The Origin of SSIG

Stanford Sustainable Investment Group (SSIG) was founded by Samir Chowdhury to build the community he wished existed on campus — a place where students interested in sustainability, technology, and finance could engage with experiential investing, networking, and mentorship opportunities.

After working at The White House Council on Environmental Quality, Samir became frustrated by how slow and bureaucratic policy could be. He was inspired by the dynamic and innovative nature of entrepreneurship and the role investors could play in scaling their solutions. But on campus, there weren’t many opportunities for undergraduate students to meaningfully explore this sector of climate careers.

SSIG was created to change that. What started as an idea has grown into the nation’s first undergraduate-run investment advisory for sustainable investors, composed of nearly 150 students across Stanford’s School of Engineering, Business, Humanities and Science, and Sustainability. Today, SSIG supports top climate investors through diligence, sourcing, and market analysis, while training the next generation of students to think like impact-driven investors and operators.