HarbourVest DEI Report

A review of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

Ensuring equity

We provide tools and training to support continuous learning and constant improvement. Our ever-growing suite of resources drives individual and team excellence and ensures our processes and procedures are fair and equitable. 

DEI resources for all

Our programs have been developed to offer something for everyone with the goal of meeting them where they are on their DEI learning journey. We provide resources that can be accessed however and whenever colleagues prefer, and formats to support individual learning, small group sessions, and large group forums. 

HarbourVest University (HVU) was launched in 2023 as our core learning strategy to support employee development. HVU offerings include an on-demand DEI curriculum of 40+ learning segments from 2 minutes to 2 hours in length available anytime, anywhere. Colleagues across the firm are encouraged to own their individual learning experience in HVU by creating a custom curriculum to support their unique processes and needs. 

DEI-specific HVU courses

  • Cross-Cultural Communication
  • How Do I Become an Ally?
  • Inclusion at Work: Managing
  • Unconscious Bias at the Office
  • Inclusive Language
  • The Case for DEI
  • The Connection Between Growth
  • Mindset and Inclusion
  • Thoughtful DEI Discussions
  • Understanding Privilege

Our people and culture are our most important asset, so it is critical that we provide opportunities for ongoing growth. Making DEI learning and development a core part of our curriculum allows our employee population to gain the skills and knowledge to create an inclusive work environment and boosts overall company results.
Jordana Mirel
Vice President, HarbourVest University

Inclusive Culture Module

All new hires are automatically assigned a 30-minute session on inclusive culture to ensure everyone, no matter seniority, is equipped with the tools to pursue and honor the values of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.  

Workplace Harassment Prevention

Designated by state-specific laws and managerial status, all new hires are assigned training that heightens awareness of sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination, and other unfriendly conduct. This training includes in-depth exploration of our Global Respectful Workplace Policy and how to practically implement its standards of behavior.

A focus on leadership 

Emblematic of its importance to the firm, managers and leaders are provided DEI training resources.

Inclusive Leadership Training

Instruction conducted by Paradigm, an external consultant, to better incorporate inclusive thinking into team management and deepen understanding of the benefits of DEI for both individuals and the organization. 

100% of HarbourVest’s Managing Directors have completed Inclusive Leadership Training.

HarbourVest Navigator Program

Executive coaching program focused on leadership development for select senior leaders.

Leadership Principles Program

Two-day program run by external partner Korn Ferry that includes 360-assessment for leaders. 

Talent Selection Training

A course on real-life hiring scenarios, best practices for interviewing, and HarbourVest specific hiring resources.

HarbourVest has been strategic and intentional in its data-informed approach to DEI, from gathering survey data to holding roundtable discussions with their global employees. This approach, along with an ongoing commitment to DEI education, is enabling the firm to drive measurable DEI progress, and it's what sets the firm apart in its industry.
Analia Stratton
Director, Paradigm
Strengthening communities

Important Disclosures:

This material does not constitute an offer or solicitation for any fund sponsored by HarbourVest Partners, LLC (“HarbourVest”) or its affiliates, or any investment services provided by HarbourVest, and may not be relied on in any manner as legal, tax, or investment advice or as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in a fund or any other investment product sponsored by HarbourVest. No sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation, or sale is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make the offer, solicitation or sale. This document includes information obtained from published and non-published sources that HarbourVest believes to be reliable. Such information has not been independently verified by HarbourVest. Unless otherwise specified, all information is current at the time of issue. Any opinions expressed are those of HarbourVest and not a statement of fact. The opinions expressed do not constitute investment advice and are subject to change.

The companies and GPs discussed in this report are intended for illustrative purposes only, do not represent all of the investments made, sold, or recommended for funds or client accounts, and should not be considered an indication of the performance or characteristics of any current or future performance HarbourVest fund or investment strategy. It should not be assumed that an investment in the company or fund sponsored by a GP discussed in this report was or will be profitable. Actual investments will vary for each fund and client and there is no guarantee that a particular client’s account will hold any or all of the investments identified herein.

Any published third-party ratings or rankings discussed herein are not representative of any one client’s experience with HarbourVest and are not indicative of HarbourVest’s future performance. Ratings and rankings have inherent limitations and qualifications, and are not indicative of the experience of any client or investor or of the future performance of any product. There can be no assurance that the universe upon which the awards were based included all investment products within each category that are actually in operation or existence. Unless otherwise specified, all awards shown are based on the one-year period immediately preceding the date listed.

Certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “project”, “estimate”, “intend”, “continue”, or “believe” (or the negatives thereof) or other variations thereof. Due to various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed above, actual events or results or actual performance may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements. As a result, investors should not rely on such forward-looking statements in making an investment decision. Any forecast provided herein is based on HarbourVest’s opinion of the market as of the date of preparation and is subject to change, dependent on future changes in the market.

The principles related to sustainable and responsible investing discussed above represent general goals that will not be achieved by investment selected. These goals are not representative of current processes or outcomes for every strategy, and may not be fully realized for all products or client accounts. There can be no assurance any initiatives or anticipated developments described herein will ultimately be successful. The information provided is solely for informational purposes and should not be relied upon in connection with making any investment decision. It should not be assumed that any ESG initiatives, standards, or metrics described herein will apply to each asset in which HarbourVest invests or that any ESG initiatives, standards, or metrics described have applied to each of HarbourVest’s prior investments. ESG is only one of many considerations that HarbourVest takes into account when making investment decisions, and other considerations can be expected in certain circumstances to outweigh ESG considerations. The information provided is intended solely to provide an indication of the ESG initiatives and standards that HarbourVest applies when seeking to evaluate and/or improve the ESG characteristics of its investments as part of the larger goal of maximizing financial returns on investments. Any ESG initiatives described will be implemented with respect to a portfolio investment solely to the extent HarbourVest determines such initiative is consistent with its broader investment goals. Accordingly, certain investments may exhibit characteristics that are inconsistent with the initiatives, standards, or metrics described herein.

For additional legal and regulatory disclosures related to HarbourVest offices and countries, please refer to Important office and country disclosures.

Continuation solutions encompass a host of transaction types in which a GP secures interim liquidity and/or additional primary capital for their LPs in a strongly performing asset, or set of assets, that the GP will continue to own and control. Specifically, they include continuation funds, new funds created by GPs for the purpose of acquiring the asset(s) that continue to be managed by the same GP and capitalized by one or several secondary buyers, or equity recapitalizations involving a direct equity or structured equity investment into a portfolio company. These transactions can also include a parallel investment from the GP’s latest fund into that same pool of assets (a “cross-fund trade”).