Welch is President of The SASB Foundation, the organization that funds and governs the work of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and also develops professional education, software, and other resources to help the capital markets use the standards. Welch has focused his career on social mission enterprises, many of them striving to help students, teachers, and schools to improve learning outcomes and scale up great programs. He has worked in international education, K–12, test prep, and professional training. His work spans nonprofit, for-profit sectors, and government sectors, and includes organizations such as the Rotary Foundation, Kaplan Inc., Teachscape, Junyo Learning Analytics, and the Institute of International Education. Welch graduated from Grinnell with honors for majors in Spanish and theatre, and earned an M.P.A. from Columbia University, where he studied business and public policy. He has been an active volunteer for the College, working with admissions recruiting and career advising for current students. He served on the Alumni Council from 2007 to 2013 and was its president from 2012–13.