The SAJA-Knowledge at Wharton Funding Opportunity was established in 1999 in collaboration with the South Asian Journalists Association. This unique program is designed to enhance the quality of minority business journalism. It provides a member of SAJA (as well as up to one journalist each belonging to AAJA, NAHJ, NAJA & NLGJA) with funding to attend the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists in Philadelphia.

Each funding opportunity (which covers cost of tuition, course materials and most meals) is worth about $1,999 and is furnished by Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  The funding does not cover any other expenses. Other restrictions may apply. The award does NOT cover travel to and from Philadelphia or lodging. The award is presented by SAJA and Knowledge at Wharton, the Wharton School's research and business analysis journal. SAJA is responsible for the administrative process and works with the other groups representing journalists to select the winners. It reserves the right not to award funding.

The Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, now in its 55th year, offers participants an opportunity to expand their business knowledge and increase their exposure to leading experts in a stimulating environment. Through intensive lectures and hands-on exercises, the program, led by the Wharton School’s most prominent professors such as Jeremy Siegel and Olivia Mitchell, helps participants gain a better understanding of key business and economic issues. 

The program runs October 16-18, 2023.

Application deadline: September 18, 2023

Who can apply? Any member of SAJA, AAJA, NAHJ, NAJA & NLGJA who is a reporter, editor or producer (including freelancers) currently living in the United States or Canada and working in business journalism or a field that overlaps, such as healthcare or technology. Applicants must be available to attend the Wharton program in its entirety. Individuals between two-seven years of experience as a business reporter or those new to business reporting, but with five-10 years of experience as a reporter in another field, are encouraged to apply. Freelancers are welcome to apply. 

Apply Here

Past Winners

2022

Manasi Vaidya, Editor, Pharmaceutical Technololgy

Manasi Vaidya is a journalist with a special interest in reporting on health. For over nine years she has worked for science and business focused sites in India and the US. She is currently an editor for Pharmaceutical Technology, an online publication and digimag that covers the healthcare space.

Sam Kesler, Assistant Producer, NPR’s Planent Money

Sam Yellowhorse Kesler is a producer for NPR's economics podcast Planet Money, and previously worked with the programs World Cafe, Code Switch and All Things Considered. He is a Penn alum, where he studied English and wrote for The Daily Pennsylvanian and the Penn Gazette. He is a member of NAJA.

2019

Priyanka Vora, Director of SEO, Axios

Priyanka Vora is an award-winning, multi-lingual international journalist devising strategies for newsrooms to 'listen' to their readers. Ms Vora has reported on healthcare, environment and higher education. She started reporting at 19. In 2016, she was named media fellow at the Vermont Law School.

Kaustuv Basu, Congressional Reporter, Bloomberg Tax

Kaustuv Basu is a Bloomberg Tax reporter covering Congress, where he’s known for asking tough questions to lawmakers and breaking stories. He grew up in Thakurani, the U.S. equivalent of a one-stop-sign town in eastern India. Basu, a constant striver, has won state and national journalism awards.

2018

Srividya Kalyanaraman is a business journalist who specializes in venture capital, startups and technology news. She is the editor of BostInno, the Boston edition of digital publishing company, AmericanInno.

Over the past 10 years, Srividya has written about technology policy, entrepreneurial innovation, and social impact. She started her career at The Economic Times. At 20, she was the youngest recruit to the paper’s tech bureau where she steered the coverage of ‘new’ economy, writing about e-commerce, consumer technology, and social media. Her story on the Indian government’s move to restrict free speech through censorship on blogs ignited protests among the blogging community that ultimately led the government to withdraw the proposal.

Ms. Kalyanaraman has a masters degree in Business and Economic Reporting from New York University where she was the Wall Street Journal Fellow ‘13. At NYU, she produced an in-depth investigative report on private prisons. She has been published in Firstpost, Advertising Age, Money Magazine, InvestmentNews, and The Cheat Sheet.

Evie Liu works for Barron’s markets team as both a traditional reporter and a data journalist helping to find new ways of telling stories. She writes about the stock market, corporate news, and the rapidly changing world of investing for the magazine. Evie has been a data reporter with Dow Jones Media Group since September 2016.

She’s covered a wide range of data-driven subjects including super-jumbo mortgages for Mansion Global; immigration, labor and personal finance for MarketWatch; and investing stories for Barron’s Next. Previously Evie worked as a data journalist at the New York Daily News, Southern California Public Radio, and an online editorial assistant for CNN in Hong Kong. She’s participated in the Daily News’ 2017 Pulitzer-winning investigations on police eviction. Her story about Hollywood’s movie-releasing strategy for MarketWatch was shortlisted by the Data Journalism Awards in 2018.

2017

Akiko Matsuda, The Journal News (USA Today Network)

Akiko Matsuda is a real estate business reporter for The Journal News in White Plains, NY, part of USA Today Network. She was formerly in charge of covering government affairs, science, environment and energy for the publication. Before becoming a newspaper reporter, Akiko had a successful career in TV journalism in Japan, anchoring a TV Asahi affiliate’s evening news show while producing documentaries. Akiko holds two master’s degrees from Columbia University, one in journalism and the other in earth and environmental science. She is fascinated by the complex nature of the real estate industry, which relates to various aspects of our lives. Akiko is convinced that her training in science prepared her well to become a skilled business reporter because she can handle numbers at ease and analyze data to identify trends.

Divya Nair, The Business Times, Singapore

Divya Nair is a journalist who has never envisioned being anything other than a journalist all her life. She has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, and worked previously in Singapore and India in the digital, print and television media. Her mission is to travel the world with a book in her hands while also trying to keep her houseplants alive. 
She is a feminist, an aspiring dog-walker, and always up for a Japanese meal.  As of now, she lives in New York city and is on the lookout for full time employment and the warmest winter jacket.