Beth Foster-Chao

Beth Foster-Chao

Beth is a Portfolio & Investment Manager at the Autodesk Foundation. In this role, she deploys the full spectrum of capital, from grants to impact investments, to support a global portfolio of organizations using technology for positive social and environmental impact. Prior to joining Autodesk Foundation, Beth worked in East Africa as the Investment Manager for EWB Ventures, the impact investing arm of Engineers Without Borders Canada, supporting startups in the areas of financial inclusion, agriculture innovation, affordable housing, and education technology. Beth first became interested in social entrepreneurship during her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda where she developed income-generating initiatives alongside cassava farmers and coordinated national Gender and Development programs. She co-authored Scaling the Social Enterprise (forthcoming), Grameen America: The Pivotal Role of Technology in Scaling, and contributed to Socio-Tech Innovation: Harnessing Technology for Social Good. Beth received an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a BA in Political Science from Middlebury College.

  • Autodesk Foundation logo. White with black background.

    Two years later, the Autodesk Foundation’s DEI strategy shepherds a more diverse portfolio of industry-leading innovators

    In 2021, the Autodesk Foundation formalized a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy to ensure that the leaders across its portfolio were more representative of the populations they serve. One year later, here’s what we learned and the progress we've made.

    DEI
  • Students standing over and tinkering with robotics and hydraulics machines while learning at St. Philips College.

    Our investment in FAME USA

    The Autodesk Foundation welcomes FAME USA—a network of employer-led chapters training the next generation of advanced manufacturing technicians—to its Work and Prosperity portfolio.

    Funding
  • JARC trainee wearing welding PPE (mask, gloves, etc.), welding as part of JARC advanced manufacturing training program.

    Our investment in JARC Rhode Island

    The Autodesk Foundation welcomes JARC Rhode Island—a workforce development nonprofit on a mission to close the manufacturing talent gap—to its Work & Prosperity portfolio.

    Funding
  • Okra solar's mesh grid system, arial view

    Our investment in Okra Solar

    Two billion people worldwide lack access to reliable energy In the energy access sector, the scaleup of mini-grids and solar home systems (SHS) is critical if we are to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7—access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all—by 2030. Only half of the 800 million people without…

    Funding
  • Workers pose at Coalfield Development factory

    Our investment in Coalfield Development

    The Autodesk Foundation has made an investment in Coalfield Development, a West Virginia nonprofit focused on facilitating employment and economic transition through workforce development programs and social enterprise incubation and investment in the region. 

    Funding

  • Our investment in Revolution Workshop

    The Autodesk Foundation welcomes Revolution Workshop to its Work & Prosperity portfolio. Revolution Workshop is a nonprofit based in Chicago, Illinois, that builds skills, hope, and resilience by providing construction job training to Chicago's underserved communities.

    Funding
  • Group of employees at The Industrial Commons

    Our investment in The Industrial Commons

    The Autodesk Foundation is pleased to welcome The Industrial Commons (TIC) to its Work & Prosperity portfolio. TIC is a nonprofit based in Morganton, North Carolina that is embracing circularity, worker-centric models, and technology to build the economic resilience of local textile firms and their manufacturing workforces. From 1990 to 2012, as production shifted overseas,…

    Funding
  • Autodesk Foundation logo. White with black background.

    The Autodesk Foundation commits to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion

    The Autodesk Foundation is committed to accessible and transparent philanthropy 2020 was a year that challenged everyone’s resilience but also led organizations and teams to reflect on critical issues. At the Autodesk Foundation we spent time considering how the events of the year should inform our work and took inspiration from the efforts of the…

    DEI