Why I Donated to the Haas SRI Fund: A Conversation with Vivienne Hsu (MBA ‘01)
By Deborah Fleischer, CRB Communications Consultant, and Amy Dinh, CRB Program Manager
CRB just launched a new crowdfunding campaign to support our student-run Haas Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Fund. Learn more and donate here. We had the opportunity to chat with Vivienne Hsu (MBA ’01) about why she donated to the Fund.
After attending the Center for Responsible Business’ (CRB’s) 10 Year Anniversary celebration last year, Vivienne Hsu, CFA, Senior Vice President with U.S. Trust, learned about the Haas Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Fund. Excited about the potential of the Fund to provide Berkeley-Haas students real-world investment and portfolio management experience, she recently pledged $3,000 toward CRB’s new crowdfunding campaign for the Fund. Charlie Michaels (Haas BS ’78) is matching all donations to the Fund, thus doubling her impact.
Vivienne explains, “To know that hands-on portfolio management experience is available at Haas and that students get to do it in a way that is closest to what they would experience at an investment management firm—that was exciting to me. This hands-on experience is invaluable, so I wanted to support the Fund as well as Haas.”
With 18 years of experience in institutional investment management, Vivienne believes that participation in the Haas SRI Fund gives Berkeley-Haas students an edge in her field upon graduation, especially for students that do not have investment management experience. According to Vivienne, the student principals’ real-world learning experience, using actual rather than hypothetical money, is rare and provides them important insights into the industry.
She is also excited about the Fund’s potential to elevate Haas’ reputation for investment and finance expertise, beyond technology and entrepreneurship. “I would love for Haas to build a name for itself as a pioneer in investment,” says Vivienne. To all of her fellow alumni and investment/finance professionals, Vivienne urges, “Join me in supporting this unique and valuable student experience that can make a real contribution to the investment management community.”
Learn more and donate HERE. Vivienne shares her comments below on how the Fund is shaping new leaders in sustainable finance and why she donated.
