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Meet Our Team

Get to know the leadership team behind Flat World Partners. Since starting out in 2015, we’ve built a reputation based on providing exceptional customer service for everyone. Behind every FWP successful venture, there’s our talented group who are highly committed to that success and bringing impact to the forefront of driving returns.
 
The team boasts decades of experience in impact investing coupled with top tier pedigree with backgrounds from Cantor Fitzgerald, The Heron Foundation, Accenture, Cornerstone, Morgan Stanley, SS&C GlobeOp, CAPROCK, and more, where they are able to leverage their understanding of the nuances of the financial market and prowess in impact, hedge funds, direct deals, venture and private equity, climate tech, SPVs, advisory consulting, and data analysis.

Forest Road
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ANNA-MARIE WASCHER

Founder & CEO

Anna-Marie founded Flat World Partners in 2015 after working at Accenture and Cantor Fitzgerald where she saw an unmet need for impact advisory services in the financial market. Anna  also set out to develop a comprehensive impact reporting and analytics platform, YvesBlue, a sister company of FWP. She has worked as a member of investment teams for several family offices and investment firms in the US and Europe with over ten years’ experience evaluating investment opportunities in venture and hedge funds. She is a venture partner to Aera, a venture fund investing in high growth early stage ventures defined by both purpose and profit, and an advisor for NYU Summer Launchpad for graduating student entrepreneurs and an advisor to TechStars Food to Fork Incubator.

Anna-Marie started her career with Accenture as a financial consultant in their London investment banking practice as well as supported Accenture’s socially responsible business arm. In 2009 Anna-Marie left Accenture to co-found Malaika For Life, a non-profit based in Tanzania focused on women’s development and malaria. 

CIO Kate Starr

KATE STARR

Co-Founder & CIO

Kate drives the investment philosophy, product development, and portfolio management for the firm.  Previously, she led the capital deployment team at the Heron Foundation that invests Heron’s approximately $300 million portfolio for impact.  Kate started her career as an economics and equities analyst at First Asset Management and moved into research on microfinance in Tanzania. 

She is a CFA and member of CFANY’s  Sustainability Committee. Kate serves on the investment committee of Impact Assets and advises Humanity United’s Worker Innovation Fund. Kate graduated from Indiana University with Honors degrees in English and Italian, and earned a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies

CFO Samantha McDonald

SAMANTHA MCDONALD

CFO

Samantha most recently served as VP Finance for Grayscale Investments and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of SPDR Gold (GLD) and SPDR Long Dollar Gold Trust (GLDW). GLD is the largest ETF to invest directly in physical gold with $34 billion in assets under management. Before her tenure with SPDR Gold, she worked at Roubini Global Economics, a global financial firm that provides economic analysis to portfolio managers, chief investment officers, analysts, and bankers.

McDonald was responsible for the planning, operating performance and leadership of the financial accounting and administrative functions. Prior to this, she held multiple financial and operational positions, including as the CFO of an education technology company. Samantha holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Auburn University and received her Master’s in Accounting from the University of South Alabama. She is a Certified Public Accountant.

Compliance Advisor Beth Haddock

BETH HADDOCK

Compliance Advisor

Beth Haddock has over 25 years experience leading the design and successful implementation of modern governance programs. With a focus on accelerating safe and sustainable growth, she fosters a culture of risk ownership, partnership and creative problem solving re-positioning governance and compliance as powerful business drivers at notable companies including Brown Brothers Harriman, Guggenheim Investments, AXA Advisors, and other billion-dollar corporations. She is an active board member and advisor, sharing her expertise and guidance on cutting-edge topics related to compliance, ESG, blockchain, and technology. Notably, Beth also chairs the New York City Bar's Web3 subcommittee and authored "Triple Bottom-line Compliance: How to Deliver Protection, Productivity, and Impact."

Managing Director Jennifer Leonard

JENNIFER LEONARD

Managing Director, Investments & Research

Jennifer is Managing Director of Investments at Flat World Partners. Her prior experience includes Chief Investment Officer of Syntrinsic Investment Counsel, as well as an extensive history in impact and sustainable investing roles at Cornerstone Capital Group and The CAPROCK Group.  She started her career in equity research and has worked at both Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, and was previously the CFO of SKS Microfinance. She is the Board Treasurer of Medha, an Indian non-profit focused on skills training and job placement for Indian youth. Jennifer has an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Economics from Boston University.  She is a CFA charter holder. 

Managing Director John Scanio

JOHN SCANIO

Managing Director, Investments & Venture

John manages the direct venture investing portfolio and program for Flat World Partners.  He brings decades of investment experience spanning high-risk credit, early stage and mid-market private equity, public equity fund management, and start-up operating experience.  Prior to joining the team, John co-founded a Global Clean Equities (ESG) long only fund for a multi-billion AUM alternative manager. Subsequently, he founded a Climate Tech long short hedge fund with an impact mission. 

As a former CFO and Head of Business Development for a high-growth fintech start-up he offers support to founders scaling their businesses. Following MBA school, John was Vice President at a merchant bank with a private equity fund where he invested in private family-owned businesses on behalf of family office investors.  He started his career in high-risk, international credit handling complex workout situations. John has an MBA from Southern Methodist University with a concentration in Investments and a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a Level 3 CMT candidate

Vice President Lillian MacCartney
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LILLIAN FREIBERG

Vice President

Lillian Freiberg is Vice President at FWP and has a collective 7 years in the financial services industry, where she has worked on and lead business development teams, client relationships, and project management and holds experience at blue chip firms as well as start ups. Getting her financial services start at SS&C GlobeOp she has since worked with FWP co-founders Kate and Anna-Marie for over four years helping to build up the FWP proprietary Impact SaaS public markets solution, YvesBlue, while also working directly with the investment research team and FWP partners to build external relationships, assist in education and alignment, and drive thought leadership. Lillian graduated Barnard College of Columbia University with a bachelors in English Literature and dual minor in Financial Economics and Mandarin. 

Impact Analyst Isaac Eskind

ISAAC ESKIND

Impact Analyst

Isaac Eskind is Impact Investment Analyst at FWP and has worked diligently with the investment research team for the past couple years. He holds a focused interest in sustainability, but works across all of FWP's impact themes. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, he holds a bachelors in Finance and Environmental studies from UW-Madison and resides in NYC.

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ROHAN SUREASH

Investment Analyst Intern

Rohan Sureash attends Columbia University majoring Financial Economics and Applied Mathematics, and joins the team as an Investment Analyst Intern. From Singapore, Rohan spent his freshman summer back home interning at Golden Gate Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the Southeast Asia Region. Prior to joining Columbia University, Rohan served as an operational firefighter in Singapore for 2 years where he held the rank of a Lieutenant. Rohan's passion for sustainable investing stems from his days in high school, where his school integrated the UN SDGs into all aspects of his high school curriculum. Rohan is enthusiastic about contributing to Flat World Partners' mission of bridging  the gap of impact and help drive more capital into impact investments.

At present, Flat World Partners LLC, Flat World Partners Advisors LLC and Flat World Partners Funds LLC, (“Flat World Partners”) are not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or any state securities regulatory authority. Flat World Partners is also currently exempt from registration as an investment adviser at the state level.

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