Retention & Advancement Programs
Supporting Investors as They Grow and Navigate Their Careers
GWI’s Retention and Advancement Programs build participants’ skills, nurture their communities, and equip them to continue their investing journeys. GWI currently offers Investor Circles (IC), the Investor Leadership Program (ILP), and Pathways Programming.
Enrolled participants have access to:
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Professional Mentorship
to facilitate your personal career growth and development with extended support offered beyond onsite programming.
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Community Building
collaborate with your peers and exapnd your professional relationships.
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Skills & Training
Sample topics may include negotiations, executive presence, leadership assessment, confidence building and more.
Investor Circles (IC)
The four-month program assembles early-career investors into a small, closely-knit circle — each led by a senior and mid-career investor. Aiming to cultivate community, foster professional connections, and provide valuable career guidance, the program supports the goal of retaining women in investment management.
New for Fall 2026: Join us for our first Los Angeles-based IC program. Applications are now open!
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Learn from your peers by exchanging ideas, experiences, and strategies that you have picked up throughout your early career while fostering broader connections and a stronger sense of belonging within the industry
Receive career navigation advice and discuss essential career topics with experienced investment management professionals, who will provide guidance, insights, and real-world perspectives to participants while gaining a comprehensive understanding of career progression in investment management
Gain exposure to industry professionals and perspectives beyond your current firm
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Role: Must be in an investing role (buy-side preferred).
Tenure: 1-3 years into your career.
Location: All participants must be willing and able to travel to Los Angeles for in-person programming, at participant's cost.
Asset class: Any
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Application Deadline: Monday, July 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PDT
2026 LA IC meetings will be held:
August 4 2026 | Hosted by Oaktree Capital Management
September 15, 2026 | Hosted by TCW
October 15, 2026 | Hosted by Clearlake Capital
“I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am to have been part of this program. This was transformational in my career journey and has left me with lifelong friends and lessons.”
-Sara Sotirov, GWI Class of 2020
Investor Leadership Program (ILP)
The program kicks off with a three-day on-site intensive where participants have the opportunity to learn from world-class business school professors, connect with other participants working in investment management, and join a community committed to helping each other advance through the industry. Continued programming will be offered for three months following the in-person program with a graduation celebration planned in December 2026.
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Collaborate with your peers and expand your professional relationships in a cohort-based learning environment.
Receive mentorship to facilitate your personal career growth and development.
Take the time and space to grow your confidence and your skills. Sample topics may include negotiations, executive presence, leadership assessment, and management.
Engage with the program's extended support, offered remotely for beyond the on-site portion of the program, which includes meetings with influential leaders, additional skill-building, and ongoing collaboration and community.
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Role: Must be in an investing position on the buy-side
Tenure: Mid-Career Level (Typically 3-7 years into your career or approaching promotion)
Location: Must be able to travel to Philadelphia for program dates selected in your application but can then be based anywhere for the continued programming in the following months.
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Application Deadline: Monday, August 10, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT
Intensive at The Wharton School: September 27 - 29, 2026
98%
of ILP graduates view the GWI community as an essential career resource.
Pathways
Pathways is a targeted initiative designed to prepare participants for successful careers in the buy-side of investment management through rigorous technical training, industry exposure, and direct access to career opportunities through industry events.
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Live, in-depth technical education in foundational skills leveraged by analysts within the target asset class
Interview preparation and career coaching tailored to the target asset class
Connections to partner firms through curated learning and community building events
Exposure to future job opportunities via targeted recruitment channels
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Be a GWI Alumni in good standing
Submit registration by July 6
Complete onboarding by July 8
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Registration Application Deadline: July 6, 2026
Orientation: Saturday, July 11, 2026
Sessions: Saturdays, July 18, 2026 - August 22, 2026