Upon graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in economics, Julia Schneider ’08 did what a lot of people do in the finance industry: She worked with hedge funds that served to make investors who had already achieved success even more successful. For Julia, that turned out not to be enough. She decided she wanted to help underserved groups in New York City and beyond. So, in 2018 Julia joined the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that creates shared prosperity across the city. Julia is the vice president in the Strategic Investments Group. She develops financing solutions to achieve both economic and social returns, with a long-term focus on expanding opportunity and enriching the city’s economy by providing enhanced access to finance for underserved groups and investment capital to strategic sectors. This enables her to put her nearly 10 years of financial services experience to work in innovative and fulfilling ways.

A dynamic, three-season athlete during her high school career at Dwight-Englewood, Julia believes the determination and drive she learned on the court and the field helped her become the dedicated investing professional that she is today. She also believes that the values instilled in her through the School’s community and mission changed the trajectory of her career and life. D-E holds a special place in Julia’s heart not only because she feels that it was a privilege to have been able to be educated in such a nurturing and inspiring environment, but also because it is where she met and fell in love with classmate George Phipps ’08, whom she married this fall. (They are the newest members of the alumni couple club that boasts 65 couples and counting.) Her love of D-E has inspired her to stay active with the alumni community, and she recently became a new member of the Alumni Relations Committee.

Julia’s recent work includes helping to launch the WE Venture program, a $30 million public-private partnership through which New York City invests directly into tech startups in the city that are led by women and/or minority founders. With the pandemic currently wreaking havoc on the economy, the NYCEDC has been very involved in COVID-19 relief efforts, from sourcing PPE to re-purposing its real estate assets. Julia herself has mainly worked to support struggling small businesses in the city. It takes strategic knowledge and heart, and it’s work she can believe in.