2024 Turner MIINT Competition Shapes Next Generation of Impact Investing Leaders
Graduate students from around the world compete as impact investors through the Turner MBA Impact Investing Network & Training (MIINT) program, with diverse teams and innovative ideas taking center stage.
In April 2024, graduate student teams from around the globe presented their diligence in hopes of securing up to $100K in investments into high-impact ventures in the 13th annual Turner MBA Impact Investing Network & Training (MIINT) competition.
The Turner MIINT, which gives hands-on education in impact investing for business and graduate school students, is a collaboration between Bridges Impact Foundation and the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School.
This year, 403 students participated in total. They learned from and were supported by 156 campus leaders, 63 industry mentors, 55 industry judges, and the Turner MIINT steering committee. The students spent the year developing their impact investing skills through live and asynchronous training sessions with industry and faculty experts from around the globe through the online TMIINT curriculum, in addition to networking opportunities with peers and program alumni. In early 2024, participating schools held internal competitions to select which student teams would advance to the global competition at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Selected as the strongest team from each of their schools, 151 students were invited to the investment committee event and traveled from as far as Hong Kong. Participants were welcomed to Wharton by Dean Erika James, followed by a keynote and fireside chat with Bobby Turner, W’84 and Principal and CEO of Turner Impact Capital, and Tyler Wry, Associate Professor of Management and Faculty Co-Director of Wharton’s Impact Investing Research Lab.
“Our students here today engage in rigorous analysis, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to driving meaningful change.”
– Erika James, Dean of the Wharton School
Dean James shared, “Our students here today engage in rigorous analysis, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to driving meaningful change. They have demonstrated their capacity to drive innovation and catalyze transformative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.”
Bobby Turner, sponsor of the Turner MIINT program alongside Lauren Turner W’85, shared, “I was incredibly impressed with the quality of work done by these students – and, more so, by the passion and commitment to using their business degrees for positive change. As I looked around the room, I was confident that I was meeting some of the impact investing industry’s future leaders.”
The two-day immersive experience gave students the opportunity to network with fellow graduate students and judges, observe each other’s presentations, and attend panels on impact investing careers, impact investing in the climate space, and impact measurement best practices and challenges.
Mike McCreless, Executive Director of Bridges Impact Foundation, Executive Director of Impact Frontiers, and Turner MIINT Steering Committee Member shared, “There was such a great energy to the whole event. What I enjoyed most was the careful thought that students and judges alike put into the ‘impact’ aspect of these impact investments.”
And the Winners are…
The winner of this year’s $50,000 Moelis Family Prize for best impact investment opportunity was awarded to the team from London Business School.* They presented a company called Afterwind. Afterwind is a Norwegian-based company, that exists to preserve natural resources for future generations by reprocessing end-of-life wind turbines into virgin-grade materials.
“Participating in Turner MIINT was an invaluable initiation into the world of impact investing.”
– Shahvir Pooniwala, Executive MBA 2025 of the London Business School Team
Shahvir Pooniwala, Executive MBA 2025 of the London Business School, said, “Participating in Turner MIINT was an invaluable initiation into the world of impact investing. The program was akin to an immersive six-month internship at an investment fund, exposing us to the different facets of evaluating companies and investing —from crafting an investment thesis to sourcing companies, conducting due diligence, evaluating business plans and impact potential, to preparing investment memos and delivering presentations to an Investment Committee.
Pooniwala continued, “My time at Wharton not only provided me with unforgettable memories but also lasting friendships with individuals from across the globe. It was inspiring to engage with fellow students, investors, and alumni, all passionate about impact.”
This year, the runner-up teams were from New York University and INSEAD. Each received a $25,000 investment into their presented company.* The New York University team presented Mosaic Instructional Planning, a lesson planning platform that provides tools and resources for teachers to support students in their learning processes. The INSEAD team presented Salva Health, a medical device company that enables early breast cancer detection by combining AI with a painless, portable, radiation-free device. The team from INSEAD impressed their peers and also took home the audience choice award at the finals competition.
Each year the judges select a student diligence award across all participating teams to celebrate a team that executed a strong and well-researched diligence process, whether or not their company was recommended for investment. This year’s best diligence award went to the team from the Kellogg School of Management who presented Poás Bioenergy. Their thorough market analysis and company research impressed the judges in all rounds, including the finals.
Reflections
Eduardo Medeiros, President of 11 ½ Holdings and longtime Turner MIINT Steering Committee member, shared, “The field has evolved significantly over the last 15 years since I first got involved with impact, despite still being in its early innings. As part of a generational shift in awareness, we like to think the Turner MIINT program can help future leaders obtain the tools to assess and manage impact without sacrificing strong financial returns.”
This is evidenced through the impact and financial success of the program’s Moelis Family Prize portfolio, with a handful of exited investments, including one sold to Apple.
Medeiros continued, “As a member of the steering committee, I have witnessed how much effort and planning has gone into the continued improvement of the program.”
One such example is the alumni council, which engages the over 4,500 alumni of the Turner MIINT program by inviting them back as mentors and judges. Notably, this year 50% of our judges were TMIINT alumni, enriching the process with their extensive knowledge and real-world experience, and continuing to raise the bar for the next generation of impact investors.
“With over 10 years of the program now behind us, I am excited to see what the next 10 years bring us,” Medeiros said.
*Note: all investments into winning companies are pending further diligence by Impact Assets.
Disclaimer: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania does not provide any endorsement, either implicit or explicit, in companies that participate with the Turner MIINT. Neither the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School, nor student participants in the Turner MIINT are investors in participating companies. Companies run by current students of the University of Pennsylvania are not eligible for review by the Turner MIINT.
Get Involved with the Turner MIINT
The Turner MIINT program will return next academic year, and all graduate students interested in participating will be able to apply in September. Schools that are interested in learning more about participating in the Turner MIINT program can learn more and connect at the link below.