Shu Dar Yao

Shu Dar brings nearly two decades of expertise in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and impact investing to Norwest. As a Senior Advisor, she works closely with Norwest and its broad portfolio of companies to educate and guide them on climate change, social inequality, and related risks and opportunities.

Shu Dar is a recognized financier with experience leading organizations to identify, structure, and fundraise for environmental and social transactions. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Lucid Capitalism, a boutique ESG and impact investing advisory practice.

At RSF Social Finance, Shu Dar led investments and served as Chairwoman of the Investment Committee, rewrote the firm’s investment policy statement and impact strategy, and oversaw the restructuring and subsequent portfolio management of its $70 million impact and ESG portfolio. Previously, she served as the Director of Capital Formation and Investor Relations at Social Finance, an impact investing firm leading Pay-for-Success project financings.

Shu Dar was a VP at Citi’s Inclusive Finance and Digital Acceleration groups where she arranged market-based poverty alleviation transactions. These included Green Bonds, and investments in cleantech and social enterprises, with a particular focus on fintech for the underbanked in Asia and Africa. At the World Bank’s IFC, she was an investor on the Global Infrastructure team and developed the $4bn Global Infrastructure Crisis Facility. She started her career as an investment banker at JPMorgan, working in Global M&A, Syndicated Leveraged Finance, and Private Equity Sponsors before and during the subprime crisis.

Shu Dar received an MBA from MIT Sloan and graduated magna cum laude from NYU Stern with a BS in Finance and International Business. Shu Dar is the daughter of immigrants and was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She lives in Bernal Heights in San Francisco with her partner and daughter.