Sophia Fischer is lacing up for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon as part of Team GWI! Before she takes on 26.2 miles on November 1, learn more about how she has already made an impact with GWI.
You’re part of our Class of 2020 Alumni. What was your experience as a Scholar, and how has it shaped where you are today?
I had a unique Summer Intensive experience given it was the time of peak Covid. Instead of being on the beautiful UCLA campus, we were participating remotely via Zoom. The Zoom fatigue was real, but despite the challenging format, I still loved my SIP experience. I learned so much from our professors and guest speakers, my interest in investing grew, and I connected with other amazing Scholars that I still keep in touch with today. I have yet to hear Seema speak without getting chills, and her end-of-program speech explaining her story and the mission wholly inspired me -- I was sold on the mission of shaping the investment management industry and positively impacting companies and markets through capital allocation.
GWI and my time as a Scholar shaped me both professionally and personally. Personally, GWI has been an important community for me; through involvement as a New England Regional Rep, I’ve formed a strong community here in Boston after initially knowing one person when I moved here. In fact, I was recently a bridesmaid at Anna Zhou’s (GWI Class of 2018) wedding!
Training for a marathon is a major commitment. How do you draw parallels between what it takes to cross the finish line and what it takes to build a successful career in investment management?
I believe success – both in running and in investment management – comes down to mental stamina and confidence in oneself. What is hard yet so rewarding about running is that much (if not most) of your performance comes down to your mental stamina. We are all capable of more than we often believe of ourselves - this is true physically and in our careers. I no longer shy away from pain during a hard workout because I value the rewarding feeling after of knowing I did it; likewise, when work gets busy or I feel overwhelmed, I face it head-on knowing I will come out stronger from it. You need mental stamina to get through the intense periods and the highs and lows investment management inevitably brings.
Running also gives me the confidence in myself that I can do hard things. During this training block, I am facing longer runs every week that I’ve never attempted before, but I remind myself that if I can do 16 miles I can get through 18, etc. Similarly, when there’s a new challenge at work I haven’t encountered before, I think back to when I’ve gotten through other obstacles and trust myself that I can do this one too. In an industry in which imposter syndrome is rampant yet you win by having a different view from others, you need to stay grounded and remind yourself of your abilities.
Over 26 miles is rarely smooth. How has overcoming these inevitable setbacks of
marathon training shaped your resilience in the gym, the boardroom, and every
challenge life puts in front of you?
Maybe the physical repetition of always putting one foot in front of the other translated to my life outlook, but I am a strong believer in you just have to keep going forward. I value reflection and growth, so I do analyze setbacks to see what I could have done better, but I try to avoid dwelling on them for too long. At some point, you have to move on and just focus on how you grow for next time. A mentor once told me “learning is painful.” So is running. But ultimately these hard challenges make you better only if you make the most of these learning opportunities. Everyone faces obstacles - the question is what you do in the face of them.
What does it mean to you personally to raise awareness and support for the next
generation of leaders? What do you hope your efforts make possible for them?
By raising awareness and support, I hope more young women are able to join the GWI community – that more college first years and sophomores learn about the organization, and that GWI can continue offering free programming for Scholars. I hope more young women see how exciting investment management is and feel empowered to make a difference in the industry. Finance can be intimidating, but truly the more the merrier; GWI changed my life that summer of 2020, and I am excited to help the organization change the lives of future generations as well.
Why is GWI worth investing in — for individual donors and corporate Partners alike?
GWI is good for business. Studies have shown that diversity of thought in business leads to more informed and balanced decision making. Gender differences in investment approach, perspective and experience can enhance long-term investing success; in fact, studies showed greater gender balance in an investment team can add 45 basis points per year in net excess returns! Yet, only 1% of US financial assets are managed by women or individuals from diverse backgrounds, and the global percentage of female fund managers has been ~12% for the past two decades. The bottom line is we need more women managing money, which is where GWI comes in. GWI brings more women into investment management and supports them throughout their careers through education, programming, and resources. Your donations will help GWI continue to serve the next generation of future women investors, which in turn yields better business outcomes across industries.
What would you say to another GWI Alum who is thinking about getting more involved in the GWI Alumni community but isn’t sure where to start?
It’s never too late to be involved! A great place to start is attending a regional event – these are awesome opportunities to meet new people in your area, and so many attendees are first-timers who come by themselves. If there isn’t an event planned soon, reach out to your regional rep to have them add you to your region’s Slack or WhatsApp group. Reps are always happy to get coffee with you and/or personally introduce you to others in the area as well. Otherwise, the portal is a way to find other Alumni in your city or industry, and you should feel empowered to reach out to anyone directly to chat!
What do you hope Alumni and Scholars take away from seeing Alumni like you still
actively engaged and running the New York City Marathon on behalf of GWI?
I hope they take away how fulfilling involvement with GWI has been, both professionally and personally. I have found genuine, close friends through GWI and some fantastic career opportunities. I believe you get what you put into it, and GWI has always been a community in which I’ve felt welcomed. (I also hope people are encouraged to start running – I used to absolutely hate it, so if I can run a marathon I truly believe anyone can).