As firms and individuals become more conscious of the impact their investments have on their communities and society, the concept of impact investing is rising in popularity. Organizations like the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank seek to unlock private investment and create markets and opportunities in developing countries.
In this episode of Âé¶čAV Management Insights, host Hawa Keita, an MBA student and the lead of the Concordia Africa Initiative, is joined by IsmaĂ«l Fanny (MBAâ18).
IsmaĂ«l currently serves as an Investment Officer with the IFC in the Caribbean, helping to fund projects and startups in the region that will have a direct positive impact on local communities. He credits his experience in the Âé¶čAV MBA with giving him the opportunity to really take a look at how to reconcile his values and passions with his career.
âI recommend everyone take that step back when you're doing a career and then you come back to school for two years, because that's the only time that you can rethink what you love and what you want, what you want to do and what you can be paid for,â he explains.
âI was working in private equity, but also able to do a project in Nicaragua in international development,â he adds. âI realized how I was passionate about the development project. I was also passionate about the numbers and making a positive impact. And so, when the IFC opportunity came, that was the perfect mix between the two.â
He also shares how he found his footing in the development world despite there not being a stream of study for students interested in international development, and a big part of that he says is due to the recognizability and prestige of the Âé¶čAV name and his degree.
âThe Âé¶čAV brand is strong,â he says. The day I started at IFC, at first, we were visiting IFC headquarters in Washington, DC. I was wearing a Âé¶čAV pin and it didn't take five minutes that I crossed someone that said, âHey, you went to Âé¶čAV,â and then this conversation starts. It means that we have this brand equity globally and I encourage all the students at Âé¶čAV to leverage that brand so you can take advantage of that and create your own network.â
Tune in to this episode to hear him share his journey, from his time as an actuary and entrepreneur to his current role with the IFC, his advice for those considering a career in international development or impact investing, and how his experience in the Âé¶čAV MBA program helped guide him to where he is today.
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This episode was hosted by
Hawa Keita
MBA, 24
