UNICEF USA Announces New Appointment to the Impact Fund for Children’s Board of Directors: Vidya Vasu-Devan
NEW YORK (January 25, 2023) – Today, UNICEF USA announced the appointment of Vidya Vasu-Devan to the Impact Fund for Children’s Board of Directors, effective December 21, 2022.
The Impact Fund for Children is an organization of UNICEF USA that provides innovative and attractive opportunities for impact investors and catalytic donors who seek to help solve the biggest challenges confronting children worldwide.
“UNICEF USA is honored to have Vidya Vasu-Devan join the Impact Fund for Children’s Board of Directors,” said Cristina Shapiro, President of the Impact Fund for Children, UNICEF USA. “The leadership and expertise of our board members helps to drive innovative financial solutions to reach the most vulnerable children as well as the critical support from impact investors needed to respond quickly.”
Vidya currently leads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the director of the 2.5-billion-dollar Strategic Investment Fund (“SIF”) while also sitting as chair for the fund’s Investment Committee. Vidya has worked across geographies and sectors to source, structure, and manage venture capital, debt, and guarantee investments. Notably, Vidya leads SIF’s investment efforts in the vaccines and biologics sector and has led investments in Achaogen (AKAO), AgBiome, BioNTech (BNTX), Charter School Growth Fund, Civic Builders, Just Biotherapeutics (acq. By Evotech), Inventprise, Merck, Sanofi, and more.
Prior to joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Vidya served as an investment professional in the public markets proprietary hedge fund of Goldman Sachs. During her time at Goldman Sachs, Vidya led their healthcare portfolio, invested in financial institutions, and worked in advising and executing innovative structured finance transactions for financial institution clients.
Vidya received a Master of Business Administration and a certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Astrophysics with concentrations in Mathematics and Economics from Columbia University.
“I’m thrilled to join the board of the Impact Fund for Children to learn from the impactful work done in collaboration with UNICEF to date and also help shape the next phase of impact investing on behalf of children globally.”
The Impact Fund for Children has been recognized for demonstrating positive social impact for eight consecutive years by being selected for inclusion in the ImpactAssets 50 list of Impact Fund Managers.
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About UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information, contact
Ann Reinking Whitener, UNICEF USA, areinking@unicefusa.org