Lacey Farrell Johnson Named Director of Investments at Grinnell College

Lacey Farrell Johnson has been hired as the new director of investments on the investment team at Grinnell College. Farrell Johnson comes from Alumni Ventures, in Boston, Mass., where she served as a managing partner. She will begin her new role with the college on Monday, Sept. 12. 

Jainen Thayer, chief investment officer for Grinnell College, said “Lacey’s investment experience and depth of knowledge further expand the capacity of an already strong team at the Investment Office. She brings energy to her work and, most importantly, shares the same deep passion for the College’s mission that motivates all of us. I am thrilled to welcome her to Grinnell College.” 

As a managing partner at Alumni Ventures, a $1 billion network-powered venture capital firm, Farrell Johnson led all aspects of investment due diligence, including market research, competitive analysis, financial valuation, and deal documentation. She sourced, researched, and qualified new investment opportunities across industries, with a focus on digital health, enterprise software, and impact investing. Farrell Johnson completed more than 80 venture investments representing over $100 million of capital deployed. As a leader within the organization, she was a part of the firm-wide executive committee, supporting the strategic vision of the business. 

Before joining Alumni Ventures, Farrell Johnson was an investment associate at CareGroup Investment Office, a $3 billion manager of combined endowment and pension assets. She managed investment opportunities across asset classes and strategies, including venture capital, growth equity, buyout, private credit, and marketable alternative strategies. Prior to that, she was an associate at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and an analyst in the Securities Division of Goldman Sachs.  

She earned a bachelor’s in history from Middlebury College, and an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She was cited for the 40 under 40 recognition by Chief Investment Officer Magazine, and was awarded the 100 Women in Hedge Funds CAIA scholarship from Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC. She is certified by the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association. 

Farrell Johnson, said, “I am very excited to join Grinnell's Investment Office. I have long admired Grinnell's team-orientation and independent spirit. The endowment has such a rich history of making conviction-driven, bold investment decisions, all with the goal of enabling the College to better support its mission. It is an honor to be able to play a role in advancing the endowment's great record of increasing access to a world-class liberal arts education.” 

Thayer, who has served as Grinnell’s chief investment officer since 2018, added, “As we prepare for the future I look forward to the strategic and collaborative leadership Lacey will bring to the Investment Office. Grinnell’s endowment has made a meaningful difference in creating affordable and equitable access for so many Grinnell College students. I am pleased to welcome Lacey to the Investment Office as we work together to continue supporting the mission of the College.”