NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Girls Who Invest (GWI), a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the investment management industry by attracting and advancing women and non-binary investors, changemakers and leaders, is honored to announce a $2 million grant from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation (AOF), which recognizes the organization's achievements and impact on efforts to diversify the investment management industry. The annual $1 million commitment over the next two years will continue to power GWI’s momentum. AOF, which launched in 2022 with a $100 million commitment from Apollo Global Management, seeks to expand opportunity in communities around the globe by deploying capital and by engaging Apollo employees to invest in career education, workforce development and economic empowerment.
The new $2 million grant will support the growth of existing GWI core programs as well as new initiatives focused on the retention and advancement of women and non-binary investors who are working full time in the industry. As part of AOF’s contribution to the GWI community, the Apollo Opportunity Foundation will join the GWI Leadership Circle, a group of leading investment firms and partners established in March 2023 who collectively pledged to invest in the long-term retention and advancement of women and non-binary individuals in investment management.
“This significant commitment from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation underscores the firm’s belief in expanding opportunity to as many individuals as possible, and will meaningfully propel our Scholars, Alumni, and programs forward. Over and above the Foundation’s financial generosity, we couldn’t be more thankful to have Apollo employees actively engaging with our mission and for the firm to join the GWI Leadership Circle,” said Katherine Jollon Colsher, President and CEO at Girls Who Invest. “It’s imperative that our growing Alumni population of more than 2,500 have the necessary resources, community, and support as they progress throughout their careers, and partnerships like ours with the Apollo Opportunity Foundation provide the horsepower we need to advance in our vision to have 30% of the world’s investable capital be managed by women and non-binary individuals by 2030.”
“The Apollo Opportunity Foundation is proud to work hand-in-hand with an organization that reflects our key pillars of career education, workplace development and economic empowerment,” said Lauren Coape-Arnold, Global Head of Citizenship and Executive Director of the Foundation. “Guided by our commitment to create long-term impact for our community, we are thrilled to support the work of Girls Who Invest.”
About Girls Who Invest
Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the investment management industry by attracting and advancing women investors, change-makers, and leaders. GWI does this through tuition-free education programs for first and second-year college students. Once scholars complete their program, GWI provides career advisory services, community building, and connections for alumni at all stages in their careers, with a focus on long-term professional development, retention, and advancement. We believe, and studies show, that advancing diverse investors brings unique and previously excluded perspectives to the industry and leads to higher performance. To date, GWI has reached more than 2,500 young people in just eight years. To learn more, visit GirlsWhoInvest.org.
About Apollo Opportunity Foundation
Launched in 2022, the Apollo Opportunity Foundation (AOF) builds on Apollo Global Management's commitment to expanding opportunity across its workplace, marketplace and the communities where it operates. AOF was launched with $100 million to invest in non-profit organizations working to advance economic prosperity across three key pillars: Career Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Empowerment. Leading with an employee-driven approach, AOF partners with organizations that are championed by Apollo employees to expand opportunity for all.
About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three investing strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2023, Apollo had approximately $651 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.
