PEWIN Foundation Announces Major Support from Knight Foundation for Leadership Lattice Study of Women’s Ascension in Private Markets
PEWIN Foundation Announces Major Support from Knight Foundation for Leadership Lattice Study of Women’s Ascension in Private Markets
Initial Results to be Unveiled at Brilliance Soiree, September 23, 2026 in New York City
NEW YORK, NY — June 17, 2026 — The PEWIN Foundation today announced that it has received meaningful financial support from Knight Foundation to sponsor its 2026 Leadership Lattice study, a bold research initiative designed to unlock more effective pathways for women to ascend into senior leadership across private markets. The Leadership Lattice study is focused on identifying what works: the proven behaviors, support structures, career decisions, sponsorship models, and ecosystem interventions that help women progress and thrive. Key initial findings of the study are expected to be shared at the PEWIN Foundation’s Brilliance Soiree & Awards on September 23 in New York City.
“The PEWIN Foundation is deeply grateful for Knight Foundation’s support of this important work which expands on their longstanding commitment to women’s leadership and greater inclusion within private markets,” said Kelly Williams, Chair of the PEWIN Foundation. “Their pioneering Knight Diversity of Asset Managers research series helped elevate critical insights about representation, opportunity, and capital allocation across the investment management landscape. Their commitment to this effort underscores the promise of building a more actionable path for women to ascend, lead, and shape the future of our industry.”
The Leadership Lattice study reflects a central truth about careers in private investing: advancement is shaped by a dynamic mix of individual choices, career moves, mentors, sponsors, organizational cultures, networks, and opportunity. Through proprietary research and stakeholder engagement conducted by the Workforce & Organizational Research Center (WORC), the study will identify positive patterns of leadership ascension and translate them into actionable frameworks that individuals, organizations, and the broader private markets ecosystem can use to help more women stay on the path to leadership.
“Knight Foundation is proud to support the PEWIN Foundation Leadership Lattice study because it seeks to move beyond diagnosis and provide actionable insights that will help more women advance into leadership roles across private markets,” said Rebecca Carland, Chief Investment Officer at Knight Foundation. “We believe that high-quality information drives better decisions and better outcomes, and that expanding pathways to leadership strengthens institutions, markets, and the communities they serve.”
The study comes at a pivotal moment for the private markets industry. As firms compete for talent, strengthen governance, expand networks, and build resilient leadership pipelines, the advancement of women is a strategic opportunity. The PEWIN Foundation believes that systemic progress requires shared responsibility across individuals, firms and institutions, and ecosystem leaders. By identifying the conditions that help women remain on the ascent, the Leadership Lattice study aims to move the industry from aspiration to implementation.
The PEWIN Foundation invites individuals, firms, institutions, and ecosystem partners interested in learning more, engaging with the study, or supporting the broader work of advancing women’s leadership in private markets to contact PEWIN at .
About the PEWIN Foundation
The PEWIN Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN), the preeminent global organization for senior women leaders in private markets. Established in 2022, the organization supports programs focused on research and innovation, community building, and access to resources and opportunities that propel women’s leadership and success in financial services. Learn more at pewin.org/initiative/foundation/
About the Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once had newspapers. Learn more at kf.org.
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