S1 Ep01: He Left Investment Banking and Private Equity to Save the World
Wed Feb 04 2026
Season 2 Episode 1 of Wall Street Diaries is here!
It features @KevinYangImpact went from valedictorian at Michigan Ross to investment banking at Guggenheim TMT, private equity at Vector Capital, and ultimately into global impact investing and founding his own firm. His path blends prestige, finance, and purpose in a way few careers do.
Kevin talks about breaking into banking from a non-target or semi-target background, how he became a top performer in Guggenheim’s analyst program, what surprised him about private equity, and why he stepped off the traditional finance track to work on climate and poverty alleviation across the world. He also shares how he now helps build early-stage social enterprises and what he has learned about combining analytical rigor with mission-driven work.
In this episode, Kevin shares
◼️ How he broke into Guggenheim TMT without Ivy League access
◼️ What helped him succeed as a top analyst and later in PE
◼️ The tradeoffs between banking, private equity, and impact
◼️ How impact investing actually works behind the scenes
◼️ Why he founded Advancing Impact and what he hopes to build
✉️ Connect with me
Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu
Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn
Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv
🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about investment banking recruiting @WallStreetMastermind
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below ⬇️
#WallStreetDiaries #WallStreetMastermind #InvestmentBanking #PrivateEquity #ImpactInvesting #Guggenheim #VectorCapital #FinanceCareers #CareerAdvice #PurposeDrivenCareers
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Season 2 Episode 1 of Wall Street Diaries is here! It features @KevinYangImpact went from valedictorian at Michigan Ross to investment banking at Guggenheim TMT, private equity at Vector Capital, and ultimately into global impact investing and founding his own firm. His path blends prestige, finance, and purpose in a way few careers do. Kevin talks about breaking into banking from a non-target or semi-target background, how he became a top performer in Guggenheim’s analyst program, what surprised him about private equity, and why he stepped off the traditional finance track to work on climate and poverty alleviation across the world. He also shares how he now helps build early-stage social enterprises and what he has learned about combining analytical rigor with mission-driven work. In this episode, Kevin shares ◼️ How he broke into Guggenheim TMT without Ivy League access ◼️ What helped him succeed as a top analyst and later in PE ◼️ The tradeoffs between banking, private equity, and impact ◼️ How impact investing actually works behind the scenes ◼️ Why he founded Advancing Impact and what he hopes to build ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv 🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about investment banking recruiting @WallStreetMastermind If you have any questions, feel free to comment below ⬇️ #WallStreetDiaries #WallStreetMastermind #InvestmentBanking #PrivateEquity #ImpactInvesting #Guggenheim #VectorCapital #FinanceCareers #CareerAdvice #PurposeDrivenCareers