Scott Taitel

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

The NYU Impact Investment Fund (NIIF) is a unique inter-disciplinary, experiential learning course which is offered in tandem with a student-led and operated Impact Investing Fund of the same name. For students to participate in the Fund they are required to be enrolled in this course.

The creation of NIIF has been approved by the Deans of both Wagner and Stern. NIIF is operated under the guidelines of an Operational Handbook which has been reviewed by the NYU Office of General Counsel. Investment transactions made during the course are supported by the Business Law and International Transactions Clinics of the NYU Law School resulting in a three school interdisciplinary collaboration offering students the opportunity to interact with their peers across the University ecosystem.

Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (fall and spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation. The course will meet every other week, but students are expected to complete assignments and deliverables during weeks that the class does not meet to assure the investment processes and momentum are responsibly maintained.

The class will be divided into five Deal Teams. The Deal Teams will have a sectoral focus (e.g., Financial Inclusion, Environment, Healthcare/Aging, Education and Food Systems) for sourcing prospective investment clients.

The teams will also have access to the MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network & Training) program which is a competitive experiential on-line lab designed to give students at graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. The NIIF Investment Committee will recommend one of the teams to compete in the finals of MIINT where top graduate schools present to a judging committee composed of industry leaders in impact investing. Those participating in MIINT will have some additional deliverables in accordance with the MIINT program guidelines though the majority of the requirements align with deliverables identified in this Syllabus for the NIIF class as a whole.

This course introduces students to the main areas of corporate finance and how they relate to policy issues and discussions. The course covers topics in the three main areas of corporate finance: 1) capital structure (financing choices), 2) valuation (project and firm valuation) and 3) corporate governance (optimal governance structures). We will analyze how public policy, through taxes, public expenditures and regulation, affect these aspects of corporate finance. The course will additionally explore how key economic events have shaped public policy and influenced corporate financial practices. Case analysis will be used to enable students to understand practical application of the corporate finance theory introduced in the course and will also incorporate discussion of corporate finance in the context of social enterprises. 

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

The NYU Impact Investment Fund (NIIF) is a unique inter-disciplinary, experiential learning course which is offered in tandem with a student-led and operated Impact Investing Fund of the same name. For students to participate in the Fund they are required to be enrolled in this course.

The creation of NIIF has been approved by the Deans of both Wagner and Stern. NIIF is operated under the guidelines of an Operational Handbook which has been reviewed by the NYU Office of General Counsel. Investment transactions made during the course are supported by the Business Law and International Transactions Clinics of the NYU Law School resulting in a three school interdisciplinary collaboration offering students the opportunity to interact with their peers across the University ecosystem.

Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (fall and spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation. The course will meet every other week, but students are expected to complete assignments and deliverables during weeks that the class does not meet to assure the investment processes and momentum are responsibly maintained.

The class will be divided into five Deal Teams. The Deal Teams will have a sectoral focus (e.g., Financial Inclusion, Environment, Healthcare/Aging, Education and Food Systems) for sourcing prospective investment clients.

The teams will also have access to the MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network & Training) program which is a competitive experiential on-line lab designed to give students at graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. The NIIF Investment Committee will recommend one of the teams to compete in the finals of MIINT where top graduate schools present to a judging committee composed of industry leaders in impact investing. Those participating in MIINT will have some additional deliverables in accordance with the MIINT program guidelines though the majority of the requirements align with deliverables identified in this Syllabus for the NIIF class as a whole.

This course requires an application. Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (Fall and Spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation.

This course introduces students to the main areas of corporate finance and how they relate to policy issues and discussions. The course covers topics in the three main areas of corporate finance: 1) capital structure (financing choices), 2) valuation (project and firm valuation) and 3) corporate governance (optimal governance structures). We will analyze how public policy, through taxes, public expenditures and regulation, affect these aspects of corporate finance. The course will additionally explore how key economic events have shaped public policy and influenced corporate financial practices. Case analysis will be used to enable students to understand practical application of the corporate finance theory introduced in the course and will also incorporate discussion of corporate finance in the context of social enterprises. 

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

This course will explore best and evolving practices in the financial management and impact measurement of social enterprises.  The class will be taught from the perspective of the social entrepreneur and social enterprise manager and introduce cases to assess financial challenges, fiscal performance and financing strategy of pioneering firms with a social mission.  We will explore trends, successes and failures in managing enterprises to achieve both financial and social returns.  Measuring social impact in tandem with financial performance will be a core component of the course with topics including triple bottom line accounting, impact measurement, impact reporting and correlation between operating performance and impact sustainability.  Students will be introduced to accounting and reporting methods necessary to responsibly calculate and communicate financial and social returns to investors and stakeholders. This course will delve into the financial, operational and strategic management of social enterprises in domestic and international settings including developing nations. 

This course introduces students to the main areas of corporate finance and how they relate to policy issues and discussions. The course covers topics in the three main areas of corporate finance: 1) capital structure (financing choices), 2) valuation (project and firm valuation) and 3) corporate governance (optimal governance structures). We will analyze how public policy, through taxes, public expenditures and regulation, affect these aspects of corporate finance. The course will additionally explore how key economic events have shaped public policy and influenced corporate financial practices. Case analysis will be used to enable students to understand practical application of the corporate finance theory introduced in the course and will also incorporate discussion of corporate finance in the context of social enterprises. 

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

The NYU Impact Investment Fund (NIIF) is a unique inter-disciplinary, experiential learning course which is offered in tandem with a student-led and operated Impact Investing Fund of the same name. For students to participate in the Fund they are required to be enrolled in this course.

The creation of NIIF has been approved by the Deans of both Wagner and Stern. NIIF is operated under the guidelines of an Operational Handbook which has been reviewed by the NYU Office of General Counsel. Investment transactions made during the course are supported by the Business Law and International Transactions Clinics of the NYU Law School resulting in a three school interdisciplinary collaboration offering students the opportunity to interact with their peers across the University ecosystem.

Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (fall and spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation. The course will meet every other week, but students are expected to complete assignments and deliverables during weeks that the class does not meet to assure the investment processes and momentum are responsibly maintained.

The class will be divided into five Deal Teams. The Deal Teams will have a sectoral focus (e.g., Financial Inclusion, Environment, Healthcare/Aging, Education and Food Systems) for sourcing prospective investment clients.

The teams will also have access to the MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network & Training) program which is a competitive experiential on-line lab designed to give students at graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. The NIIF Investment Committee will recommend one of the teams to compete in the finals of MIINT where top graduate schools present to a judging committee composed of industry leaders in impact investing. Those participating in MIINT will have some additional deliverables in accordance with the MIINT program guidelines though the majority of the requirements align with deliverables identified in this Syllabus for the NIIF class as a whole.

This course requires an application. Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (Fall and Spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation.

This course will explore best and evolving practices in the financial management and impact measurement of social enterprises.  The class will be taught from the perspective of the social entrepreneur and social enterprise manager and introduce cases to assess financial challenges, fiscal performance and financing strategy of pioneering firms with a social mission.  We will explore trends, successes and failures in managing enterprises to achieve both financial and social returns.  Measuring social impact in tandem with financial performance will be a core component of the course with topics including triple bottom line accounting, impact measurement, impact reporting and correlation between operating performance and impact sustainability.  Students will be introduced to accounting and reporting methods necessary to responsibly calculate and communicate financial and social returns to investors and stakeholders. This course will delve into the financial, operational and strategic management of social enterprises in domestic and international settings including developing nations. 

This course introduces students to the main areas of corporate finance and how they relate to policy issues and discussions. The course covers topics in the three main areas of corporate finance: 1) capital structure (financing choices), 2) valuation (project and firm valuation) and 3) corporate governance (optimal governance structures). We will analyze how public policy, through taxes, public expenditures and regulation, affect these aspects of corporate finance. The course will additionally explore how key economic events have shaped public policy and influenced corporate financial practices. Case analysis will be used to enable students to understand practical application of the corporate finance theory introduced in the course and will also incorporate discussion of corporate finance in the context of social enterprises. 

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

This course will provide a field opportunity for students to investigate the current practices of an El Salvadoran social enterprise, Acceso Oferta Local – El Salvador, which aggregates agricultural  products (fruit, vegetable, fish and seafood)  procured from low-income producers. Students will investigate the success factors and challenges of the enterprise, assess its social impact and make recommendations for important enterprise initiatives including the rollout of a new digital training platform, development of an improved financial inclusion strategy and scaling and replication.  These opportunities will be viewed through the lens of social impact, financial return, and stakeholder management.  In addition, students will have the opportunity to evaluate policy implications on the business and beneficiaries specifically as it relates to El Salvador being the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.  Students will also examine how expanding economic impact on the enterprises’ rural beneficiaries can lead to reduced migration to urban areas and other countries including illegal migration to the US.  

Students will have the opportunity to interview local producers, product buyers, funders, and policy makers, develop frameworks for assessing scaling opportunities and making recommendations for the social enterprise’s evolution. They will also interact with the management of the key customers of the enterprise including the Executive Vice President of Grupo Calleja, a NYU Stern graduate and former candidate for the country's presidency who has grown his family owned and operated Super Selectos chain to over 100 supermarkets.

The course will build off the Professor’s two cases on this enterprise.

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

This course will explore best and evolving practices in the financial management and impact measurement of social enterprises.  The class will be taught from the perspective of the social entrepreneur and social enterprise manager and introduce cases to assess financial challenges, fiscal performance and financing strategy of pioneering firms with a social mission.  We will explore trends, successes and failures in managing enterprises to achieve both financial and social returns.  Measuring social impact in tandem with financial performance will be a core component of the course with topics including triple bottom line accounting, impact measurement, impact reporting and correlation between operating performance and impact sustainability.  Students will be introduced to accounting and reporting methods necessary to responsibly calculate and communicate financial and social returns to investors and stakeholders. This course will delve into the financial, operational and strategic management of social enterprises in domestic and international settings including developing nations. 

This course introduces students to the main areas of corporate finance and how they relate to policy issues and discussions. The course covers topics in the three main areas of corporate finance: 1) capital structure (financing choices), 2) valuation (project and firm valuation) and 3) corporate governance (optimal governance structures). We will analyze how public policy, through taxes, public expenditures and regulation, affect these aspects of corporate finance. The course will additionally explore how key economic events have shaped public policy and influenced corporate financial practices. Case analysis will be used to enable students to understand practical application of the corporate finance theory introduced in the course and will also incorporate discussion of corporate finance in the context of social enterprises. 

This course provides an introduction to the impact investment landscape, the evolution of impact investment as an asset class and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. The course will also teach the process by which an investor performs financial due diligence on a social enterprise to render a responsible investment decision. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns.  Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, students will gain deep insight into the perspective of the venture philanthropist and the impact investor (including NGO managers). The course will explore the impact investment financial environment including pioneering concepts such as Social Impact Bonds, successes and failures to date, mobilization of investors, allocation of capital, and the prospects for the future of impact investing. The course will explore impact investment both domestically and in the developing world.

The NYU Impact Investment Fund (NIIF) is a unique inter-disciplinary, experiential learning course which is offered in tandem with a student-led and operated Impact Investing Fund of the same name. For students to participate in the Fund they are required to be enrolled in this course.

The creation of NIIF has been approved by the Deans of both Wagner and Stern. NIIF is operated under the guidelines of an Operational Handbook which has been reviewed by the NYU Office of General Counsel. Investment transactions made during the course are supported by the Business Law and International Transactions Clinics of the NYU Law School resulting in a three school interdisciplinary collaboration offering students the opportunity to interact with their peers across the University ecosystem.

Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (fall and spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation. The course will meet every other week, but students are expected to complete assignments and deliverables during weeks that the class does not meet to assure the investment processes and momentum are responsibly maintained.

The class will be divided into five Deal Teams. The Deal Teams will have a sectoral focus (e.g., Financial Inclusion, Environment, Healthcare/Aging, Education and Food Systems) for sourcing prospective investment clients.

The teams will also have access to the MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network & Training) program which is a competitive experiential on-line lab designed to give students at graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. The NIIF Investment Committee will recommend one of the teams to compete in the finals of MIINT where top graduate schools present to a judging committee composed of industry leaders in impact investing. Those participating in MIINT will have some additional deliverables in accordance with the MIINT program guidelines though the majority of the requirements align with deliverables identified in this Syllabus for the NIIF class as a whole.

This course requires an application. Students participating in NIIF are expected to enroll in the NIIF course for the full academic year (Fall and Spring) and will receive 1.5 credits for each semester of participation.