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    How Insight Partners Is Championing Diversity in the VC & Private Equity Space

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    There are a lot of things to consider as you determine what you want out of a job. In addition to role, salary, and location, one thing that might take high priority on your list is inclusivity and belonging. In other words, being welcomed, wanted, and represented at the company you’re working for.

    Depending on who you are and what background you come from, your sense of belonging will be determined by a number of different factors. At Insight Partners, a New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm, they’ve made it a priority to find out what these factors are and how to properly embed them within their company.

    Recently, we spoke with Insight’s Dhanya Madhusudan, Director of DE&I Community at the firm, and Isabelle Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Campus Recruiting, to learn more about these diversity and inclusivity initiatives at the 28-year-old investment firm.

    In our conversation, we discovered that Insight’s employee resource groups, recruiting efforts, CEO ScaleUp Pledge, and Vision Capital fund are just a few of the ways they promote diversity and inclusion within their firm and the software startups they invest in.

    Employee Resource Groups

    At Insight Partners, employee resource groups (ERGs) are an integral part of company culture and employee benefits. Currently, Insight Partners has Black@Insight and OUTsight ERGs which focus on the empowerment, continued education, and advancement of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals, respectively.

    As a member of these ERGs, or non-members who are interested in learning more, you can attend monthly meetings, educational series, and panels to discover what it takes to grow and thrive as a young professional. Additionally, a mentorship program is rolled out in which employees can learn from those who have been embedded in the industry and company for a while.

    Campus Recruiting

    One of the most direct ways to expand representation at a company is through recruiting efforts. Insight’s campus recruiting efforts, led by Isabelle Rodriguez, intend to not only recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds but retain them as well. One of the ways they do this is through immersive learning experiences, including the Inclusion by Insight Diversity Summit.

    This diversity summit is a two-day event in which top-tier candidates from minority backgrounds are invited to learn and grow their skills. The goal of the summit is to learn about Insight Partners and venture capital and private equity spaces, but also to grow professional skills in a number of ways. An example of this is when they partnered with Great on The Job, a company that leads workshops on perfecting your pitch, owning your brand, mock interviews, and more.

    But what’s most commendable about Insight’s recruiting efforts is the end goal they are striving for.

    CEO ScaleUp Pledge

    Among Insight’s various DEI initiatives is the firm’s bold CEO ScaleUp Pledge, which Insight’s portfolio company CEOs sign to commit to prioritize DE&I at the executive level and drive tangible change in their workforce. Working alongside the CEOs and their companies, Insight helps them building an inclusive workforce that is representative of various genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic statuses, religions, physical abilities, and more.

    Those companies that do sign the pledge aren’t only given the resources needed to make these strides, but they are also held accountable by the firm through progress reports. By both implementing and measuring progress on DEI initiatives, Insight Partners intends on making a difference across the many industries and sectors that the firm invests in.

    Vision Capital Fund

    Insight’s Vision Capital 2020 Fund is putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak. Insight believes that underrepresented fund managers have access to differentiated perspectives, networks, and deal flow capable of driving strong fund performance. The Vision Capital Funds are governed by Insight’s senior leadership and leverage Insight’s network, experience, and operational expertise to support fund managers’ investment and operating efforts.

    For Insight Partners, it isn’t enough to make strides just inside their own workforce and portfolio. While the firm’s ERGs, diversity recruiting efforts and ScaleUp Pledge cultivate internal change, the Vision Capital 2020 Fund looks to make change outside of the company.

    To learn more about Insight Partners, the work they do, and the sectors they’re impacting, check out their WayUp company profile. There you’ll find information on everything from job opportunities to more groundbreaking efforts that are changing the private equity and venture capital space as we know it. More

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      Day in The Life of an Investment Analyst at Insight Partners

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      The private equity and venture capital space is one of the most exciting and dynamic industries to work in. So much so, that job descriptions often fall short of capturing the incredible opportunities and fulfilling work that professionals get to do.

      This being the case, those who want to pursue a career in PE and VC don’t always have a clear picture of what it looks like. To shed some light on what a career in investing entails, we spoke with a pair of former analysts and current associates at global software investor Insight Partners about their day-to-day work. Insight Partners invests in high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries

      Sourcing

      Analysts are responsible for identifying new investment opportunities in the form of businesses and products, or what’s known in the industry as “sourcing.” At Insight Partners, analysts look to source promising companies in a variety of software subsectors such as FinTech, HealthTech, cybersecurity and more.

      Simply put, sourcing is the active process of identifying and evaluating potential investment prospects. The actual undertaking of that can consist of anything from market research and referrals to outreach and pitching. What’s so enjoyable about this part of the job is the excitement surrounding the discovery of a new business or opportunity that no one has come across before!

      Talking to Founders

      A big part of sourcing is talking to founders and executives. As an analyst, you’re given the opportunity to speak directly with these founders as they share what oftentimes is their life work, and something they have built from the ground up. In addition, being able to speak with some of the smartest subject matter experts across a variety of industries and sectors presents analysts with a massive opportunity to grow and learn about different technologies and domains.

      Zack went on to say how thought-provoking it is to listen to someone sharing the most interesting things that they know—things that might have taken them years to find out, test, or hypothesize. For Zack, having access to that kind of information and learning more about the world are what he really loved about being an analyst. 

      Becoming a Market Expert

      Although talking to founders is a crucial aspect of being an analyst, it is just one of many levers pulled on the track to becoming a market expert. Analysts also need to be well-versed and informed on particular markets in order to evaluate the potential of a business. While much of this is done by individual research, the analysts at Insight Partners have the opportunity to learn from those around them, which makes for an incredible culture of learning and development for all.

      For Ana Hugener, the Onsite Diligence & Growth Strategy team and the broader Insight Onsite team were two of the biggest influences to her becoming a market expert. The Insight Onsite team is made up of 140+ operational experts who work side-by-side with Insight’s portfolio companies in the key functional areas of a software company, including talent, sales, marketing, product, engineering and strategy. Onsite’s different Centers of Excellence mirror these company functions.

      These Centers of Excellence allow analysts the opportunity to grow in a variety of fields while also setting themselves up for future opportunities.

      Diligence

      While becoming a market expert is crucial for sourcing, it is equally as important for conducting diligence. The end-to-end diligence for new investment opportunities can consist of talking to founders about what they are building, telling them about Insight Partners, learning about markets, and more. Whether that’s looking at the model, the customer data, the competitive landscape or talking to customers, analysts at even the most junior level are given the opportunity to get involved.

      In our conversations with Ana and Zack, one thing they made clear about diligence is how much Insight allows entry-level and junior-level employees to get involved. Right from the get-go, analysts are making lasting impacts and contributions to the firm and their portfolio companies.

      Meaningful Work with Meaningful Companies

      Whether it’s sourcing, diligence, or portfolio work, one of the most gratifying aspects of working as an analyst at Insight Partners is the opportunity to do meaningful work with companies that make a difference. 

      After meeting with these successful analysts, it became clear that the software and technology industry is an incredibly fascinating and ever-expanding industry. This being the case, there is no shortage of interesting companies to work with.

      For Zack, his favorite portfolio company that he’s worked with sells software to pharmaceutical companies to help with clinical trials. The software allows the companies to simulate parts of the clinical trial process so that they can get FDA approval for drugs faster. For Zack, this meant he was helping a company that might be responsible for getting life-saving medications and drugs to market faster. This was an incredibly fulfilling opportunity in his day-to-day work as an analyst.

      For Ana, her favorite companies to work with were startups that were early on in their growth journey. Ana claimed that these companies are so interesting to work with because of all the questions that still need to be answered and the opportunity to have a real impact on the success of a business. For Ana, growing something from these early stages is what made the analyst role so appealing for her.

      Whether it’s sourcing, talking to founders, becoming a market expert, doing diligence, or making meaningful impacts on businesses, the work of an analyst at Insight Partners is an unbounded position with infinite potential. If you’re interested in a role where you can launch your career in private equity and venture capital, check out some of Insight Partners’ open roles today. More

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      in Career Hacks

      Scoping Startups and Building Brands: At Insight Partners, You Can Do It All

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      Although a fair amount of overlap exists between venture capital, private equity, and investment banking, all three sectors differ in significant and unique ways – some of which include the roles and responsibilities bestowed upon employees. If you were to pursue a career in investment banking, you might find yourself working on trades, mergers, and acquisitions; advising in the sale of new stocks and bonds; or connecting buyers and sellers of companies. In venture capital and private equity, you could be doing anything from identifying promising new startups to evaluating a company’s marketing strategy for post-investment growth.

      Although private equity providers, venture capital investors, and investment bankers may all be incentivized to sell stakes at one point or another, private equity and venture capital firms concentrate more on building and growing the companies they invest in. This, coupled with the fact that private equity and venture capital analysts evaluate companies on different factors than investment bankers, leads to some exciting opportunities for people who want to work in the field.

      Recently, we sat in on a virtual event with global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners to learn more about some of the open roles that the firm is currently looking to fill. The two positions we ended up identifying as the most engaging and exciting opportunities are the Investment Analyst and the Onsite Diligence and Growth Strategy (DGS) Analyst.

      Scouting for the Next Big Thing: Investment Analyst

      If you’ve ever heard of a company called Shopify, then you already know of one company that an Insight analyst identified and helped scale for success. One of the most exciting parts of being an Investment Analyst is knowing that the companies you’re sourcing and evaluating could be the next big brand or household name that’s going to shake the markets. And, you could be the one who discovers them.

      At Insight, you don’t have to be a partner or executive to get your hands in the mix. The firm is known for its world-class analyst program, which gets junior-level analysts and associates directly involved in deals with the most senior investors on the team.

      Investment Analysts Abhi Srinivas and Nisha Rangarajan attended our virtual seminar with Insight Partners and spoke about their experience on the job with passion and pride. While listening to them speak, it was evident that they love what they do and the company they work for. 

      Post-Investment Prowess – Onsite Diligence & Growth Strategy Analyst

      So Insight decided to invest in a company that an Investment Analyst sourced – what’s next? In come the Onsite DGS Analysts. Insight Onsite is the VC industry’s largest software-focused operations team, which works alongside Insight’s portfolio companies to help executives identify key opportunities for growth. While Investment Analysts are responsible for identifying and making initial contact with the target company, it’s the responsibility of the Onsite DGS Analysts to help the company scale and succeed post-investment.

      The Onsite team is what really drew Ruth Park to Insight. In the post-investment phase, Ruth may be sinking her teeth into the marketing strategy of a company or making recommendations to company leaders on how to put their newly acquired funding to the best use.

      Ruth’s point is that it doesn’t really matter where you come from – Insight is looking for minds from every walk of life and every school of thought to fill its ranks. 

      If you’re interested in being an Investment Analyst or an Onsite DGS Analyst who works with some of the most fascinating growth-stage technology, software, and Internet companies in the world, Insight Partners is for you.

      Check out Insight Partners’ WayUp profile page to learn more about the firm and apply for open roles. More