Bethany Larsen
Venture Investment Director @WEDC | Investing in WI-based Startups
- Role
- Venture Investment Director at Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
- Location
- Kenosha, WI, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Bethany Larsen
With over a decade of experience in impact finance and early-stage venture investing, I’m driven by a mission to harness capital for inclusive, sustainable growth. Currently, I serve as the Venture Investment Director at WEDC, where I manage the Wisconsin Investment Fund, supporting innovative startups and driving economic development across the state.My career has spanned global and local startup ecosystems. I previously led the gBETA Kenosha program at gener8tor, working hands-on with early-stage founders in Southeast Wisconsin. Prior to that, I supported women, minority, and low-income entrepreneurs as a Small Business Consultant at WWBIC, helping them navigate business growth and strategy.Before returning to the U.S. in 2022, I co-founded and served as Chief Investment Officer at Charm Impact, an impact investment platform in London that mobilized debt financing for off-grid energy startups in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to bridge the energy access gap through innovative finance.Passionate about driving meaningful social change, I believe in the power of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community-led innovation to build a more equitable future.
Experience
Venture Investment Director
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Jun 2025 — Present
Education
Harvard Business School Online
CORe: Credential of Readiness
2015 — 2015
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Master of Business Administration - MBA
2017 — 2018
Lawrence University
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Anthropology, Pre-Medicine
2009 — 2013
University of Oxford
Master of Science (MSc), Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation
2016 — 2017
Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA)
C1 French Language Certification
2015
Skills
- Public Health
- Nonprofits
- Leadership
- Grant Writing
- Editing
- Microsoft Office
- Writing
- Social Media
- Research
- Microsoft Excel
- Powerpoint
- Quantitative Research
- Program Development
- Non-Profit Leadership
- Event Planning
- Social Movements
- Research Design
- Organizational Development
- Intercultural Communication
- Community Outreach
- Fundraising
- Public Speaking
- Microsoft Powerpoint
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