Edward (Ted) Karns is a Lecturer in Finance at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. He is also an investor, strategic advisor, and author focused on endowment management and career development.

Ted spent 15 years as a Managing Director at Princeton University’s $34 billion endowment, where he co-led the private equity and venture capital program, built partnerships with top-tier and emerging managers, and mentored the next generation of investors. His tenure directly supported scholarships, research, and teaching for current and future generations.

Today, Ted advises family offices, nonprofits, and private equity and venture capital firms on long-term strategy and governance—helping them build durable, mission-aligned platforms. He serves on investment committees for family offices and the Museum of Science, Boston.

At Boston University, Ted teaches Measuring Financial Value and co-teaches Financing New Ventures. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Princeton and Harvard Business School. His teaching centers on the endowment model, venture capital, and building careers aligned with long-term values.

Ted is the author of A Compounding Life (January 2026), which applies endowment management principles to career and life decisions. He has published articles on endowment management and teaching in Insights@Questrom and contributes to the Financial Times’ Business School Professors’ Picks series.