Share:

Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship to pilot MIINT undergrad program

The Miami University Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship’s Social Impact Fund has been chosen by the MBA Impact Investing Network & Training (the MIINT) to pilot their first undergraduate experiential learning program, in part because the Fund is one of the first undergraduate social impact funds in the nation.

MIINT is an experiential lab designed to give students at business and graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. It is produced in partnership between the Bridges Impact Foundation and the Wharton Social Impact Initiative. This past year, more than 350 students from 31 top global graduate schools participated in the MIINT. 

"MIINT has been looking for the right school, the right fund, and the right opportunity to pilot this next phase of our experiential learning program. Brian Trelstad, Partner at Bridges Fund Management said in a statement. “Miami's Social Impact Fund is exactly what we have been looking for in order to expand the MIINT and its experiential education programs to undergraduates.”

The Altman Institute’s Social Impact Fund is the first of its kind: a socially-focused, seed-stage investment fund led by undergraduate students, providing them with the opportunity to invest in alumni-led startups and local social enterprises. This is a new initiative through Miami University’s internationally recognized social entrepreneurship program. 

Miami’s center for social entrepreneurship was named "Best Program in Social Entrepreneurship" by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC). It is the recipient of more than $650,000 in federal grants for social entrepreneurship programs with international scholars through the U.S. Department of State. It was a two-time winner of the "Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship" award by ASHOKA.

"This partnership will provide students with the skill sets needed to invest in social enterprises doing great work here in the community. We are really excited to work together to train the next generation of impact investors," stated Brett Smith, founding Director of Miami’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship.

“The MIINT is partnering with Miami to provide a curated curriculum on sourcing, diligence, and structuring investments while allowing MIINT to pilot their undergraduate training program,” said Adwoa Asare, MIINT’s program manager at the Bridges Impact Foundation. 

"It's amazing as an undergrad to be provided with the training and the opportunity to provide investments to mission-driven companies. Through this experience we will not only help the companies and communities that the Social Impact Fund supports, but also learn how to foster the growth of social enterprises as we move on into our careers after graduation,” stated Sarah Connel, Senior, Founding Managing Director of Miami’s Social Impact Fund.