Chin, Arinze Obiezue, Kelsey Flower Edited By: Caroline Chen Team Members: Zooey Carter Wilkinson (team lead), Alexis Isham, Antonia Chin, Arinze Obiezue, Juliette Hackett, Joselyn Martinez Moreira, Kelsey Flower, Shane Goldstein #ImpactInvesting #SocialJustice #VentureCapital #Equity #Inclusion #GSBImpactFund #FutureOfJustice

?? The Future of Healthcare is Being Built Today Healthcare is undergoing a seismic shift. 4.5 billion people lack access to essential care, while AI, precision medicine, and new care models are rapidly redefining the industry. As the GSB Impact Fund’s Healthcare Team, we’re backing early-stage startups that are making healthcare more accessible, predictive, and equitable—because quality care should not depend on your zip code or income. Here’s our thesis on the future of healthcare: ?? Beyond the Hospital – Home-based care, mobile clinics, and community-led health solutions are transforming how care is delivered ?? Health Equity & Inclusion – From diverse clinical trials to women’s health and AI-driven diagnostics, we invest in solutions that close critical care gaps ?? AI & Emerging Technologies – AI-powered drug discovery, predictive analytics, and smart diagnostics are making healthcare faster, more affordable, and more precise ?? The next generation of healthcare innovation won’t just improve hospital operations—it will redefine who gets care and when ?? If you’re an entrepreneur building high-impact, scalable solutions in these areas, we want to hear from you. Read our full investment thesis and join us in shaping the future of healthcare: https://lnkd.in/gFAVQ26J Written By: Olivia Peniston?(Team Lead),?Henri Fernandez,?Kristi S.,?Alexander Thury, MD Edited By: Alex Webb Team Members: Olivia Peniston Ari Brown Amanda Tu Felipe Louren?o Henri Fernandez Kristi S. Maximilian Mancini Alexander Thury, MD Wasan Kumar #ImpactInvesting #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare #HealthEquity #VentureCapital

?? Ready to see how cities are evolving for the next generation? We just released our Urban Development Investment Thesis, and we’re focusing on four key pillars to spark innovation: Housing ?? Climate Mitigation & Adaptation ?? Mobility ?? Community & Public Services ?? From cutting-edge construction tech and green infrastructure to AI-driven traffic management and inclusive community platforms, we’re on the hunt for startups reimagining city life. Whether you’re a founder building solutions for housing affordability or an investor keen on the future of sustainable urban growth, our thesis will give you a sneak peek into how we’re viewing impact in the world’s fastest-growing environments. Check out the full post here: https://lnkd.in/gZtzC3ZY Let’s collaborate to shape thriving, resilient, and inclusive cities — together. Written by: Maha Al Fahim (team lead), Danielle DeVera, Grace Pan, Juan Diego Garcia, Maren Wilder, Michael A. Paquette, CFA, Patrice Tsafack, Becca Blais, Alex Webb Edited by:?Alex Webb, Caroline Chen #UrbanInnovation #ImpactInvesting #VC #UrbanDevelopment #Mobility #ClimateTech #Housing #Community #FutureofCities

? What happens when you bring together 70+ MBAs passionate about driving impact through innovation and early-stage investment? Pure magic! In January, we hosted our annual GSB Impact Fund Retreat at the stunning Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove. Over two days, our students: - Explored deal sourcing and developed investment theses ?? - Bonded with teammates and shared insights on driving positive change - Left refreshed, inspired, and ready to hit the ground running ?? Key highlights: - Hands-on Deal Evaluation: Teams ran through real inbound deal submissions (reminder link: https://lnkd.in/g935DZH4) - Founders Wisdom: Harley Blakeman of Honest Jobs shared his inspirational founder journey and experience as a GSB Impact Fund portfolio company - Beach Bliss: Sunset strolls, hot chocolate, and s’mores by the fire ???? Here’s to another year of impact-driven innovation! ??

If you think all that matters in early-stage venture investing is a killer rolodex, think again. As Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner at Precursor Ventures, told the GSB Impact Fund in a recent training session: sourcing is the real lifeblood of early-stage investing. Without a steady flow of diverse, high-potential founders, early-stage investors face an uphill battle. So how do you cast that wide-yet-focused net in a way that’s both efficient and equitable? For Charles' tips, read more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gEVZVnxG #impactinvesting #venturecapital #VC #sourcing

?? ? Do you start your emails with “Hope you are well”? If so, yikes! But you’re not alone. When you’re a founder emailing an esteemed investor like Andreessen Horowitz's?Marc Andreessen?in the hopes of getting a meeting, good luck — Marc receives about 1,300 emails a day. Getting him to open your message, let alone respond, is a tough task. But it’s not impossible. In our first Impact Fund training of the year, The New York Times Editor and Stanford University Graduate School of Business Lecturer Glenn Kramon delivered a master class on effective cold outreach and emailing. ?? For more on Glenn's 10 Rules of Reaching Out, read our blog: https://lnkd.in/ggiTMXGD

In our second interview of the '24-'25 year, our co-CIO Caroline Chen sat down with former co-CIO and new Investment Committee member Judy Park GSB ’20, to discuss her impact investing journey. From immigrating to the U.S. at the age of nine to helping launch Bain Capital's Double Impact arm to investing in education at Owl Ventures and now redefining the future of work at FoW Partners, Judy has been an inspiration and mentor to many Impact Fund students. "On the Impact Fund, deal teams have very diverse backgrounds which created cross-pollination of learnings across the board. For example, on my education team, we had people coming from investing like myself, but also people with operational backgrounds who asked different types of questions that I hadn’t thought of because I never worked at a startup." https://lnkd.in/gjSzH9rh #gsbimpactfund #impactfund #impactinvesting #vc

In our first GSB Impact Fund interview of the 2024-2025 year, our co-CIO Caroline Chen sat down with Stanford University Graduate School of Business alumna, lecturer, and IC member Heidi Krauel Patel to discuss her impact investing journey. From early days working in the dot-com tech bubble to building the largest women-focused VC fund Rethink Impact, LP, Heidi has been a pioneer in defining the term “impact investing.” “Impact investing - in its myriad forms - allows you to build a career in finance without checking your values or your passions at the door. I want more people to have this choice, which is why I teach - to encourage professional paths that are impactful and to give students the tools and inspiration to use their passion for change as an asset in their career choices.” https://lnkd.in/gGKsQXcd #gsbimpactfund #impactfund #impactinvesting #vc