West Harlem
Innovation Network

A new paradigm for Opportunity Zone investing

About

In 2022, Spring Mountain Capital launched a Social Impact investment strategy that attempts to leverage the Opportunity Zone legislation to continue SMC’s history of opportunistic, flexible, and progressive investing while positively impacting historically overlooked communities. As we focus on Opportunity Zones in and around the Greater Harlem region, we call our strategy the West Harlem Innovation Network – or “WHIN” for short.

Unlike many Opportunity Zone investment strategies, WHIN is not focused on real estate assets, but rather how its investments in Opportunity Zones can have a positive Social Impact on the community. Instead of funneling capital into rehabilitating and repurposing buildings, WHIN invests in businesses that seek to mitigate the disproportionate health, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes in historically underinvested communities.

To achieve this mission, WHIN invests across the growth cycles of dynamic and innovative companies in four synergistically-related sectors – Life Sciences, Education, Amplifying Technology, and the Food Ecosystem.

To learn more, please visit https://whin.nyc or contact us at hello@whin.nyc

Team

Kumasi

Bangudi-Smothers

Venture Associate

Lucy

Cai

Life Sciences Fellow, Social Impact

Jessica

Dzienius

Office Manager, Benefits Coordinator, and Social Impact Chief of Staff

Moji

Fagbemi

Manager of Client Relations

Pavel

Greenfield, Ph.D.

Head of Education Technology, Social Impact

Gregory P.

Ho

President and Head of Social Impact Group

Jack

Januszewski

Vice President, Social Impact

Miriam

Minkowitz

Associate, Social Impact

Jason

Rifkin

Co-Head of Life Sciences, Social Impact

Tara

Sharp, JD

General Counsel

Col. Aaron

Stanek (R)

Head of Government Affairs, Senior Advisor and Operating Partner - Social Impact

John

Wang

Head of Food Ecosystem, Social Impact

Kenneth

Wang

Co-Head of Life Sciences, Social Impact

Kris

Woo, CFA, CPA

Chief Financial Officer