about altfinance
about uS
AltFinance was created to tackle the root challenges facing diversity in the alternative investment industry by creating clear pathways for HBCU students to enter careers at alternatives firms, portfolio companies, and pipeline investment banking firms.
founding partners
AltFinance was seeded in 2021 with a 10-year, $90 million commitment from Apollo Global Management, Ares Management Corporation and Oaktree Capital Management. Our Founding Partners also provide invaluable professional mentorship, skills training, executive speaker sessions, career development guidance, as well as firm and investment site visits for AltFinance Fellows.
our approach
fellowship
Developed and implemented in partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), the AltFinance Fellowship provides students from partner HBCUs (Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Spelman College) with intensive preparation, mentorship, and guidance for breaking into a career in alternatives.
Altfinance
Institute
Students at all HBCUs can take courses in our virtual institute, where we provide a mix of top-tier academic content from HBCU finance programs and our academic strategic partner, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, along with new content developed by professionals at Apollo Global Management, Ares Management Corporation, and Oaktree Capital Management.
The Opportunity in HBCUS
The percentage of underrepresented minority investment professionals in alternative investments is 7%. This is partly due to recruiting strategies at alternative investment firms, which have been driven by alumni relationships rather than targeting HBCUs as core recruiting sources. However, HBCUs have played a vital role in producing diverse leaders in fields such as STEM, medicine, law, and politics. We are confident that they can also have a similar impact in the alternatives industry.
Other highly competitive industries are actively working to achieve more equity in their workforces, and they have experienced benefits from recruiting HBCU graduates and students. AltFinance is pioneering as the first industry-wide organization to introduce HBCU communities to the alternative investment industry.
Source: McKinsey, UNCF
.jpg)
The Opportunity in alternatives
The alternatives asset class, managing over $10 trillion, encompasses private equity, private credit, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, and more. It stands as one of the fastest-growing asset classes in investment management, gaining market share in institutional and high-net-worth investor portfolios. Additionally, it offers investment professionals very competitive compensation packages across all industries.
Careers in alternative investments offer some of the most rewarding and influential opportunities within the financial services sector. The career trajectory for professionals in this field can lead to roles as investment decision-makers, board leaders, C-level executives, and even entrepreneurs.
impacting the
future
Since forming in 2021, AltFinance has been actively advancing its mission by effectively preparing HBCU students for careers in alternative investments.
Impact Report
.jpg)
Nia Phipps
SPELMAN COLLEGE ‘24
Economics Major
.jpg)
Kareem Michel
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE ‘23
Economics Major
The team behind
the impact
Operations
