Alumnae News & Highlights

Roseanne Wincek ’00, co-founder and managing director of Renegade Partners — a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, made a gift to her alma mater to inspire Hathaway Brown students to change the world through investments and digital currency. 

Wincek, who has extensive experience in technology and innovation, graduated from Hathaway Brown in 2001 then studied at the University of California, Berkeley. There, she received her B.S. in chemistry and M.A. in biophysics. While pursuing her MBA at Stanford, she was co-president of the venture capital club — experiencing firsthand the significance of learning the art and science of investments with like-minded peers.    

Wincek’s generous donation to the Fund for Hathaway Brown was designated to HBSIG, the Upper School’s student investment club. Her gift will be used by the 18 female club members to buy and manage cryptocurrency, which is a part of the HB endowment.    

A Pew Research Center survey revealed that 16 percent of adults have invested, traded in, or used crypto. Pew Research also found that 43 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 29 have bought or used crypto, compared to 19 percent of women in the same age group. 

“High school girls today are entering a different world than I did,” said Wincek. “Using this gift is an amazing opportunity to actively learn about digital currency.” 

HBSIG President-Elect Sahar Maleki ’23 and the club members are excited to embark on this new venture. They’ll partner with an investment strategist to learn the best approach to the cryptocurrency market and how to proceed in a sustainable manner.

“Given our portfolio and our primary focus on long-term stock investments with less volatility, I never thought we would branch out into cryptocurrency,” said Maleki. “Now more than ever, we have seen crypto take a leading role in the global economy, and the fact that high school students have the chance to be a part of it, even on a small scale, is incredibly meaningful.” 

While this is many of HBSIG members’ first experience with cryptocurrency, the group is not a stranger to liquidly-traded assets. Since its establishment in the 2016-2017 school year, the club has worked intimately with the school’s chief finance officer and a member of the board of trustees to make a series of long-term stock investments.

HBSIG is an extension of Hathaway Brown’s Fellowship in Business and Finance. Members apply, are interviewed, and commit to a year-long course of study. Throughout their multi-year involvement in the club, students learn the basics of investing, how to understand the worth of a company through analysis of stock reports and monitor their assigned stock for possible selling or reallocation through SWOT analyses. 

The Fellowship in Business and Finance is one of HB’s signature experiential learning opportunities that teaches high school students business principles such as entrepreneurship, investing, and operations.     

“I want to further empower Hathaway Brown students with innovation that energizes them to become the next generation of female investors,” said Wincek. “High school girls who not only understand, but have experience with blockchain ecosystems will be ahead of the game.”

The Fund for Hathaway Brown, previously known as the Annual Fund, provides budget-relieving and budget-enhancing dollars granted through the generosity of alumnae, parents, faculty, staff, and friends. The Fund encourages donors to broaden their support of the school, while communicating the impact of their giving and leading the effort in building a culture of philanthropy – for today, for tomorrow, and for life. Make a gift at HB.edu/TheFund.