The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation today announced the election of Karen Sunderam to its Board of Trustees. A seasoned investment strategist and leader in impact investing, Sunderam brings nearly two decades of experience aligning capital with social and economic outcomes. Her expertise will be instrumental in advancing the Foundation’s mission to close New Jersey’s racial wealth gap and to strategically align and activate all of our financial tools and assets in service of that goal.
Sunderam currently serves as an Investment Strategist at ImpactAssets Capital Partners, where she advises clients on building customized impact investment portfolios across asset classes and thematic areas. Her work focuses on helping investors deploy capital in ways that generate both financial returns and measurable social impact.
“We are thrilled to welcome Karen to the Board,” said Barbara Moran, Board Chair of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. “Her deep expertise in impact investing and her track record of mobilizing capital toward equitable outcomes will be invaluable as we continue to think strategically about how our endowment and investments can drive meaningful, long-term change in New Jersey.”
Prior to her current role, Sunderam served as Head of Inclusive Investing within the wealth management division at UBS, where she launched a platform enabling clients to apply an inclusive lens to their portfolios. Earlier in her career, she was a municipal investment banker at Morgan Stanley and UBS, helping finance tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across sectors that are critical to expanding opportunity and economic mobility, including education, healthcare, affordable housing, clean water, and safe transportation.
“Karen’s experience sits at the intersection of capital markets and community impact,” said Samra Haider, President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation added. “As we continue to deploy our resources, from grants to mission-related investments, her perspective will help ensure we are leveraging every tool available to advance shared prosperity.”
Sunderam’s professional journey also reflects a longstanding commitment to community and equity. She is an alumna of Teach For America and taught middle school math in the Bronx. She began her career as a counselor to adult inpatients with schizophrenia, grounding her work in a deep understanding of the human impact behind systems and investments.
“I’m honored to join the Board of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation at such a pivotal moment,” said Sunderam. “The Foundation’s commitment to closing the racial wealth gap in New Jersey is both urgent and necessary. As someone who calls New Jersey home, I look forward to helping advance strategies that more effectively align capital with social impact to build a more just and equitable state.”
Sunderam holds a BA in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and an MS in Elementary Education from Lehman College. She was recently recognized as a Power100 2026 Honoree in the Allocators category. She lives in Livingston, New Jersey, with her husband and four children.
Through the addition of Sunderam to its Board, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation continues to deepen its commitment to deploying all of its assets to advance equitable economic growth and expand access to wealth-building opportunities across the state.