Today, the Partnership Fund for New York City announced that Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker, will become Co-Chair of its Board of Directors. Blumenthal joins Co-Chair Tarek Sherif, Co-Founder of Medidata Solutions Inc., and succeeds Sanjay Swani, Chief Investment Strategist and Head of Technology Investing at GrowthCurve Capital.

Under Blumenthal’s leadership, Warby Parker, a New York-based eyewear company, has made substantial contributions to wellness, equity and sustainability throughout New York City and its impact spans over 75 countries globally. As a certified B Corporation, the company has distributed more than 13 million glasses to people in need through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, and over 220,000 pairs of glasses to students across New York City, Baltimore, Pennsylvania, California, and Washington, D.C. through its Pupils Project program.  To date, Warby Parker operates over 200 stores with more than 3,000 employees.

Blumenthal joined the Partnership Fund Board of Directors in 2019. In addition to the Partnership Fund, Blumenthal also serves as a director on the boards of the Warby Parker Impact Foundation, Allbirds, Inc., RxArt, and Sweetgreen, Inc. and is an advisory board member for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and Responsible Innovation Labs.

“Neil Blumenthal’s commitment to using entrepreneurship to drive social good makes him a perfect fit for this role, and we are eager to benefit from his entrepreneurial expertise as he helps us identify the next generation of innovative companies that are doing great things in New York City.  Since joining the Board, Neil has been a wellspring of strategic advice, sharing his time and insights to support the Fund’s portfolio companies,” said Maria Gotsch, President and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City.  “On behalf of the Board, we thank Sanjay Swani for his service and longtime support of the Partnership Fund over the years.”

“I’m honored to work closely with Tarek and Maria in this new role, helping spur entrepreneurship in New York’s economy while fostering positive social change,” said Blumenthal. “The Fund has had a tremendous impact on New York City, and I look forward to helping lead its efforts to invest in innovative solutions that tackle civic challenges facing New York and its residents.”

Partnership Fund Co-Chair Tarek Sherif said, “As the CEO of a New York-based company, Neil has been an asset to the Partnership Fund Board and is well positioned to help steer its investments in promising entrepreneurs and initiatives that advance the Fund’s mission. I’m proud to have served alongside Sanjay Swani as co-chair for the last three years and thank him for his stalwart commitment and leadership.”

The Partnership Fund is the investment arm of the Partnership for New York City, capitalized by private, corporate and individual contributions from members of the Partnership. It is a civic fund dedicated to job creation and community development, where all returns are reinvested for a public purpose. To date, it has invested $195 million. Its current initiatives include:

• New Approaches to Social and Financial Inclusion: Investing in new models that improve access to job training, workforce development and financial markets and products for underrepresented individuals.

• Public-Sector Innovation: Public-private partnerships that leverage innovation to address civic challenges, including the Transit Tech Lab in partnership with the MTA and the Environmental Tech Lab in partnership with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

• Urban Resiliency: Strategic investments to support New York City as it shifts toward more sustainable infrastructure, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.

The Fund was established in 1996 under Founding Chairman Henry R. Kravis, Co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co.