Civic Scholars Student Profile Nathan Weil

Why Chicago Booth?
I’m excited to join the Booth community because of the unmatched flexibility I’ll have to create an MBA experience that matches my goals. From studying under sector-leading faculty in economics, finance, and entrepreneurship to capitalizing on the resources provided by hubs like the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, I’m looking forward to building an academic foundation at Booth that pairs data and evidence with community impact.
 
What skills are you looking to develop at Booth?   
Coming from a background in research and econometrics, I’ve thought a lot about how to measure whether a program works. At Booth, I want to build a better vocabulary about everything from understanding the competing funding models for social sector interventions to thinking about the day-to-day management strategies that can help those interventions succeed. Beyond coursework, I’m excited to contribute to Booth’s student-led impact investment funds and to work directly with local nonprofits both through Civic Scholars programming and student groups like Net Impact.
 
What are your career aspirations?  
I want to pivot into a role in philanthropy to help private capital better allocate resources toward social sector impact. In particular, I’m interested in helping to create a bigger platform for testing new and traditionally under-resourced ideas to tackle trenchant problems in criminal justice and create new pathways for economic opportunity. By helping to build an evidence base of diverse and effective interventions, I hope that philanthropy can provide a blueprint for large public investment to effect more transformative change at scale.