Girls who invest announces expanded multi-year partnership with Vista Equity Partners

Business Wire | Vista Equity Partners will commit US$1.5 million in funding and continue to partner with Girls Who Invest to promote pathways for women to thrive in asset management and finance.

Girls Who Invest (GWI), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and executive leadership in the asset management industry, has announced that it has expanded its existing partnership with Vista Equity Partners. Vista is a leading investment firm focused on software, data, and technology-enabled businesses and has been GWI’s leading sponsor since its inception.

Over the past 3 years, Vista has provided significant funding to support GWI’s flagship 10-week Summer Intensive Program and its online programs. Vista is now expanding its support of GWI, committing US$1.5 million in funding and providing internships for GWI scholars over the next 5 years. GWI has increased the size of its flagship Summer Intensive Program from 30 college women in 2016 to 100 last year and earlier this month GWI sent out acceptance letters to 150 students for its incoming 2019 cohort. There continues to be tremendous demand from students at colleges all across the country to participate and from asset management firms all over the world. This summer, the 150 exceptionally talented young women will complete their 4-week educational training at either the University of Pennsylvania or the University of Notre Dame, and immediately thereafter begin their 6-week paid internships at industry-leading firms – including Vista. Vista will hire 6 GWI scholars as interns this summer.

GWI aims to inspire more women to pursue investment management careers through educational training, access to paid internships, mentorship opportunities and engagement with the GWI community. GWI’s 4 weeks of educational training includes coursework in core finance and investment concepts taught by top business professors, time for building relationships with industry leaders through a speaker series, Bloomberg Terminal training, presentation skills training, and one-on-one career coaching.

“Vista has been a leading voice on gender diversity in the asset management industry, and their growing investment in GWI shows that they continue to back strong talk with strong action,” said Seema Hingorani, founder and chair of Girls Who Invest. “Vista was our first founding partner and we are grateful for their continued and expanded partnership and support. Their substantial commitment will help us deliver on our mission to improve the gender imbalance on investment teams across the asset management industry which will ultimately be beneficial to investors everywhere.”

GWI’s Summer Intensive Program has proven effective in building a pipeline of female investment talent for the industry. So far, of the nearly 200 college women who have completed the Summer Intensive Program, 80 percent have stayed in the investment business.

“GWI and Vista share a commitment to promoting pathways for women – and all people – to rise by merit alone. Unfortunately, too often women are overlooked and underrepresented in the asset management industry,” said Betty Hung, an Operating Principal at Vista Equity Partners and member of the GWI Board of Directors. “Girls Who Invest is changing the face of the industry by equipping young women with the access and skills to thrive in the competitive world of asset management.”

About Girls Who Invest: Girls Who Invest is a non-profit organization founded in April 2015 dedicated to inspiring and empowering young women to pursue investment careers in the asset management industry—a field challenged by a lack of diversity. We are committed to changing this imbalance. Our goal is to see 30% of the world’s investable capital managed by women by 2030. Our approach is simple and practical: create a pipeline of talented, motivated young women through an intensive educational program, a meaningful paid internship experience and a robust ongoing community. For more information, visit www.girlswhoinvest.org.

About Vista Equity Partners: Vista Equity Partners – Founded by Robert F. Smith in 2000 – is a U.S.-based investment firm with offices in Austin, San Francisco, Chicago, and Oakland with more than US$30 billion in cumulative capital commitments, currently invests in software, data and technology-based organizations led by world-class management teams with long-term perspective.

Vista Equity Partners is a value-added investor, contributing professional expertise and multi-level support towards companies realizing their full potential. The firm’s investment approach is anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions, and proven management techniques that yield flexibility and opportunity in private equity investing.. For more information, please visit www.vistaequitypartners.com.