Investments
As a global social enterprise, we seek to reimagine what stewardship and fiduciary duty mean for a mission-driven organization. WES engages a total enterprise approach to achieve our mission and effect broader systems change.
We believe that stewardship of a mission-driven organization must reflect both financial and mission objectives. We are committed to a 100 percent mission-aligned investment portfolio, leveraging our full asset base to ensure WES’ financial sustainability, organizational growth, and achievement of impact goals. As WES rotates its full investment portfolio for impact, we will activate the full spectrum of capital, utilizing five investing approaches.
To ensure greater accountability of our investments and demonstrate our mission-aligned approach to the field, we strive for transparency in our policies and portfolio. Our Investment Policy Statement describes our mission-aligned investment commitment.
We also integrate the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice (DEIBJ) and trust-based investing practices across whom we invest in, what we invest in, and how we invest.
Insights
Deepening Community Across WES’ Mission Investing Partners to Advance Collective Impact and Action
By Matthias Pries, Impact Investing Manager “Sometimes you have to be together in a physical space with folks to forge trust and build genuine relationships and connection.” Betty Francisco, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative This idea captures the inspiration for World Education Services’ inaugural investee partner gathering. In late October, ahead of the SOCAP23 […]
A Playbook for Power-Shifting in Philanthropic Investment
by Smitha Das, Joi Edwards, Katheryn Witt Rethinking Who’s at the Table Philanthropy has the power and the resources to help build an economy where all people—no matter their race or class—can thrive. Power, ownership, and choice over where and how capital is used—to build a representative economy—should be shared. If we want investments to […]
Community Credit Lab Receives First Recoverable Grant from the Fund to Pilot New Financial Lending Programs
The WES Mariam Assefa Fund is excited to announce its partnership with Community Credit Lab (CCL). With a $100,000 recoverable grant from the Fund, CCL will pilot and test new financial lending programs with input and direction from local lending partners and communities that know the needs of their communities best. A recoverable grant is […]
Driving Capital into the Immigrant-Serving Sector: 8 Key Takeaways from our Twitter Chat
On December 15, World Education Services (WES) brought immigrant serving-organizations together for a Twitter chat to discuss funding for and investing in organizations and solutions that enable immigrants and refugees to thrive. The conversation focused on how to drive more capital toward creating a more inclusive economy. More than 40 individuals and organizations joined us […]
Our Team
Senior Director, Investments
Smitha Das
Senior Director, Investments
Smitha Das is deeply committed to centering equity and justice within her work and demonstrating a trust-based investment approach, with an eye toward reimagining the broader capital markets. As the Senior Director of Investments at WES, a global social enterprise, Smitha leads WES’ investment practice, stewarding 100 percent of WES’ resources to be mission-aligned.
Her passion for creating meaningful impact was sparked at an early age when she founded a water non-profit in middle school. She has since worked in government, renewable energy private equity, venture philanthropy, and impact investing.
Smitha has an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and an AB with Honors in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, where she co-founded the HBS Impact Investing Club and Harvard College Social Enterprise Club. She is a Just Economy Institute fellow and serves as a board member, advisor, and investment committee member for several organizations, including Mission Driven Finance, the Unlock Ownership Fund, JFF Ventures, New Power Labs, Cell-Ed, and the HBS Impact Investing Alumni Group.
Manager, Investments
Matthias Pries
Manager, Investments
Matthias Pries is Manager, Investments at WES, where he is responsible for the organization’s catalytic impact investing portfolio, providing capital to early-stage ventures and emerging fund managers who are advancing economic and educational inclusion for underserved and overlooked communities across Canada and the U.S.
Matthias brings significant experience working at the intersection of capital and impact. He has worked globally and domestically across private, public, and social sectors, advising investors on capital deployment, supporting social enterprises in capital raising, developing impact investing strategy for government, and structuring new impact investment funds and products. Matthias has facilitated impact investments in a wide range of areas, among them education technology, financial inclusion, workforce development, affordable housing, health care, and climate change.
Outside of his work with WES, Matthias is an investment committee member for an impact investment fund in his home province of Manitoba, as well as for a small family office with a global impact portfolio. He is also a frequent mentor to young professionals seeking to start their careers in impact investing. He has a MSc in Climate Change Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh and a B.ES in Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo.
Connect With Us
We are excited about meeting innovators, organizations, and fellow travelers who are committed to advancing shared priorities and collective impact. If you’d like to learn more or explore partnership opportunities with us, please contact the Investments team.