
Ibrahim R.
5.0
(12)
How to Break into Impact Investing (Without an MBA) |
Studied at University of Chicago
Works at Sorenson Impact Foundation
Successful clients at
Available today at 7:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Ibrahim's Coaching Offerings
How to Become an AI-Native Investor
$1722h 30m of coaching
Advance Your Career in VC
Expert coaching to elevate your skills and achieve your VC goals.
Starting at $69010h+ of coaching
Custom hourly · $69/hr
Get help with Skill Building, Deal Sourcing, and .
Ibrahim’s Venture Capital Qualifications
Experience level: Senior Associate
Ibrahim has helped clients get into these companies:
I’m one of the youngest impact investors working in the industry today—and I broke into the industry without an MBA or a finance background. I started my career in government and nonprofits, so I know exactly what it takes to navigate an unconventional path into VC and build credibility from day one. Over the past five years, I’ve: -Been named Twice to ImpactAlpha’s Top 10 Voices in impact investing -Lectured at Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago on sustainable finance -Launched a health-tech startup on stage with Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative - Served on a City of Chicago committee convening the region’s LP community, hosting breakfasts with 30+ institutional investors -Built a monthly “AI for VC Ops” working group with more than 200 investor signups -Helped launch the world’s first foundation dedicated to refugee entrepreneurs, serving as a founding investment committee member I coach aspiring impact investors because I’ve lived the nontraditional path myself—and I can help you break in, stand out, and build a mission-driven career, even if you don’t come from a traditional background.
Ibrahim can help with:
Skill Building
Deal Sourcing
Portfolio Management
Resume Review
Networking Strategy
Technical Interview Prep
General Exploration
About Ibrahim
I'm a Pakistani - American who grew up in South Africa, England, Nigeria, and the UAE and had early ambitions to become a diplomat. But while working in foreign-aid, I realized that the amount of capital needed to tackle global programs (climate change, the refugee crisis, healthcare access) far exceeded what government could provide alone. The private sector would need to step up. So I learned some finance, ran a digital health startup, wrote a book, joined a Presidential Campaign, and freelanced a bit before joining the Sorenson Impact Foundation as an impact investor where I back bold entrepreneurs tackling tackling deep systemic problems. I'm especially motivated to leverage capital to support refugees, tackle Long COVID, and environmental justice. On the side, I sit on the alumni board of Chicago:Blend, a non-profit helping underrepresented minorities become investors, run a monthly workshop teaching investors how to use AI, and serve as the Chair of the Sirman's Global Impact Foundation's (SGIF) investment committee. SGIF is the world's first foundation dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurial solutions supporting refugees and forcibly displaced populations.
Why do I coach?
I love helping young professionals think about how they can use their lives and careers to tackle humanities biggest challenges. I've benefited immensely from mentors, executive coaches, organizations, and peers who have enabled to become an impact-investor and I want to pay it forward to others.
Work Experience

Senior Associate, Impact Investing
Sorenson Impact Foundation
May 2025 - Present
I work for a catalytic impact investor that deploys patient, early-stage capital into scalable, tech-enabled solutions improving the lives of low-income and underserved communities across the United States. I help manage their catalytic impact portfolio backing early stage founders in sectors as diverse financial health, healthcare access, economic mobility, climate resilience, and responsible technology. Through its Program-Related Investments and grantmaking, we helps de-risk innovation, crowd in co-investors, and accelerate companies and funds creating measurable, community-centered impact.
Sustainable Investing Analyst & Co-Chair
Marquette Associates
July 2022 - October 2024
At Marquette Associates—one of the Midwest’s leading investment consulting firms advising over $100B—I led the firm’s sustainable investing work. I helped pensions, foundations, and family offices build impact portfolios that addressed climate risk, strengthened place-based economies, and held managers accountable for their proxy voting on climate and DEI. I redesigned Marquette’s ESG diligence process across all asset classes, wrote the firm’s climate-risk and place-based investing playbooks, and led clients through industry pilots like the BlueMark/Intentional Endowments “Endowment Impact Benchmark.”
Founder and COO
Strong Haulers
January 2022 - December 2023
Strong Haulers was a digital health startup built to make symptoms predictable for people with Long COVID, concussions, and other complex chronic illnesses. Our platform generated personalized, data-driven reports by combining symptom logs, activity levels, weather, and wearable data into one clear interface that helped patients understand their triggers and advocate for better care. As co-founder, I led product development, media strategy, operations, accounting, legal, hiring, fundraising, and ultimately dissolution. The company was featured in WIRED, presented at TechCrunch Disrupt, and was launched on stage with Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2022. We built a working prototype and ran a pilot where users used our data to challenge insurance claims, collaborate more effectively with physicians, and validate the patterns they were experiencing. Our users said it best: “With just a short period of tracking, I was able to validate clear relationships between my activities and symptoms—insightful for both my self-care and my medical team.” “Your tool showed me that my anxiety and depression didn’t always track together. We uncovered triggers—like isolation—that were affecting me in ways I hadn’t recognized.” “This is the fourth tracker I’ve used, and it has the most current value and future potential for me as a long COVID warrior.” “I share my tracking data with my medical team to evaluate treatment effectiveness and shape new care plans.”
Education

University of Chicago
Masters in Public Policy, Public Finance
Boston University School of Medicine
Bachelor’s Degree, International Relations and Affairs
12 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Ibrahim has helped clients get into these companies: