Posse Alumnus, CFO Brings Sustainable Business to Haiti

As the chief financial officer of Industrial Revolution II (IRII), an innovative high-end apparel manufacturing company, Bowdoin Posse alumnus Lenz Balan is helping to bolster the economy and community in Haiti. IRII provides jobs and training to its workers, and reinvests half of its profits in the communities where they live.

“I feel like the work I am doing with IRII is the best way I can give back to the community,” says Lenz. “IRII is trying to prove that wealth creation via entrepreneurship and doing the right thing are not mutually exclusive endeavors, and that conscious, sustainable private investment is the most effective development strategy.”

Lenz attended Bowdoin College and graduated in 2004 with a degree in American government. As an undergraduate, he served as president of the freshman class and vice chairman of the student executive board. Following graduation, Lenz worked as an investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse and as a private equity associate at York Street Capital.

“My Posse experience has impacted me in many ways,” says Lenz. “It provided me with a full-tuition scholarship to Bowdoin College where I made life-long friendships and learned how to think. It helped me get my first internship on Wall Street and gave me an enduring passion for business. Most important, Posse helps Scholars see themselves as agents of change for their own lives and for the world.”

Lenz continues to be active in the Posse Boston alumni community, attending events and investing in the program.

“Alumni are leaders in a variety of fields,” says Lenz. “It is inspiring to witness the power of access and education.”