The Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund Announces Investment in Kwema

The student-managed Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund at Chicago Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is proud to announce its investment in Kwema, a safety technology company addressing workplace violence against frontline workers.

The Tarrson Fund is one of the largest student-run impact investment funds in the country, and provides critical catalytic capital to early-stage mission-driven companies. Booth MBA students drive the entire investment cycle—from sourcing and pitching deals to financial and impact diligence and making investment decisions—bringing a diverse range of skill sets and experiences. 

Kwema is the Tarrson Fund’s fifth investment and its second investment in the healthcare space, a sector that resonates with the fund’s team. “Kwema addresses an often-overlooked dimension of health equity: workplace safety,” says Isha Mehrotra, deal lead and managing partner of the Tarrson Fund. “It’s a critical social determinant of health, and I was passionate about backing a company tackling it head-on.”

Kwema makes worker safety a priority with its Smart Badge Reel, a device equipped with a discreet panic button designed to protect frontline workers from workplace violence. The badge integrates seamlessly into workers’ existing uniforms, IT systems, and routines, syncing with Bluetooth access points to immediately alert on-site security teams when activated. The device doesn’t require retraining or behavior change. The badge also preserves user privacy, activating location services only when the button is pressed.

Workplace violence in healthcare is on the rise: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than the average US worker. And, with over 22 million healthcare workers in the United States, Kwema seeks to support worker safety—particularly for women in the workforce—and the long-term health and retention outcomes across industries.

“Kwema is a simple yet effective solution to combat workplace violence,” says Mehrotra. “We’re proud to back a Midwest-based startup delivering measurable impact across healthcare and beyond.”

Kwema has already seen a 100 percent renewal rate among customers and a reported increase in worker confidence from 37.5 percent to 88.8 percent in just three months. The company also hopes to expand beyond healthcare into other industries facing a similar need, including retail, logistics and warehousing, education, and social services. 

In July 2025, the Tarrson Fund made a $100,000 seed investment in Kwema based on the company’s strong traction and scalability. Mehrotra says the partnership has been exceptionally formative for her impact investing journey: “When I began my MBA, the field of impact investing was entirely new to me. The Tarrson Fund has been instrumental in helping me build both knowledge and hands-on experience. Leading the deal team for our investment in Kwema gave me exposure to the full deal cycle—from sourcing to diligence, memo writing, and presenting to the investment committee. Leading the Kwema investment was foundational to my development as an investor and affirmed my conviction in backing mission-driven founders building scalable solutions.”

The partnership is equally rewarding for Kwema. “We’re excited to partner with one of the leading institutions in the country as we tackle the urgent challenge of workplace violence, which impacts millions of frontline workers every year,” says Ali Al Jabry, CEO of Kwema. “Through the Tarrson Impact Investment Fund and access to top talent and research at the University of Chicago, we can further evolve our Smart Badge Reel and expand our reach to make safer workplaces the norm, not the exception.”