Hello! My name is Jack Clark and I am a 3rd year McIntire student concentrating on management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. For the past few years I have been studying, through clubs and various classes, the field of impact investing. I have specifically been looking into for-profit organizations that have positive social and environmental change baked into their business models. When the opportunity arose to work in this intersection this summer, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to learn about what I had investigated in classrooms in a more real-world environment. I applied to the Tadler Fellowship so that I could understand the field of impact investing from a new perspective. I was lucky enough to intern for Blueprint Local, an Opportunity Zone Fund that capitalizes on recent tax reforms to direct disposable capital from wealthy individuals into low-income areas of cities across the US.

Prior to my experience this summer, I thought I understood most of the ways that private investment could make a positive social impact, however, I now understand just how many ways investment can be simultaneously influential and profitable. As an intern for Blueprint Local, I worked on big picture issues such as helping management decide which types of projects are viable in new markets. I researched and designed a plan to alleviate food scarcity in West Charlotte, providing data, contacts, and information that Blueprint will use as they work to make positive social change in that region. I also assisted in the finer details of other ongoing projects by creating databases and analyzing potential solutions to existing roadblocks.

“This internship changed my perspective on commerce, the interaction of the government and private industry, and most importantly, what I want to pursue as a career. ”

Through my experience, I learned that impact investment is messy. I also learned that that mess is what makes it so interesting. As the global finance sector begins to shift to more deeply consider the societal and environmental implications of decisions, traditional investors are in for a wakeup call. They will find that the only way to guarantee positive change is to meet the people that they are impacting. Hear their voices and understand their stories.

The Tadler Fellowship and Blueprint allowed me the opportunity to investigate some of those narratives and understand the perspectives of people championing change in their communities. I learned that impact investing is messy, complicated, simple, and straightforward all for the same reason, the people.

I want to thank the Tadlers for giving me the incredible opportunity to learn more about my passion. I also want to thank Ross Baird from Blueprint and my boss Maegan Moore for teaching and guiding me.

This internship changed my perspective on commerce, the interaction of the government and private industry, and most importantly, what I want to pursue as a career. If you have any questions about the fellowship or Blueprint Local, feel free to reach out! Thanks for reading.