Impact Alpha Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Impact Alpha
All of ImpactAlpha's podcasts in one place. Listen in and get investment news and commentary for a sustainable edge.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How Temasek, the $400 billion state-owned investment fund out of Singapore, positions itself as a generational investor; a look at three impact investing “beach reads,” out this week, that tackle the future of capitalism and the common good; and sustainable farm and timberland manager Alder Point lands $4 million from the Rockefeller Foundation to ramp up land acquisitions in rural communities.
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Story links:
- “Ford Foundation’s Roy Swan makes the case for 'positive-sum' capitalism,” by David Bank and Isaac Silk
- “With $400 billion in assets, Temasek leans into emerging markets, climate adaptation and ‘sustainable living’,” by David Bank
- "Alder Point secures $4 million from Rockefeller Foundation to build climate-resilient forests and farmlands," by Roodgally Senatus.
Eliza Foo, who leads impact investing at Temasek, the Singapore-based global investment company whose asset base recently crossed $400 billion, joins David Bank.
They speak about Temasek’s mission, Singapore’s impact ecosystem, and what’s next in emerging markets impact investing. And she shares her advice for asset allocators still skeptical about impact.
Roy Swan, director of mission investments at the Ford Foundation and author of "Positive Sum: How Zero Sum Thinking Broke Capitalism, How We Can Fix It," joins David Bank.
They speak about shareholder primacy, "patriotic capitalism", and how AI finally making externalities - positive negatives - visible and actionable.
Get a copy of the book today.
Disclosure: The Ford Foundation is an investor in ImpactAlpha.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: A look at the cool tech investors seeking sustainable solutions to help billions beat the heat; why impact LPs are buying and selling stakes in the secondaries market; and, debriefing this week’s call, which asked whether faith-aligned investors can become known for what they are for, not just what they’re against
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RSVP for next week's Call.
This week's stories:
- “Cool tech fund looks to India for sustainable solutions to beat the heat,” by Jessica Pothering
- “Liquidity for sellers, discounts for buyers in budding impact secondaries market,” by Amy Cortese
- “Helping faith-aligned investors direct their assets toward ‘human flourishing,’” by Erik Stein. Watch the full video replay.
The Refugee Investment Network co-founders John Kluge and Christine Mahoney join David Bank to discuss their new book Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone.
At a time when more than 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced — the highest level in recorded history – the book makes the case for supportive policy and welcoming environment that can deliver gains for both migrants and host countries.
John and Christine bust a few myths along the way and spotlight the enormous economic opportunities in refugee entrepreneurship. Impact capital, they say, may advance the migration conversation where advocacy has fallen short.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Generation Investment Management seeks to stamp AI with a mandate for sustainability; how closing the gender gap could ease skill shortages in Latin America's mobile workforce; and the California pension fund behind Inox Clean Energy’s ambitious rollup of solar manufacturing and generating assets.
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- RSVP for next week's Call.
This week's stories:
- “Generation Investment Management seeks to stamp AI with a mandate for sustainability,” by Amy Cortese
- “Amid trillion-dollar IPOs, impact investors seek pathways to steer technology towards shared prosperity,” by Antony Bugg-Levine
- “Human agency is the next frontier for impact investing,” by Florian Kemmerich and Randall Zindler
- “Closing the gender gap to ease skill shortages in Latin America's mobile workforce,” by Erik Stein
- "CalPERS-backed Inox Clean Energy gets funding from Indian family office to ramp up renewables development," by Jessica Pothering
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Four Agents of Impact offer thoughts on the promise of the American experiment and the role for impact investing in it, ahead of the country’s 250th birthday; a look at Next 50’s strategy for financing GPs and companies that are valuing aging; and how Gaussion is speeding battery charging and boosting performance.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week’s stories:
- “Following in the footsteps of America’s founding financier,” by Antony Bugg-Levine
- “Investing in the American Dream as a long-term play to strengthen democracy,” by Napoleon Wallace
- “The accounting reform that could strengthen American capitalism,” by Stacey Faella
- “Life, liberty and a share of the upside,” by Santhosh Ramdoss
- “Next50 is cutting checks to GPs seeking alpha in aging across energy, housing and infrastructure,” by Roodgally Senatus and David Bank
- “Gaussion lands $28 million to speed battery charging and boost performance,” by Lucy Ngige
Rey Ramsey, CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and author of the new book The Tyranny of False Choices: A Guide to Authentic Decision-Making joins David Bank.
They spoke about "venture grants," transparency as a prerequisite for action, and how Ramsey has kept Nathan Cummings committed to racial, economic and environmental justice even as some institutions scrub their websites and trim their sails.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: How a new playbook for shared prosperity is being written in Zambia, where attempts are being made to redirect its mineral wealth toward local small and growing businesses; what SpaceX and other IPOs mean for Impact LPs and the field of impact investing; and this week’s deal spotlight shines a light on investors designing nature-based investments around natural cycles.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week's stories:
- "Zambia centers small businesses in its bid for a more inclusive economy," by Lucy Ngige
- "SpaceX, Anthropic IPOs set to unlock billions in liquidity for impact LPs," by Amy Cortese
- "Investors learn to design nature-based investments around natural cycles," by Erik Stein
- “Danone-backed Livelihoods lands €124 million for its fourth nature-based fund,” by Lucy Ngige
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Amy Cortese. Up this week: At SuperReturn in Berlin, asset-light is out, HALO is in as private equity titans focus on AI, energy and defense; a look at public and private approaches to sharing the AI wealth; and, Realize Capital Partners’ fund-of-funds secures $277 million for Canada’s impact fund managers.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week's stories:
- “At SuperReturn in Berlin, asset-light is out, HALO is in as private equity titans focus on AI, energy and defense,” by Amy Cortese and Danielle Rossingh.
- “Designing broad-based ownership of AI to share power along with wealth,” by Delilah Rothenberg of The Predistribution Initiative
- "Realize Capital Partners’ fund-of-funds secures $277 million for Canada’s impact fund managers," by Roodgally Senatus
- Realize's ImpactSpace profile.
Lucy Mortimer of Archipelago Ventures joins David Bank. Archipelago is a UK-based early-stage climate fund investing in materials innovations that enable a truly circular economy.
They speak about Lucy about why materials are a sleeper cell in the climate crisis and how Archipelago is innovating in the fund raising process itself, with “collective diligence” - in which Archipelago’s prospective partners work together to ask the hard questions.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Why battery makers and investors are pivoting from EVs to grid storage for renewable energy in Europe; a look at Lukas Walton-backed S2G investments following its $1 billion; and, the reasons that the world cup is a sportswashing bonanza.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week's stories:
- “Battery makers and investors pivot from EVs to grid storage for renewable energy in Europe,” by Danielle Rossingh.
- “G is for growth after $1 billion raise for Lukas Walton-backed S2G Investments,” by Erik Stein
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“A ‘sportswashing’ bonanza, brought to you by Saudi Aramco,” by Dmitriy Ioselevich
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Is Altérra’s ambitious effort to mobilize climate finance for the Global South working?; how Fervo Energy pulled off the biggest clean energy IPO in Wall Street history; and, Working Capital Fund secures $31 million for its third supply chain resilience fund.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week's stories:
- “Is Altérra’s ambitious effort to mobilize climate finance for the Global South working?,” by Erik Stein, Amy Cortese and David Bank
- “Fervo’s IPO recipe includes a dash of federal funding and a scoop of catalytic capital,” by Antony Bugg-Levine
- "Working Capital Fund secures $31 million for its third supply chain resilience fund," by Amy Cortese
Ty Thomas of Primary Housing joins David Bank to discuss NOAH - naturally occurring affordable housing. As an emerging manager, Thomas is looking to preserve and improve the kind of aging, unrestricted market-rate apartments that house teachers, firefighters, and other essential workers.
Primary Housing, has been an active and early user of ImpactAlpha Edge, ImpactAlpha’s premium databases and other investment tools for fund managers and other Agents of Impact.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Amy Cortese. Up this week: Two different approaches that impact investors are taking to address Big Tech’s AI data center buildout; who wins when access to private equity is opened up to American retirees; and, how 2x is spurring a global race to the top in gender-lens investing.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
This week's stories:
- “Investors must push for transparency on AI’s water risks,” by Ceres’ Kirsten James.
- "Elemental Impact teams with hyperscalers to deploy clean tech solutions," by Amy Cortese.
- “In the name of ‘democratization,’ private equity firms eye US retirement savings,” by Isaac Silk and Amy Cortese
- Subscribe to Impact(ed) on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen.
- “Spurring a global race to the top in gender-lens investing,” by David Bank
Impact investing may have originated in the West. Its future is being shaped in the East. From Singapore to South Korea, Japan to Hong Kong, investors in a mosaic of Asia-Pacific markets are leaning into Asia’s distinctive edge in the global impact investment ecosystem: patient capital, intergenerational stewardship and disciplined innovation.
The driver: a rising, intergenerational “now generation” steering the region’s innovative operating businesses and investment portfolios toward sustainability and social impact.
“There’s this undercurrent of energy and willingness to try and come together,” Katy Yung, who leads the Hong Hong-based Sustainable Finance Initiative, tells ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price on the latest Agents of Impact podcast. “The reality is it has to be an intergenerational effort.”
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with Lucy Ngige and Amy Cortese. Up this week: The first edition of ImpactAlpha Africa explores new ways capital is being mobilized for impact on the continent; a spotlight on two African funds investing in human capital and creating high productivity jobs; and, how some LPs are stepping up to help emerging managers cross the chasm to their next fund.
Eric Ries, who inspired many a founder with his book The Lean Startup and went on to found the Long-Term Stock Exchange, joins Amy Cortese on this Agents of Impact podcast. Ries has wrapped up what he’s learned in a new book “Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great.” Many of the so-called best practices in corporate governance, he says, actually destroy value, and Silicon Valley founders ignore governance until it's too late,.
Amy speaks with Eric about "spiritual holding companies" — think perpetual purpose trusts, employee ownership trusts and industrial foundations that put a check on for-profit boards. Human flourishing, he says, not profit maximization, should be the true purpose of companies. He has some ideas of how to build organizations that can resist both inside temptations and outside pressure to betray their missions.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How Los Angeles is working to lower the cost and complexity of capital for affordable housing; the Southern Poverty Law Center controversy, and who really controls the funds in Donor Advised Funds; and, a closer look at a $140 million deal to build a sustainable aviation fuel plant in Egypt.
This week's stories:
- “Los Angeles tries to show how affordable housing can be built more quickly and cheaply,” by David Bank
- “Choose wisely: Big DAF platforms drop Southern Poverty Law Center,” by Candide Group's Morgan Simon
- “Jewish investors are calling on PayPal to provide services in Palestine,” by Chicory Wealth’s ari rosenberg and Mission Driven Finance board member Dorianna Blitt
- "Ninety One arranges $143 million for sustainable jet fuel production in Egypt," by Lucy Ngige
Chris Larson of Alder Point Capital Management, a fund manager focused on working farms and forestlands, joins David Bank.
Now a GP, or general partner, Larson used to sit on the other side of the table as an LP, or limited partner, at a single-family office. We discussed the rising value of sustainable real assets for climate mitigation and adaptation, and what it’s like to be a fund - raiser after spending years as a capital allocator.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Navigating the fear and frenzy at Milken’s annual gathering of global institutional capital; how the ongoing war in Iran is increasing the demand for renewable energy infrastructure, to the benefit of private equity giants; and, strange bedfellows invest in a company using ocean waves to generate renewable for offshore data centers.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge, click here.
Story links:
- "Renewable energy gains steam despite headwinds, as energy demand surges,” by Amy Cortese and Erik Stein.
- "Climate investors team with Peter Thiel to back ocean power startup Panthalassa," by Amy Cortese
Carrie Endries joins David Bank to discuss the evolution of the place-based local investment ecosystem in Boston.
“We have many clients who have more abundant wealth than they need,” Endries says on the latest Agents of Impact podcast. “That means that they can set aside a portion of their portfolio that might have a return that is below market, if they choose."
Such clients are among a growing cohort of asset owners who are shifting their focus to making a positive impact in their own backyards. Endries works with high net worth individuals, families and smaller foundations, many of whom are based in Boston and across New England, to design and implement impact‑first, place‑based investment strategies.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editors Jessican Pothering and David Bank. Up this week: The latest in Africa’s carbon markets, from nature-based solutions to clean cooking; which wealthy athletes are getting into the impact investing game; and debriefing this week’s Mission Investors Exchange conference.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge for yourself, click here.
Story links:
- "Outcomes and offtakes spur a 250,000-acre restoration project in South Africa," by Jessica Pothering.
- "Why has it been so hard to crack the code on clean cooking solutions," by Jessica Pothering.
- “Wealthy athletes are getting into the impact investing game,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- “Agents of Impact share new narratives and continued resolve at Mission Investors Exchange,” by David Bank and Dennis Price
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: What’s significant about Uganda’s national pension fund’s effort to stand up a locally focused fund of funds; unraveling the controversy surrounding KKR’s lucrative employee ownership exit from CoolIT; and, unpacking the failure of the impact advisory firm Align Impact.
To try ImpactAlpha Edge yourself, click here.
For more on these stories:
- “Let KKR do its thing while we convert thousands more companies to 100% employee ownership,” by Aner Ben-Ami
- "With shared ownership, $4.8 billion sale of CoolIT gives workers a cut of AI-driven gains," by Roody Senatus
- "Better financing can make employee ownership a game-changer for workers," by Antony Bugg Levine
- “Pension fund in Uganda readies a $100 million fund of funds to create jobs – and savers,” by Lucy Ngige
- “After 12 years, advisory firm Align Impact to shut down at the end of the month,” by David Bank
Dawn Lippert of Elemental Impact joins David Bank. The nonprofit accelerator and investor has for over 15 years been identifying climate solutions grounded in community benefits. Among the topics covered: the gap in financing first-of-a-kind commercial projects, AI and energy infrastructure, and a new role for the environmental movement now that renewable energy is rolling out at scale.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
- "Dear Shareholders: Your votes and your voice are needed more than ever," by As You Sow's Andrew Behar
- “Impact investors seek to assert human agency over the future of AI,” by David Bank and Dennis Price
- “Collaboration Fund sparks a conversation around M&A in impact investing field-building,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese
To try ImpactAlpha Edge for yourself, click here.
Correction: Sorenson Impact Institute, not Foundation, is hosting the Collaboration Fund as well as the Webinar next week.
Smitha Das of World Education Services, or WES, joins David Bank for this episode. WES has amassed its balance sheet not from a wealthy individual or a major corporation, but from the operations of its own nonprofit social enterprise -- and is now on a path to investing 100% of its $300 million in assets in full alignment with its social mission.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How the economic impacts of war in Iran are rippling through energy, fertilizer and food systems; a look at ImpactAlpha Edge; and, a public reckoning with an aquaculture investment gone wrong.
Relevant links:
- “With imported gas in short supply, Indian households green their kitchens,” by Shefali Anand
- "Persian Gulf blockade stokes demand for local, bio-based fertilizers," by Amy Cortese
- "The ImpactAlpha Edge: Actionable Intelligence for Agents of Impact," by Dennis Price
- "Aqua-Spark’s founders on lessons learned and the path forward after eFishery scandal,” by Amy Novogratz and Mike Velings
Russell Sprole of Virta Ventures joins David Bank to talk about why Virta expanded its equity-light, software-focused climate-tech investment strategy to include hardware, AI and blended capital stacks.
Virta Ventures has been an active and early user of ImpactAlpha Edge, ImpactAlpha’s premium platform of data and tools for fund managers and other Agents of Impact.
For more on the firm check out out David's piece on the firm's strategy from last year.
David Bank is joind by Carol Galante of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley and The Housing Lab. Carol is a proud “houser,” as affordable housing practitioners like to call themselves. David speaks with Carol to identify some of the policy and finance levers that can make housing more affordable in California and beyond.
Lyneir Richardson of Chicago Trend joins David Bank for this Agents of Impact podcast. Trend acquires and improves shopping centers in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The twist: Investment structures that enable local residents to become co-owners on the same terms as institutional investors.
David speeks with Lyneir about how such local buy-in bolsters the properties, why even a $1,000 stake in commercial real estate can change a family’s trajectory, and how broad-based community ownership can help close the racial wealth gap.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
- "Conflict in the Middle East creates (even more) refugees in need of livelihoods, services and impact investment," by Lucy Ngige.
- "Valuing Aging" Agents of Impact Call (5:05).
- " Profit and punishment: The portfolio risks lurking inside private prisons,"by Andrew Behar (10:45).
Bryan Goh of the Tsao Family Office joins David Bank on this Agents of Impact podcast. Goh runs the social impact arm of the family behind Singapore-based maritime company Tsao Pao Chee Group. The company itself says it is guided by a “well-being mandate” and “an awakening journey from I to We.”
The Tsao Family Office is a founding partner of Impact LP, ImpactAlpha’s platform for asset owners for whom LP stands for “Leadership Potential.”
For more, read our writeup on Tsao.
Ashley Bell of Redemption Holding Company joins David Bank on this episode of the podcast. Redemption last year acquired Utah-based Holiday Bank & Trust, the first time Black owners had acquired a non-minority-owned bank. From a Salt Lake City suburb, Bell is building a national financial institution.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
- "How Anthropic’s standoff with the Pentagon is putting impact investors' AI thesis to the test in real time," by David Bank.
- “Sharing wealth with workers creates value for private equity buyout firms. So why not share more?” by Roodgally Senatus. (10:15).
- “Six barriers keeping foundations from impact investing – and how to overcome them,” by Woodcock Foundation's Stacey Faella (17:55).
Tirtha Patel and John Morris of Intentional Asset Management join David for this episode. Intentional is raising the Carib Grow Fund to provide much-needed equity financing for food systems in the Caribbean. Tirtha and John explain the fund's strategy for transforming the region’s food value chain, from production to processing to waste recovery.
Intentional Asset Management has been an active and early user of ImpactAlpha’s premium databases and other investment tools for fund managers and other Agents of Impact.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank and producer Isaac Silk. Up this week: As the Trump administration steps back from domestic policy, how states are taking the lead on clean energy, the ownership economy, and AI regulation (09:25); Why smaller funds are leading to bigger returns in Africa (); And, the pivots of Mast Reforestation, as it seeks to sell removal credits on the voluntary carbon markets (14:15).
- ImpactAlpha's Policy Corner coverage.
- “Aruwa Capital has the data to make the case for small investment funds,” by Lucy Ngige
- “From planting trees to burying them, Mast Reforestation follows the market for carbon credits,” by Isaac Silk
The Russell Family Foundation is a regional small fry among the giant pension, insurance and sovereign wealth funds in the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, which represents more than $9 trillion in assets. Russell, based in Gig Harbor, Wash., near Seattle, accounts for only about $100 million of that total. “We can move a little bit faster,” Kathleen Simpson, CEO of the foundation, tells David Bank on this Agents of Impact podcast.
Resources mentioned by Kathleen:
- Russell's latest climate report
- As You Sow
- Clarity.ai
- iconik
The status quo is stupid, expensive and unfair.
That’s the first line of David Erickson’s book, “The Fifth Freedom,” which makes the case for good schools, well-funded libraries, safe streets and public spaces, quality health care, spiritual refuges and accessible transportation to help kids and communities thrive.
Erickson joins David Bank on this episode of Agents of Impact. His team at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have turned such ideas into Making Missing Markets, an initiative to connect the builders of health, wealth and vibrant communities with the “buyers,” including hospitals, insurers and corporations as well as government agencies, such as Medicaid. He says such collaborations could finance “upstream” interventions that deliver such outcomes at far lower cost than downstream remediation.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Highlights from this week’s Agents of Impact Call on Shaping the Algorithm for good AI; how regional housing finance agencies in California are leveraging public funding to crowd private capital into affordable housing (12:20); and the emergence of local guarantee facilities for local investors in infrastructure in Africa and Asia (17:20).
Story links:
- Call roundup
- “Building regional engines for affordable housing in California,” by Andrew Fremier, Ryan Johnson and Cody Petterson
- “Local guarantees for local investors in infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia,” by Lucy Ngige
Dimitry Gershenson and Erin Davis of Enduring Planet join David Bank to discuss how their working capital loans help early-stage climate startups meet the milestones need to unlock other financing – and pay them back. They discuss the current state of climate tech, technology-enabled lending, catalytic guarantees and even corporate beekeeping.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with Jessica Pothering, Dennis Price and Roodgally Senatus. Up this week: Jessica reports from Cape Town on how Africa’s mining industry is leveraging global demand for critical minerals; Dennis shares takeaways from his panel at the Urban Institute onwhat’s next for place-based investing (12:15); and, Roody reports from Philadelphia on Kensington residents are fostering neighborhood revival without gentrification and displacement (20:15).
Story links:
- "Demand for critical minerals creates new opportunities to put Africa first," by Jessica Pothering
- Dennis' Urban Institute panel.
- "In Philadelphia, Kensington Corridor Trust demonstrates a neighborhood-led model of revival without displacement,” by Roodgally Senatus
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How patient capital built India’s booming affordable home lending market; Nippon Life Insurance’s step-up to system-level investing in Japan (07:15); and, the push and pull behind growing interest in climate adaptation (13:20).
Story links:
- "Key to India’s booming affordable home lending market: Patient capital," by Shefali Anand
- “With 'people x planet', Nippon Life Insurance steps up to system-level investing,” by Erik Stein.
- “Rising risks and returns on resilience are the push and pull for climate adaptation,” by David Bank.
SHIFT Capital, Aedera Companies and Lafayette Square are teaming up to bet on some of the most overlooked corners of the US housing market: Federally subsidized housing in mid-sized cities and rural communities on the east coast, and in the rust belt and midwest.
SHIFT's Brian Murray and Aedera's Alison Carey join David Bank to discuss their new fund's strategy of preserving, and improving, affordable housing in underserved markets.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How some LPs are going ‘beyond the check’ to help their GP impact managers survive the fundraising drought; enabling US retail investors to back solar projects in Africa and Latin America (8:05); and, at “He for She,” recognizing men who champion women in asset management (13:40).
Check out this week's stories:
- “Ten ways LPs are going ‘beyond the check’ to help impact managers survive the fundraising drought,” by Erik Stein.
- “Solar projects in Africa and Latin America pay dividends to US retail investors,” by Lucy Ngige.
- Listen to "Women Changing Finance"
The lyrics to Kat Taylor's re-write of "The Times They Are A-Changin'":
Come gather around people wherever you roam
and admit that the dangers around you have grown
and accept it that soon you'll be cut to the bone
if your time isn't spent saving,
we better start swimming or we'll sink like a storm
for the times they are changin'.
Investments they come and investments they go
without purpose of fixing the mean status quo
until voices left out become voices we know
at the ballot the lectern on Wall Street's beggars row
take back your impact through your almighty toll
For investors, they are changin'.
Come Senators, Congressmen, please heed the call.
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall.
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled.
But that outside it is raging
will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
for the times they are changin'.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Highlights from this week's star-studded call on the real returns of impact-first managers; why some investors are raising permanent capital to keep affordable housing affordable, permanently (10:00); and, how Lendable is showing that asset-backed financing in emerging markets can have institutional appeal (17:10).
Story links:
- "These fund managers are finding novel solutions by seeking impact first," by David Bank, Dennis Price and Isaac Silk
- "Raising permanent capital to keep housing affordable, permanently," by Roodgally Senatus and David Bank
- "Lendable returns to asset-backed lending for the green transition," by Jessica Pothering and David Bank
Former New York City Deputy Mayor and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group head Alicia Glen joins David Bank to unpack how MSquared is using private capital to tackle America’s affordable housing crisis.
Glen shares why mixed-income, mixed-use projects are better for investors and communities, how tools like tax credits and land use policy make the numbers work, and why transit-oriented, green buildings and diverse developers are central to her thesis.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: In an impact fundraising drought, novel strategies and private credit stand out and, yes, size matters. Joseph Blasi's strategy to give workers a stake in AI’s upside through state and federal ‘permanent funds’ (10:45). And, the social-impact of popular movies and television (17:00).
- “In impact fundraising drought, novel strategies and private credit stand out and, yes, size matters,” by Jessica Pothering and Lucy Ngige.
- “Joseph Blasi: Give workers a stake in AI’s upside through state and federal ‘permanent funds',” by Roodgally Senatus and Amy Cortese.
- “Making, and measuring, a family dinner as an impact investment,” by Dmitriy Ioselevich.
Watch the Nonnas trailer.
BTNewsroom story on Roosevelt High School walkout
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Impact investors chart a path for Latin America after the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Why working capital might be the biggest barrier for next-gen fund managers (6:15). And, why some insurers are looking for new risk transfer tools in the face of accelerating climate impacts (13:20).
- “Now what? Like Venezuela, Latin American fund managers start to map a way forward,” by Erik Stein, Amy Cortese and David Bank.
- “Working capital is the missing link for next-gen managers,” by Regina Green and Sabrina Bainbridge.
- “Innovations in 'risk transfer' for climate-vulnerable communities” by ImpactAlpha contributor Taylor Kate Brown.
Robert Raben, of the Raben Group, a Washington DC-based consulting firm that champions diversity and social justice, joins David Bank to discuss the resilience of diversity, equity and inclusion, if not the acronym DEI, and where the movement for an inclusive economy, society and asset-management industry is headed. Let’s jump right in to our conversation.
https://impactalpha.com/robert-raben-the-arc-of-business-and-finance-bends-toward-diversity-podcast/
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Why LP might stand for Leadership Potential, in addition to limited partner, as asset allocators contend with an increasingly complex world; how new approaches to the ownership economy are helping to both increase and share the pie; and, amid a pullback in official aid, how African asset owners and fund managers are creating their own pathways to growth.
Story links:
- “In volatile times, some impact investors try to show LP means ‘leadership potential,’” by Amy Cortese and David Bank
- “Impact LPs and GPs search for solutions in a tough year to raise and deploy capital,” by Amy Cortese and Erik Stein
- “Beyond affordability to ownership, wealth-building and economic security,” by David Bank
- "African asset owners and fund managers chart local ‘pathways to growth’," by Lucy Ngige and Jessica Pothering
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How the Sierra Club Foundation is leaning into system-level investing with its $200 million endowment; the 1803 Fund’s ambitious plans to restore historically Black neighborhoods in Portland; and, how financial advisors can meet clients’ demand for impact investing opportunities, and other takeaways from this week’s Agents of Impact Call.
Story links:
- “Sierra Club Foundation is dumping managers, innovating indexes and embracing ‘system-level’ investing,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
- “In Portland, the 1803 Fund is rebuilding Black neighborhoods, zip code by zip code,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- Agents of Impact Call 75 recap and replay.
Stackwell founder Trevor Rozier-Byrd joins David Bank to talk about how public financial markets can become a real wealth-building tool for people who’ve historically been left out. Stackwell’s model: culturally resonant education, behaviorally informed nudges like recurring deposits, and seed investment programs that help “multicultural emerging wealth builders” get into the market and stay there.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The ambitious strategy behind New Mexico’s $67 billion sovereign wealth fund; How the residential solar industry plans to stay competitive by eliminating dealer fees; And, how cities are building durable capital stacks for climate action, as federal support evaporates.
Story links:
- “How New Mexico’s $67 billion fund is using oil and gas revenues to build a clean energy economy,” by David Bank.
- “With tax credits expiring, cutting ‘dealer fees’ could keep solar affordable,” by David Bank.
- “PosiGen bankruptcy highlights solar industry woes — and puts Brookfield in the hot seat,” by Amy Cortese.
- “Building durable financing for the energy transition and climate action in local communities,” by HIP Investors’ Nick Gower.
David Bank chats with Bruce Brown of New Mexico’s State Investment Council, a $67 billion sovereign wealth fund of sorts that helps pay for child care, schools, college and other services for the state’s residents. Brown is using funds generated from oil and gas production on state lands to invest in climate funds and attract clean energy projects to New Mexico.
The Cordes Foundation's Steph Stephenson joins Amy Cortese to talk about her family foundation’s evolution over its twenty years, from early support for social entrepreneurs to a focused push for gender equity throughout the global fashion industry.
Check out all of ImpactAlpha's sustainable fashion coverage.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Beyond investments and guarantees, how Encourage Capital assembled the necessary pieces to unlock capital flows for the global clean energy transition; The missing markets for local builders and buyers of health, wealth, and vibrant communities (09:30); And, how European pension funds learn to stop worrying and love the companies making bombs (12:35).
Story links:
“A case study in unlocking lending to small businesses to accelerate solar in India,” by C3's Harvy Koh
“Making missing markets for local builders (and buyers) of health, wealth and vibrant communities,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus
“European pension funds said ‘no’ to defense investments. Then came Ukraine… and Trump,” by Danielle Rossingh
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Instead of 50 year mortgages, actual solutions to make homeownership affordable; The case of the missing $54 billion in climate finance; And, highlights from this week’s call, on plugging the financing gap for growth businesses in Africa.
Story links:
- “From affordable home ownership to ‘fair-share appreciation’ and generational wealth,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
- “The case of the missing $54 billion in development banks' climate financing," by Jessica Pothering.
- All of our call roundups: https://impactalpha.com/calls/
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: In the lead up to the COP30 climate summit, the state of climate blended finance is a mixed bag; the private credit jitters that are putting even impact investors on edge (10:55); and, a preview of next week's Agents of Impact call on mobilizing growth funds for growth firms in Africa and Asia (16:10).
- RSVP for next week's Call!
Story links: - “Institutional investors warm to blended climate finance even as foreign aid and catalytic capital declines,” by Erik Stein
“With Tropical Forests Forever fund, Brazil tries a new approach to slowing deforestation,” by Erik Stein
“Debt bubble? Private credit jitters put even impact investors on edge,” by Amy Cortese
“With philanthropic capital, Growth Firms Alliance is mobilizing local pension funds around small-business financing,” by Lucy Ngige
As a former hedge fund investor, Eva Yazhari is comfortable making the contrarian bet. While other VC investors are swinging for grand slams with AI startups, Yazhari’s Beyond Capital Ventures is knocking down singles and doubles around the west Indian Ocean, one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. “The gap is where the alpha lives,” Yazhari told ImpactAlpha on the latest Agents of Impact podcast.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with CEO Dennis Price. Up this week: What was top of mind among innovators and investors at SOCAP; How community lenders are building rare bipartisan support to salvage gains for low income communities (09:35); And, a dual lens for due diligence and impact: investing with AI vs. investing in AI (15:55).
Story links:
- “Community lenders muster bipartisan support to salvage gains for low-income communities,” by Amy Cortese with Roodgally Senatus.
“Investing with AI, investing in AI: A dual lens for due diligence and impact,” by Paul Fehlinger.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The surprising resurgence of impact-first investing; How lawyers, yes lawyers, are working to simplify impact transactions: And, in Newark, new ideas surface for how to build a nation of owners.
Story links:
- Impact-first call recap
- “Building a nation of owners with new financial products and fresh ideas,” by David Bank
- “Lawyers, yes lawyers, are trying to simplify impact transactions,” by Erik Stein
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank and reporter Lucy Ngige. Up this week: Trimtab's unapologetic impact-first pitch to wealthy families: outperformance on impact rather than financials; How the new Sendero Verde affordable housing development is bringing to life a vision for a community of opportunity in East Harlem (10:30); And, a vibe check from this year's GIIN Impact Forum (14:55).
Story links:
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- “Trimtab’s unapologetic pitch to wealthy families seeking outperformance – on impact,” by David Bank.
- ‘Community of opportunity’: With Sendero Verde, Jonathan Rose’s affordable housing vision comes to life in East Harlem,” by Roodgally Senatus
- “At GIIN Impact Forum, institutional investors seek to chart a path forward,” by Dennis Price and Lucy Ngige.“ImpactAlpha’s Fall Tour: Equity, ownership and the path to shared prosperity,” by David Bank.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Ambitious plans for the US International Development Finance Corp., or DFC, are on hold pending congressional authorization; how debt and equity “growth funds” in Africa are tapping homegrown pension funds and family offices (11:20); and why youth co-creators are the key to effectiveness in the new crop of AI-driven approaches to youth mental health challenges (18:05).
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Story links:
- “Bipartisan plans for a bigger, bolder US International Development Finance Corp. on hold as agency’s authorization lapses,” by Kristin Kelly Jangraw.
- “‘Growth funds’ in Africa are tapping local pension funds to reshape development finance,” by Lucy Ngige and David Bank.
- “Youth ‘co-creators’ are busting (adult) myths about AI and mental health,” by David Bank
Impact(ed) co-hosts Lucas Turner-Owens and Eric Horvath join David Bank to reflect on the evolving landscape of impact investing. They discuss the pendulum between values and business case for impact, the push for broader accessibility, and the diverse voices shaping season two of their show.
Check out season two of Impact(ed) wherever you listen and on impactalpha.com
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editors David Bank and Amy Cortese. Up this week: At Neighborhood Economics in Chicago, entrepreneurship through acquisition and other promising ideas are filling out the playbook for shared prosperity; How ExxonMobil's new voting program for retail investors aims to change the balance of power in corporate governance. And, how reinsurer GreenieRE is bringing the concept of surety bonds to help scale climate tech investments.
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Story links:
- “Expanding ‘entrepreneurship through acquisition’ for inclusive wealth creation in the US and Canada,”
- “Investors who refuse to take a loyalty oath to ExxonMobil should decline to join its ‘retail voting program,’” by As You Sow’s Andrew Behar
- “GreenieRe sees ‘impact insurance’ surety bonds as the key to scaling climate tech,” by Amy Cortese
British International Investment CEO Leslie Maasdorp joins David Bank to share how the UK’s development finance institution is charting it's next five years, with a focus on climate finance, de-risking investments in emerging markets and innovative approaches that can crowd in private capital at scale.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with Amy Cortese and Dennis Price. Up this week: How investors at Climate Week NYC shook off the Trump doldrums (. And how, from Singapore to London, even fund managers that shun the label are driving alpha with impact (12:45).
Story links:
“At Climate Week NYC, investors look to shake off the doldrums and start deploying capital again,” by Amy Cortese.
- “Even for GPs that shun the label, ‘impact’ drives portfolio performance,” by Dennis Price.
As climate action shifts east and south, some would-be Climate Week attendees are staying away due to visa hassles, fears of invasive immigration procedures and risk of detention. The rollback of US climate policy likewise has global effects as the Trump administration strongarms nations into buying US gas and weakening climate policies and upends global trade with mercurial tariffs. “The Europeans are not buying it,” Carbon Tracker’s Mark Campanale told Amy Cortese on the latest Agents of Impact podcast.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Foundation leaders “unite in advance” of expected attacks in the supercharged political environment; how the carbon credit platform Rubicon Carbon is using diversification and ratings to strengthen the market for voluntary carbon credits (07:20); and the bumpy road to the sustainable future as charted by Generation Investment Management’s annual Sustainability Trends Report (15:05). Bonus: a preview of next week’s Agents of Impact interview with Carbon Tracker’s Mark Companele.
Story links:
- “Foundation leaders ‘unite in advance’ of expected attacks on spending and speaking,” by David Bank.
“Rubicon’s ‘all of the above’ plan to diversify and rate the market for carbon credits,” by Erik Stein.
“Ten slides that chart the bumpy road to the sustainable future,” by Amy Cortese.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The All Aboard Coalition's effort to mobilize $300 million for venture capital co-investments in first of a kind climate-tech projects; the role of fashion brands in supporting regenerative cotton in Peru (06:55); and why decentralized physical infrastructure networks, or DePINs, are a promising model for sustainable community services (11:00).
Story links:
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- “All Aboard Coalition mobilizes co-investments in climate tech as federal funding falters,” by Amy Cortese
- “Fashion brands step into the aid gap to back regenerative cotton in Peru’s Amazon,” by Erik Stein
- “A new model for digital infrastructure: Decentralized and community owned,” by Crypto Council for Innovation's Renee Pinto da Silva Barton
Music by Isaac Silk and DELOSound
Jacqueline Novogratz joins David Bank to discuss Acumen's evolution over 24 years, focusing on three key areas: patient capital, scale, and systemic change.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How green lenders are scrambling to salvage investable deals as a federal appeals court maintains a Trump freeze on billions of dollars from the greenhouse gas reduction fund. Employee ownership takes a big leap forward as a company with 100,000 employees sells a 30% equity stake to an employee ownership trust (07:15). And, a look at fusion nuclear energy, a sector receiving the attention and billions of dollars of investments from family offices among other very patient investors (14:15).
Story links:
- “In-home caregivers get a stake in Consumer Direct Care Network as bigger companies discover employee ownership trusts,” by Roodgally Senatus
- “Green lenders scramble to salvage deals as appeals court OKs freeze on accounts,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese
- “As fusion energy advances, so does its capital stack,” by Amy Cortese.
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editors and journalists from our team. Up this week: Jessica Pothering discusses a new financing tool from Roots of Impact, Simple Agreement for Future Impact. Eric Stein joins from Medellín to talk about impact investing trends he's been seeing during recent travels across Latin America (8:30). And, Jessica shares how a medical oxygen company in East Africa managed to secure financing after the DFC reneged (16:40).
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- "Forget SAFEs. Impact investors are incentivizing growth and impact with SAFIs," by Jessica Pothering and Erik Stein.
- “Peruvian impact investors are mobilizing capital for inclusive growth in the Amazon,” by Erik Stein
- "Kenya's Hewatele lands $10.5 million to produce medical oxygen locally, " by Lucy Ngige
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with ImpactAlpha editors and journalists.Up this week: Amy Cortese discusses the “billionaire buyers club” of wealthy donors buying up tons of carbon just to lock it away. Roodgally Senatus dishes on the big changes underway at Turner MIINT (7:45). And, dealflow editor Jessica Pothering runs down the impact deals and fundraises catching her eye this week (12:38).
Story links:
- “Billionaire Buyers Club: Wealthy donors are buying tons of carbon just to lock it away,” by Amy Cortese
- “Impact Capital Managers takes the helm of Turner MIINT to advance the next generation of impact investors,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- "Grupo Gaia is bringing a Big Ag financing tool to Brazil’s smallholder farmers," by Gilberto Lima.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Can open deal data and standardized reporting might help fix blended finance? How the Singapore-based Tsao family office deploys its capital towards impact (10:00). And, goodbye accelerators, hello venture studios – how emerging market investors are helping startups survive the valley of death in reaching impact at scale (15:07).
Story links:
- “Can AI collapse transaction costs and make high-impact investments viable at scale?” by Human Planet’s Florian Kemmerich.
- “Fix for blended finance: Open deal data and standardized reporting,” by Erik Stein
- “From Singapore, Tsao Family Office expands the LP pool for impact strategies in Africa,” by Jessica Pothering
- "These DIY investors are notching impact and exits with venture studios to build startups from scratch," by Lucy Ngige.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How air capture aims to capture the market for carbon my cost effectively removing it from the air. How Boldline Capital seeks to meet the short term liquidity of impact and emerging fund managers (10:34). And, who actually lands a job in impact investing? Harvard Business School’s Project on Impact Investments crunches the numbers (17:55).
Story links:
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- “Capturing the market for carbon by removing it from the air more and more cheaply,” by David Bank.
- “Impact and emerging GPs to get a ‘bold line’ of credit to streamline capital calls and accelerate dealflow,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
- “Who lands the jobs in impact investing? Successful candidates take nontraditional paths,” by Shawn Cole, Jonah Zahnd and Marcus Sander.
In this Agents of Impact podcast David Bank speaks with CapShift CEO and co-founder Adam Rein ] about the growing demand for impact investing among high net worth individuals and how Capshift is addressing this need through its technology-enabled platform.
ImpactAlpha and CapShift are launching Advisors' Corner, a new hub of practical resources to help financial advisors dive into impact investing.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Amy Cortese and senior reporter Lucy Ngige. Up this week: How nearly $3 billion in Biden era climate financing, thought to be frozen in legal limbo, made it out to some private equity giants. Why biochar is having a moment (09:00). And, how global superstar Rihanna is investing in women-led ventures in Africa via her Nairobi-based investment fund Gather Ventures (17:40).
Story links:
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- “Coalition for Green Capital places $2.65 billion in green bank funds with Apollo, Brookfield and Energy Capital Partners,” by Amy Cortese and David Bank
- “Beyond storing carbon, biochar’s co-benefits give it early customers and revenues,” by Lucy Ngige
- “With Gather Ventures, Rihanna expands her toolkit for investing in women-led ventures in Africa,” by Lucy Ngige
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: New urgency around investments in climate adaptation and resilience in the wake of the tragic flooding in Texas. How Community Development Financial Institutions in Indian country are positioned to step up – with or without promised federal funding (09:02). And, highlights from David's recent interview with Blue Haven Initiative’s Liesel Pritzker Simmons about the ways that family offices are engaging with impact investing during these perilous times (14:15).
- “Investments in adaptation and resilience acquire new urgency as the climate future arrives,” by Amy Cortese
- “Native CDFIs are positioned to step up, even without promised federal funds,” by Erik Stein
- “Blue Haven’s Liesel Pritzker Simmons on family office impact investing in perilous times (Q&A),” by David Bank
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Doing more with less – the blended finance fallout from shrinking development aid and a shuttered USAID. A call for responsible investors to invest in… defence companies (09:30). And, remembering B Lab’s Andrew Kassoy, an Agent of Impact who launched a movement to align capital with purpose (14:40).
Story links:
- “Blended finance at a crossroads: The fallout from shrinking aid and a shuttered USAID,” by Convergence’s Joan Larrea
- “Development finance institutions lag on transparency and disclosure around capital mobilization,” by Jessica Pothering
- “Calling responsible investors in Europe to invest in… defense,” by Venture ESG’s Susan Winterberg and Johannes Lenhard
- “Declaration of Interdependence: Reconciling profit and purpose,” by B Lab’s Andrew Kassoy
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: Teeing up November's Global Climate Summit COP 30 in Brazil with inclusive nature-based, Indigenous-led and catalytic climate capital. A new tool that helps direct scarce concessional capital for adaptation finance to where it's most needed (09:45). And why more investors are taking an aging-lens to their impact investments (13:38).
Story links:
- "Teeing up COP30 in Brazil with inclusive, nature-based and catalytic climate capital," by Gilberto Lima.
- “Fund managers center Indigenous communities to drive capital to the Amazon,” by Erik Stein.
- "New tool for adaptation finance directs concessional capital where it's needed most,” by Erik Stein.
- “A market hiding in plain sight: The case for aging-lens investing,” by SCAN Foundation's Brendan Ahern and Xenia Viragh.
Hopelab’s Margaret Laws and Amy Green join ’s David Bank on the latest episode of the Agents of Impact podcast.
See all of ImpactAlpha's Healthy Youth coverage: https://impactalpha.com/browse/inclusion/healthy-youth/
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: What the $785 billion private equity giant Apollo has learned in the five years since launching its $1 billion private impact fund; from MasterCard Foundation's Africa Growth Fund to local African funders, a look at the small business investing landscape on the continent (07:45); and to mark this year’s Juneteenth commemoration, contributing editor Napoleon Wallace makes the case for shared prosperity his new remix, ‘The Reconstruction Will Not Be Televised’ (15:20).
Relevant links:
- RSVP for next week's Call.
- “Ownership, collinearity and KPIs: Apollo’s impact strategy turns five,” by Amy Cortese
- "Mastercard Foundation knows how stakeholders feel about its Africa Growth Fund," by Jessica Pothering
- “‘The Reconstruction Will Not Be Televised’ remixes a classic to build the movement for shared prosperity,” by David Bank. Listen to the song on YouTube.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Turning the stranded pipeline of green loans into investable deal flow for private capital. Plus, for European investors, material risks are still… material (10:30). And, Taylor Swift, Ryan Coogler, and the emerging ownership economy in music and film (15:10).
Story links:
- Green lenders are all dressed up and ready to roll
- For European LPs, material risks are still material, and American GPs come calling
- Taylor Swift, Ryan Coogler and the emerging ownership economy in music and film
In this special episode of This Week in Impact, Brian Walsh discusses the evolution of ImpactAlpha with editor-in-chief David Bank and newly named CEO Dennis Price. The discussion centers on the leadership transition and the new teams and tools being developed at ImpactAlpha to support Agents of Impact.
Read the full announcement.
David catches up with Navajo Power CEO Brett Isaac and COO Michael Cox to learn how the indigenous-owned company is building out utility-scale solar projects, not just in Navajo Nation but on tribal land across the country.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Navajo Power and Its Mission
- 03:11 The Transition from Fossil Fuels to Clean Energy
- 05:45 Community Engagement and Project Development
- 09:11 Navigating Regulatory Challenges
- 12:10 Financing the Future of Navajo Power
- 14:57 Building a Sustainable Economic Ecosystem
- 18:08 The Role of Indigenous Sovereignty in Energy Projects
- 20:55 Future Prospects and Community Impact
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Pegasus Capital’s contrarian play for orphaned climate projects in emerging markets. How a Ugandan pension fund is creating its own new savers with investments in small business and agriculture (07:45). And, should impact have a veto in investment decisionmaking (12:20)?
Story links:
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- “Ever contrarian, Pegasus Capital eyes orphaned climate projects in emerging markets,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese
- “Uganda’s pension fund is creating new savers with investments in small business and agriculture,” by Lucy Ngige and David Bank
- “Should impact have a veto in investment decisions?” by Blink’s Ana Pimenta
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Unsolicited advice for the Gates Foundation following the announcement that it would increase its giving and spend down its endowment by 2045; How California's massive public pension funds find alpha in emerging fund managers (09:45); And, glimmers of hope for blended finance in the face of a global foreign aid pullback (15:27).
Story links:
There are nearly as many people in the US over 65 years old as there are under 18, and we’re not getting any younger. “It's genuinely a mega trend that's going to impact every aspect of our economy,” Next50’s Peter Kaldes tells David Bank on this Agents of Impact podcast. “We would be missing out on a profound investment and impact opportunity if we don't build this framework.”
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Two views on the future of impact investing from Calvert Impact and Innovative Finance Initiative. Temasek makes the case for the private equity opportunity in climate adaptation and resilience (09:10). And, how Mati Carbon plans to leverage its $50 million X-Prize to remove carbon and support farmers in tropical zones (14:15).
Story Links:
- “Calvert Impact’s market-shaping strategy for the future of impact,” by Calvert Impact’s Jenn Pryce.
- “Innovative Finance Network’s fund designs for radical impact,” by Innovative Finance Network’s Aunnie Patton Power and Doughnut Economics Action Lab's Erinch Sahan.
- “Temasek on hot sectors for PE investment in climate adaptation and resilience,” by Amy Cortese and Jessica Pothering
- “Mati Carbon leverages its $50 million XPRIZE to remove carbon and support farmers in tropical zones,” by Jessica Pothering.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: With US markets all over the place, investors at the Milken Global Conference shift their focus to ownership, AI, and the rest of the world. How impact investors are responding to proposed cuts to health and medical research (8:33). And, forget your astrological sign – Phenix Capital proposes four archetypes for impact fund managers (15:23).
Story links:
- “With markets down, up and sideways, investors look to ownership, AI and the rest of the world,” by Amy Cortese and David Bank
- “KKR’s Pete Stavros: Employee ownership is a competitive advantage in private equity (Q&A),” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus
- "With medical research funding in peril, one biotech VC firm pushes innovation forward," by Jessica Pothering
- "Illusionist, Learner, Achiever or Champion: What kind of impact fund manager are you?," by Phenix Capital’s Daniel Moreno and Mohit Saini
JFF Ventures’ Yigal Kerszenbaum joins David Bank on the latest Agents of Impact podcast. The venture capital fund is betting on a high-road vision of workforce innovation – and AI – to expand economic mobility for workers amid technological disruption and economic uncertainty.
Read Kerszenbaum's op-ed on ImpactAlpha.
Timecodes:
00:00 The Role of Impact Investing in Economic Mobility
04:44 Navigating the AI Landscape for Job Security
08:13 Creating Pathways to Higher Wage Jobs
10:31 Supporting Non-Traditional Workers and Solopreneurs
14:23 The Shift in Education and Entrepreneurship
16:38 Investability of Wealth Building Strategies
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Some initial entries into the playbook for shared prosperity. How inflation and economic instability is affecting pay-as-you-go financing in the off-grid solar market (08:40). And, why Tom Steyer see now as a buying opportunity for climate investors with dry powder to deploy (13:50).
Relevant links:
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- “Galvanize’s Tom Steyer on why now is a good time for climate investors with cash (Q&A),” by David Bank
- “Defaults on pay-as-you-go solar tick up with income pressure and financial literacy challenges,” by Lucy Ngige
- Contribute a strategy to the playbook through this short form
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How climate tech founders and funders are planning to ride out the political storm. What the lackluster fundraising totals for TPG NEXT means for emerging and diverse managers (07:00). Plus, five promising pages in the playbook for shared prosperity (11:56).
Relevant links:
- Climate tech is counting on falling costs, rising demand to ride out the political storm
- Lackluster fundraising for TPG NEXT sends mixed signals to emerging and diverse managers
- Re:Construction: Five promising pages in the playbook for shared prosperity
- Contribute to the playbook
- RSVP for the call
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: A call to action from impact investors in response to the growing political risk in the US market. Plus, how the idea of employee ownership is bringing lawmakers together across the aisle (7:55). And the strategies and structures LPs are using to get their money back in a volatile market environment (11:55).
Story links:
- “In a polarized US Capitol, employee ownership brings lawmakers together,” by Roodgally Senatus
- Restive LPs look to secondaries and other creative exits to recoup their capital,” by Amy Cortese
- Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank, live-ish from the Re:Construction road show. Up this week: How impact investors are reacting to a tariffying week for Wall Street and global trade. What comes next for foreign aid in the wake of the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID (7:10). And, why it’s critical to continue assembling a playbook for shared prosperity (12:15).
Relevant links:
* “Rebuilding global aid was the (mostly) talk of the town at Skoll World Forum,” by Caroline Bressan
* Could trade chaos cut emissions and make impact investments the safer bet?” by Amy Cortese and David Bank
* “People, purpose and perseverance: Assembling the playbook for shared prosperity,” by David Bank
* **Submit your plays for shared prosperity.**
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: Climate insurance in California that incentivizes landowners to reduce wildfire risks. Plus, making subsidies smarter by targeting the operating needs of agriculture businesses and the funds that support them.
Chapters
- (00:00) Innovative Climate Insurance Pilot in California
- (08:17) Concessional Capital and Africa's Farmers
Story links:
“Innovative climate insurance in California gives landowners incentives to reduce wildfire risks,” by Jessica Pothering
“Making subsidies smarter by targeting Africa’s farmers and the funds that support them,” by Jessica Pothering
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Event RSVPs:
- Boston: Saturday, April 12 - Boston International Film Festival
- North Carolina: Friday, April 4 - Building models for shared prosperity, UNC Chapel Hill
- Washington, DC: April 8 - Purple Party,
- Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: With proxy season here, how shareholders can apply a system stewardship model for the companies they own; why strategies to share the wealth via employee ownership are attracting popular support, and a look at our spring “Re:construction” tour, which offers a playbook for shared prosperity.
Chapters
- (00:00) Proxy season insights
- (06:00) Employee ownership models
- (11:50) Re:construction and shared prosperity
Event RSVPs:
- North Carolina: Friday, April 4 - Building models for shared prosperity, UNC Chapel Hill
- Washington, DC: April 8 - Purple Party,
- Boston: Saturday, April 12 - Boston International Film Festival
Story links:
- “Shareholders can fight back with system stewardship,” by The Shareholder Commons’ Frederick Alexander
- Ownership Call: impactalpha.com/calls and Youtube
- “A playbook of what and who is working to build prosperity for all,” and “‘Special Purpose Credit Programs’ face the axe,” by David Bank
🎧 This Week in Impact. Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Why Trump's order to cut a Main Street lending program led to a rare GOP rebuke. How Canadian employee ownership trusts offer a path to shared prosperity along with protecting national sovereignty (06:17). And finally, as private equity fundraising becomes more competitive, how GPs can differentiate on impact (12:53).
RSVP for the call:
- https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3AUkUaVZTyivXhXx0oVsrw
Story links:
- “Threat to CDFI Fund gives community lenders a chance to flex bipartisan support,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese
- “In Canada, employee ownership trusts offer a path to shared prosperity and national sovereignty,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- “Differentiating on impact, tapping retail investors: Charting the changing private equity landscape” by Amy Cortese
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The significance of noted green banker Mark Carney’s new role as Canadian Prime Minister; what’s at stake as US climate policy heads to the courts (06:41); and, why one impact fund manager says low-income customers are more profitable – and has the data to prove it (12:25).
Story links:
- "Canada puts a green banker in charge of its response to Trump,” by Amy Cortese and David Bank.
- “EPA raises the stakes in battle over $20 billion in green bank grants,” by Amy Cortese and Isaac Silk.
- “Climate United carries legal banner in battle for the green bank,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese.
- "Elevar Equity says low-income customers are more profitable – and has the data to prove it," by Shefali Anand.
Host Brian Walsh chats with ImpactAlpha’s emerging markets reporter Lucy Ngige. Up this week: Why the mood at two impact investing conferences in Nairobi was hopeful, despite the US foreign aid freeze. Plus, a roundup of some of the most interesting recent emerging markets deals.
Check out all of the deals here:
- https://impactalpha.com/browse/beats/dealflow/
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: Jessica digs in on food and agriculture in East Africa. Emerging fund managers in the ownership economy deliver returns to investors by sharing the wealth with workers, families and communities. And, what the EU Commission’s revamped rules mean for climate and sustainability disclosure.
Timecodes:
- 00:00 Impact Investing Insights from East Africa
- 11:04 Emerging Trends in the Ownership Economy
- 17:39 EU Climate Regulations: A Shift in Strategy
Links:
- "GPs deliver ownership investing strategies for LPs of all sizes," by Jessica Pothering
- “The European Union is poised to scale back its ambitious climate finance regulations, too,” by Louie Woodall.
This week, Brian and David discuss the resilience of impact investing amidst political upheaval, focusing on emerging markets, small businesses, and climate strategies. Also, the evolving dynamics between limited partners (LPs) and general partners (GPs) in the investment landscape, particularly through co-investments. Finally they cover the University of Utah's new initiative to become a hub for impact investing education.
00:00 Impact Investing Amidst Political Turmoil
07:30 The Evolving LP/GP Relationship
14:27 University of Utah: A New Epicenter for Impact Investing
Relevant links:
- Sign up for the LP/GP newsletter.
- “EPA’s efforts to claw back ‘green bank’ funds hit a snag,” by Amy Cortese.
- “African leadership is reshaping the continent’s small business investing ecosystem,” by Lucy Ngige.
- “Climate and development challenges spur development finance institutions to unlock private capital,” by Leslie Maasdorp of British International Investment.
- “Why TPG’s Jim Coulter is bullish on impact,” by Amy Cortese.
- “That (mixed) feeling when your LP co-invests in the sweet deal you’ve just negotiated,” by David Bank.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: An innovative investment vehicle turns a strip mall in Portland into a community investment trust that’s helping local renters build family wealth; the Liist gets a facelift and the importance of highlighting the raises of emerging fund managers; plus, why impact investors are split on President Trump's proposal to axe the carried interest tax loophole.
Links:
- “This strip mall in Portland is helping neighborhood families build wealth and community ownership,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- “Emerging managers forge ahead with inclusive and climate investment strategies,” by Jessica Pothering and Lucy Ngige.
- “Trump’s threat to end the tax breaks for ‘carried interest’ rattles private equity managers,” by Amy Cortese.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 Community Investment Trusts: A New Model for Wealth Building
- 10:04 Spotlight on Emerging Fund Managers
- 15:05 The Carried Interest Loophole: Implications and Controversies
On this episode of 'This Week in Impact' Brian Walsh and Jessica pother discuss the implications of the Trump administration's freeze on development finance, the evolving landscape of voluntary carbon markets driven by corporate buyers, and the challenges facing private equity in the healthcare sector.
- 00:50 Impact of the Trump Administration on Development Finance
- 10:09 Corporate Buyers and Voluntary Carbon Markets
- 20:55 Addressing Private Equity's Challenges in Healthcare
Story links:
- “US development financing freeze puts private investments in Africa in peril,” by Jessica Pothering
"Corporate buyers nudge voluntary carbon markets toward higher-quality projects," by Jessica Pothering “An allocators guide to reigning in private equity’s worst excesses in healthcare,” by Ibrahim Rashid
In the latest Agents of Impact podcast, Ravit Dotan, an AI governance advisor and researcher in Pittsburgh, joins David Bank to share insights on the new state of play for responsible AI in the early days of the Trump administration and what Deepseek, the Chinese competitor to Open AI, means for intellectual property, open-source code … and national security.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Stories featured in this week's episode:
Mission-driven funders scramble to respond to federal funding freeze, by Amy Cortese and David Bank
Call roundup: https://impactalpha.com/calls/
How machine learning and AI can be harnessed for mission-based lending, by Mar Diteos Rendon, Nicole Jansma and Sachi Shenoy
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Stories covered this:
“Trump’s executive orders will affect investments in climate, equity, AI and global development,” by Dennis Price, Isaac Silk and Amy Cortese
“Investors look for Opportunity Zones to get an extension and a fresh dose of tax-advantaged capital,” by Roodgally Senatus
“Adding a dash of guaranteed liquidity to impact funds to attract more institutional LPs,” by David Bank.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How the devastating LA wildfires are putting a spotlight on wildfire prevention tech and what the disaster means for California's fragile insurance market; examples of outcomes-based financing driving systemic change in education; and Colossal Biosciences’ $200 million raise to revive the wooly mammoth among other lost species.
- “In the age of fire, tech solutions can help but not heal,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
- “LA wildfires push California’s insurance market to the brink,” by Louie Woodall
- “How outcomes-based financing can drive systemic change in education,” by Jenny Berg and Inês Charro of Education Finance Network
- Wild and woolly: Colossal Biosciences raises $200 million to revive the mammoth and other lost species,” by Amy Cortese
Host Brian Walsh takes up the week’s top stories with ImpactAlpha’s Jessica Pothering. They discuss Jessica's takeaways from her analysis of ImpactAlpha's 2024 set of actively raising impact funds, how catalytic capital is unlocking regenerative agriculture opportunities in Brazil, and why drones are taking off in India for agriculture and economic inclusion.
"Glimmers of hope for impact fund managers shine through the fundraising fog," by Jessica Pothering.
"How catalytic capital helped unlock ecosystem regeneration in Brazil," by Dario Parziale.
- "Investors bet on drones to lift agricultural productivity and women’s livelihoods in India," by Shefali Anand.
In the final podcast episode of the year, host Brian Walsh takes up the trends that ImpactAlpha will be following in 2025 with editor David Bank. On our radar: Impact investors lean into economic populism with the ownership economy; climate gets a new narrative for the Trump era; and emerging markets attract local capital for local needs as better data rebuts misperceptions of risk.
Check out all of this year's lookaheads on ImpactAlpha.
As president of the Heron Foundation, Clara Miller in 2012 set a goal to invest 100% percent of the foundation’s then-$250 million in assets to fight poverty within five years. Heron beat the deadline by a year to be become one of the first foundations to align its full endowment with its mission.
For the latest episode of the podcast series Finding Alpha, ImpactAlpha contributing editor Rob Brown sat down with Miller for a wide-ranging discussion about the innovations she fostered in impact lending, the value of starting your career at the bottom, and her favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
How lobbying and advocacy are being used by family offices for “policy enhanced impact investing.”
- “These investors are raising their lobbying game to enhance their social impact,” by David Bank.
How a California community lender is focusing on community ownership models to combat the displacement of small businesses and nonprofits.
- “Community Vision’s ownership strategy for combating displacement of small businesses and nonprofits in California,” by Roodgally Senatus.
- “How community ownership benefits investors and communities,” Aisha Benson and Christina Hollenback.
And, a look at the rapidly evolving off-grid solar industry in Africa.
- “Commercial lenders wake up to Africa's fastest-growing solar sector,” by Lucy Ngige.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
The tale of two different ownership economy models for increasing employee wealth
- As private equity firms start to share the wealth, low-income workers get just a little bit by Roody Senatus
- Meet 22 funds raising capital to finance high-impact transitions to employee ownership by David Bank
- RSVP for next week's Call where we'll screen our Napoleon Wallace documentary.
Lessons learned from 10 years and $1.9 billion of catalytic investments from British International Investment.
And, the untapped potential for investment and innovation in the US care economy.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Highlights from this week’s post-election Agents of Impact Call; the news that Donald Trump Jr. is joining a quasi-impact investing fund targeting an underserved market – conservative consumers; and, how catalytic capital warehousing could help emerging managers finance the sustainable development goals.
For the first in his series of Finding Alpha podcast conversations, ImpactAlpha contributing editor Robert Brown catches up with Sorenson Impact Institute founder Jim Sorenson to talk about the building of an impact investing ecosystem.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
Previewing next week's Agents of Impact Call (RSVP NOW!)
The search is on for global climate leadership at COP29-- and women are front and center.
How hospitals are partnering with community lenders to invest in the social determinants of health
Plus, a look at some of our top deals of the week.
Kapadia is heading to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan next week to bring a gender lens to what's being called the 'Finance COP.' Negotiators are hammering out new financial targets for investment and assistance in the climate transition in developing countries and the global south more broadly.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Initial reactions from agents of impact to President Trump's re-election; an update on some of the funding already being distributed from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund; and how a mutual aid network in Asheville, North Carolina is helping overlooked entrepreneurs rebuild after Hurricane Helene.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The ImpactAlpha team was at the SOCAP conference in SF, where the focus was on systemic change; how private investors are pouring more money into blended finance transactions; and, why global family offices are slowly warming up to climate investments.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank, dialing in from Amsterdam. Up this week: The GIIN’s new report pegs the impact investing market at $1.5 trillion…ish; the reasons for and significance of the news that the Catalytic Capital Consortium is doubling down rather than shutting down its efforts to expand the use of the financing tool; and, a preview of ImpactAlpha’s new documentary on the North Carolina model, premiering at SOCAP next week. Check out the trailer.
Register for SOCAP24 using the code “s24_ImpactAlpha” to save $250.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Highlights from this week’s Agents of Impact Call on putting an ownership lens on housing affordability; how and why to restore trust in voluntary carbon markets; and, Amazon and Google opt for the nuclear option in their drive to supply their power-hungry data centers with carbon-free energy.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: What’s at stake as climate negotiators prepare for COP29, which for the second year running, will be held in a petro-state; how inclusive fintech ventures are cutting in middle men and women to build trust; and, a look at two new innovative financial models: for water in emerging markets and land conservation in the US.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: new insurance models that aim to climate proof homes and towns, enhanced efforts to support diverse emerging fund managers, and how private equity is quietly funding fossil fuel investments.
Jeff Brenner, co-founder of Impact Community Capital, joins David Bank to discuss learnings from the firm's deployment of over $1.6 billion in affordable housing. The organization aims to raise an additional $1 billion to $1.5 billion in the next three to four years, targeting a broader range of institutional investors.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank.
- The buzz around early stage climate startups and the continued need for scale — both bigger checks and bigger investable opportunities.
- Climate inflation affecting grocery store prices
- How carbon markets are financing sustainable development.
This Week in Impact: host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank.
- Blending billions Call roundup.
- Finding the alpha at climate week.
Host Brian Walsh takes up the top stories in impact with editorial director Amy Cortese. Up this week: Climate change and the Inflation Reduction Act’s minimal mentions in the presidential debate, a report from the sustainable side of fashion week in New York, and a look at the rising number of student-led impact funds.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
- A new report proposes seven bipartisan policy tweaks that could drive more private capital into financing worker ownership transitions.
- How USAID is banking commercial returns by working with local institutional capital providers in Africa to finance African infrastructure.
- Will companies that backpedal on their diversity commitments face legal risk from investors?
🎧 This Week in Impact. Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Stories on this episode:
- Call replay and recap
- Climate investors rally behind Kamala Harris to protect policies – and portfolios
- The push and pull of impact investing for wealthy families in Latin America
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David Bank is joined by Dave Kirkpatrick, Managing Director and co-founder of SJF Ventures, a climate and impact investor in Durham NC, and SJF’s Director of Impact, Kelsey Jarrett, to talk about finding the alpha in impact.
Read Dave and Kelsey's op-ed on ImpactAlpha, as well as our profile of Dave.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with Amy Cortese. On today's episode:
- Beyond Chicago, Harris seeks to ride a revival in wages, entrepreneurship and ownership
- Talk of the Town: Live updates from outside the Democratic National Convention
- Pension funds in pro-ESG ‘blue’ states outperform those in anti-ESG ‘red’ ones — to the tune of $159 billion
- New wave of off-grid energy startups are climate-proofing India’s economic future
- India’s residential rooftops sprout solar panels with generous government subsidies
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, CEO of Women’s World Banking, joins David Bank for an Agents of Impact interview. They discuss the organization's 45 years of work advancing financial inclusion for low-income women around the globe and new initiatives around fintech, financial wellness and climate resilience.
Read more by heading over to impactapha.com/podcasts
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank:
- Mapping an impact investing path through the new legal landscape
- Are fund managers ready to set targets to hold themselves accountable for impact?
- HBO brings a sleek, sexy and skeptical view of impact investing to a television audience.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
Why certain Venture Capitalists are embracing Kamala Harris’s campaign vision
How three Africa-led blended finance models are mobilizing billions for development
Why microfinance pioneer Muhmmad Yunus is stepping in to lead Bangladesh during a political crisis
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The team is on break, so we're sharing the second episode of James McIntyre and Matt Posner's new podcast Capitol Gains, the latest edition to the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network.
In this episode James and Matt had the pleasure of hosting Carolyn Kousky of the Environmental Defense Fund. With an extensive background in climate risk management and policy approaches, Carolyn provided a compelling discussion on the evolving risks of climate change, the critical role of disaster insurance and the challenges within the current dynamic.
Subscribe to Capitol Gains wherever you listen.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The political proxy battle for the soul of tech, innovation and social impact, what youth led protests mean for the impact agenda, and how recycling is having a moment.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with Jessica Pothering. Up this week:
Refugee-lens investing: https://impactalpha.com/new-tools-for-humanitarian-relief-in-crisis-zones-blended-finance-offtake-contracts-and-debt-swaps/
GGRF deadlines: https://impactalpha.com/epa-melds-private-and-public-capital-and-a-surplus-of-opinions-to-beef-up-green-banking/
Capitol Gains: https://impactalpha.com/capitol-gains-utahs-ben-mcadams-on-local-solutions-to-dysfunction-in-washington-podcast/
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: the good economic news that’s been largely overlooked — or at least overshadowed — in the current tumultuous news cycle: https://impactalpha.com/left-behind-communities-ride-bipartisan-policies-if-not-politics-to-prosper-at-last/
Plus, an impact investment from TPG to fund AI-powered cameras that detect parking violations in bus-only zones: https://impactalpha.com/tpg-rise-fund-leads-90-million-investment-in-ai-for-smart-cities/
Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
This episode features music by Isaac Silk.
Skya Ducheneaux of Akiptan, a Native community development financial institution on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in Eagle Butte, SD. joins David Bank on the latest Agents of Impact Podcast.
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
The implications of this term’s Supreme Court rulings on the business environment for sustainable finance: https://impactalpha.com/supreme-court-rulings-threaten-to-turn-policy-tailwinds-into-headwinds-for-impact-investors/
How impact investors are preparing for the political risk of the upcoming US presidential elections: https://impactalpha.com/as-the-vibe-shifts-agents-of-impact-ask-what-do-we-do-now/
How a nonprofit housing developer is looking to drive community homeownership without displacement in Baltimore: https://impactalpha.com/real-revitalization-part-1-parity-buys-back-the-block-to-drive-community-revival-without-displacement-in-west-baltimore/
- Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
- Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
- This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
Host Brian Walsh takes up top stories with ImpactAlpha’s Jessica Pothering. Up this week:
How New Ventures is aiming to scale by going deep instead of big:https://impactalpha.com/going-big-by-going-niche-how-new-ventures-rodrigo-villar-is-specializing-for-deeper-impact-qa/
Obran’s worker owned cooperative conglomerate: https://impactalpha.com/worker-owned-conglomerate-obran-cooperative-gets-a-boost-from-acumen-america-investment/
And, why Surdna’s CEO Don Chen is all in on investing in funds led by women and People of Color: https://impactalpha.com/surdna-foundations-don-chen-high-risk-high-reward-impact-investments-are-paying-off-qa/
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Imogen Rose-Smith joins David Bank and Brian Walsh for a classic ImpactAlpha roundtable discussion about ESG, DEI, and public policy.
- Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
- This episode featured music by Isaac Silk
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank.
Congressional hearings on ESG: https://impactalpha.com/political-risk-antitrust-hearing-escalates-republican-attacks-on-climate-action/
Shareholder votes at Tesla: https://impactalpha.com/elon-musks-pay-grab-is-a-skirmish-in-the-broader-battle-of-the-billionaires/
Women’s growing economic power in Latin America: https://impactalpha.com/in-latin-america-investors-see-economic-opportunities-through-a-gender-lens/
How Ava Duvernay flipped the script on how Hollywood funds films: https://impactalpha.com/ava-duvernay-impact-filmmaking
- Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
- Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
- This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with senior editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week:
- This month’s list of impact funds actively raising capital: https://impactalpha.com/impact-fund-managers-steer-private-credit-to-places-equity-fears-to-tread/
- Liist submissions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfm5qIOqogtbI3xRx4-0Xk2kh7VY_5x8wJKuLh6ZlXz2sSmw/viewform
- How Africa’s funding drought has claimed several once-high flying startups.
- How Sam Polk and Everytable are providing healthy fast food to California’s food deserts and uplifting communities.
- Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
- Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
- This episode featured music by Isaac Silk, Yurii Semchyshyn, Oleksii Holubiev, and Vlad Krotov
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Hope Mago of HCAP Partners, the San Diego private equity firm known for its ‘Gainful Jobs’ strategy joins David Bank for another in our series of conversations with Agents of Impact across the landscape of impact investing. and sustainable finance, from asset owners to managers and of course, founders and entrepreneurs.
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This Week in Impact. Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
Climate on the ballot: https://impactalpha.com/mexico-chooses-a-new-president-amid-extreme-heat-and-little-urgency-on-climate-action/
Impact accounting standards: https://impactalpha.com/a-decade-in-the-making-impact-accounting-standards-advance-amid-investor-demand/
Bridging a ‘missing middle’ for commercial climate solutions: https://impactalpha.com/flexible-financing-to-bridge-a-missing-middle-for-commercial-climate-solutions/
- Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
- Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
- This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week
- New impact products: https://impactalpha.com/impact-products-aim-to-shift-portfolio-allocations-in-bonds-private-credit-and-cash/
- Entrepreneurial households in industrious communities: https://impactalpha.com/calls/
- The rise of worker empowerment: https://impactalpha.com/how-reducing-income-inequality-can-strengthen-the-global-economy-and-portfolio-performance/
Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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As a lender to middle-market companies, Lafayette Square gives a discount to borrowers that adopt strategies to help their low- and moderate-income workers save for retirement, access health benefits, reduce financial insecurity and increase economic mobility.
Damien Dwin joins David Bank for an Agents of Impact interview.
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank.
Biden’s new Chinese tariffs: https://impactalpha.com/as-trade-wars-heat-up-climate-investors-look-to-back-homegrown-challenger-technologies/
The Global Fund for Coral Reefs’ efforts: https://impactalpha.com/global-fund-for-coral-reefs-blends-opportunity-and-urgency-to-finance-ocean-resilience-qa/
Valuing the care economy: https://impactalpha.com/valuing-the-invisible-work-of-women-to-build-resilient-economies-and-fight-climate-change/
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This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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This Week in Impact. Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: David dives into the divergent differing vibes at Mission Investors Exchange and the Milken Institute Global Conference. Plus a call for efforts to sustainably harvest the metals needed for the energy transition.
Tonya Allen Q+A: https://impactalpha.com/mcknights-tonya-allen-philanthropy-has-right-and-responsibility-to-counter-dei-attacks/
Laura Callanan: https://impactalpha.com/capital-the-creative-economy-and-a-quarter-century-of-lessons-learned-in-impact-investing/
Sustainable Mining: https://impactalpha.com/esg-will-be-key-to-supplying-green-metals-needed-for-the-energy-transition/
Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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VertueLab’s Aina Abiodun chats with Sherrell Dorsey about financing climate innovation with a justice lens, place-based investing, and worforce development.
For more and a link to the video go to: https://impactalpha.com/plugged-in-the-opportunity-in-local-climate-innovation-with-vertuelabs-aina-abiodun-video/
And, check out our profile of Aina: https://impactalpha.com/aina-abiodun-vertuelab-centering-community-in-climate-tech-in-the-pacific-northwest/
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
The state of blended finance: https://impactalpha.com/blended-finance-rebounds-in-2023-with-focus-on-climate-and-bigger-deals/
How Big Tech can restore both forests – and credibility - in voluntary carbon markets: https://impactalpha.com/how-big-tech-can-restore-forests-and-credibility-in-voluntary-carbon-markets/
Why The California Wellness Foundation is putting a diversity, equity and inclusion lens on 100% of its $1 billion endowment: https://impactalpha.com/investment-manager-diversity-matters-when-investing-for-health-equity/
Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week:
Family offices have the opportunity to invest in the climate transition:
- https://impactalpha.com/the-climate-transition-and-investment-opportunities-for-family-offices/
Three leading foundations make for-profit investments in an OpenAI competitor:
- https://impactalpha.com/with-stakes-in-anthropic-impact-investors-seek-a-seat-at-the-ai-table/
The brouhaha over whether voluntary carbon credits should count towards a company’s climate targets:
- https://impactalpha.com/with-stakes-in-anthropic-impact-investors-seek-a-seat-at-the-ai-table/
Take advantage of ImpactAlpha's 10 year anniverary sale: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
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Loren Taylor and Zaru Systems want to build a billion dollars in Black wealth in the next eight years by franchising sustainable turnkey businesses. First up, modular vertical farms. Hear his conversation with David Bank on this week's Agents of Impact podcast.
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Brian Walsh and ImpactAlpha editor David Bank take up the good news on the good economy, Participant Media’s lasting legacy and the signs of change at the World Bank. Plus: an exclusive early listen to the electrifying single, “I’m Your Heat Pump.”
To learn more about heat pumps and home electrification, visit The Switch is On and Rewiring America websites. Sign up for The Switch is On monthly newsletter and receive an email featuring the “(I’m Your) Heat Pump” music video.
Rob's column:
- https://impactalpha.com/good-economy-actually-is-good-news-as-impact-investors-adjust-to-new-realities/
Participant Media
- https://impactalpha.com/shutdown-of-participant-media-challenges-other-investors-to-drive-impact-through-film/
World Bank:
- https://impactalpha.com/spring-meetings-yield-green-shoots-of-development-finance-reform-at-the-world-bank/
Sign up for our free LatAm newsletter:
- https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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On this week’s Agents of Impact Podcast, Sherrell Dorsey chats with Olivia Watkins of Black Farmer Fund. The fund aims to meet the modern needs of Black farmers and food entrepreneurs with affordable capital and technical assistance.
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Brian and David explore the federal funds that are catalyzing capital to reconnect communities from the legacy of racial segregation, the huge impact investing opportunity in Puerto Rico, and the mechanisms that investors and business owners are using to exit to employees.
Links to this week's stories:
- Reconnecting communities - https://impactalpha.com/with-bridges-buses-and-bike-lanes-reconnecting-communities-rebuilds-civic-muscles-along-with-neighborhoods/
- Impact in PR - https://impactalpha.com/the-impact-investing-opportunity-in-puerto-ricos-economic-comeback/
- Employee ownership exits - https://impactalpha.com/with-elbos-and-eots-more-business-owners-are-exiting-to-employee-ownership/
Sign up for our free LatAm newsletter:
- https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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- https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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NYU Professor Alison Taylor joins David Bank to discuss the evolution of the role of business in society, and how regulation and disclosure affect impact.
Alison's book: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/higher-ground-how-business-can-do-right-thing-turbulent-world
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Brian and David continue to unpack the EPA’s blockbuster $20 billion in government grants to mobilize commercial investment in climate solutions, learn lessons from dozens of blended finance transactions, and discuss how shareholders are voting to have companies mitigate economy-wide risks.
Links to this week's stories:
- https://impactalpha.com/investors-ready-products-to-amplify-us-green-bank-funding/
- https://impactalpha.com/blending-billions-lessons-from-more-than-three-dozen-big-blended-finance-transactions/
- https://impactalpha.com/with-systems-first-proposals-shareholders-seek-to-mitigate-economy-wide-risks/
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This episode featured music by Isaac Silk and by Yurii Semchyshyn.
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Brian Walsh and David Bank discuss the players likely to receive massive funding from the EPA to create a national green bank, how people are investing in Brazil’s impact economy, and how a $75 million ‘basket bond’ is catalyzing climate lending to small businesses in emerging markets.
Read more:
- Green bank: https://impactalpha.com/epas-new-partners-plot-a-27-billion-path-to-a-us-green-bank/
- Basket bonds: https://impactalpha.com/how-a-75-million-basket-bond-is-catalyzing-climate-lending-to-small-businesses-in-emerging-markets/
- Brazilian impact ecosystem: https://impactalpha.com/the-path-to-growth-in-brazil-runs-through-the-impact-economy-videos
Sign up for ImpactAlpha LatAm: https://impactalpha.com/latam-newsletter-email/
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Sherrell Dorsey speaks with Bright Ventures’ Lenore Champagne Beirne. about how she’s working to build an inclusive economy through capital, community, and coaching. Champagne Beirne founded Bright Ventures as a strategic advisory and executive coaching service prior to expanding to include an early-stage fund.
For more: https://impactalpha.com/plugged-in-lenore-champagne-beirne-bright-ventures/
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David Bank joins Brian Walsh to discuss some of the top stories from ImpactAlpha this week.
Stories mentioned on the podcast:
-
Texas boots Blackrock: https://impactalpha.com/texas-boots-blackrock-saddling-texans-with-the-costs-of-its-campaign-against-esg/
-
Clean cooking: https://impactalpha.com/leveraging-the-carbon-markets-for-clean-cooking-climate-justice-and-social-impact/
- Vanguard gets punked: https://impactalpha.com/elaborate-spoof-takes-aim-at-vanguards-retreat-from-climate-commitments/
- Agents of Impact Call 60: https://impactalpha.com/calls/
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Featuring Activest's Homero Radway, HIP Investor’s Paul Herman, Kestrel’s Monica Reid, Matt Posner of Court Street Group and Lincoln Institute’s RJ McGrail.
Check out the call recap: https://impactalpha.com/the-arbitrage-opportunity-in-high-impact-municipal-bonds-video/
Or watch the replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQPh3XC9X1g
Imogen's latest Institutional Shift column: https://impactalpha.com/dont-take-jeffrey-ubbens-shutdown-of-inclusive-capital-for-more-than-hes-worth/
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Amy Cortese speaks with both Marilyn Waite of the Climate Finance Fund and Dawn Lippert of Elemental Excelerator about their experiences this week in the green and blue zones of COP28. Plus, Monique Aiken has the headlines.
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ImpactAlpha’s Amy Cortese speaks with Full Cycle’s Stephan Nicoleau at the start of COP 28 to hear what he’s expecting - and hoping for - at the global climate summit in Dubai. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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Friends of ImpactAlpha Eric Horvath and Lucas Turner-Owens share an excerpt from their new podcast Impact(ed). They speak with Tara Mei Smith (Office of NYC Comptroller) and Marcela Pinilla (Zevin Asset Management) about creating change from the inside at pension funds, and their journey as women of color investment professionals. Plus, host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
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November 10th is the 125th anniversary of the only successful coup d’etat in U.S. history, which took place in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898. White supremacists targeted Wilmington for it's multiracial democracy and prosperity.
]ImpactAlpha’s David Bank went to Wilmington and we’ll hear his conversation with Cedric Harrison, an entrepreneur building a business around recovering the history of that dark day.
David Zucchino's pulitzer prize winning account of the coup: https://bookshop.org/p/books/wilmington-s-lie-winner-of-the-2021-pulitzer-prize-the-murderous-coup-of-1898-and-the-rise-of-white-supremacy-david-zucchino/12471037?ean=9780802148650
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ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price catches up with María Hollan, a second-generation steward of her family’s assets at Timke Ventures in Mexico City. Hollan was in Medellín at the GLI Forum Latam looking for opportunities to invest across asset classes with a gender lens. Plus, Monique Aiken has the headlines.
Join Camilla Nestor of MCE Social Capital, Shally Shankar of AiiM Partners, Noramay Cadena of Supply Change Capital, and Samantha Anderson and Rose Maizner from Heading for Change, Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm London. RSVP today
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David Bank catches up with Courageous Capital Advisors’ Laurie Spengler to talk about what the mainstreaming of impact investing means for smaller impact fund managers closer to the problems and community-based solutions. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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David chats with Graham Singh of the Trinity Centres Foundation, and chats with Monique about ImpactAlpha's recent fundraise.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHd3U3IOar-4cPkJqx9eZYw
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Unicef USA's Cristina Shapiro joins David Bank to introduce child-lens investing, a framework for considering investment harms and benefits to children, who have ‘til now been left out of investment decision-making. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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Roraj Pradhananga and Jane Swan of Veris Wealth Partners join host Monique Aiken to discuss how the wealth manager is investing in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Plus, the headlines.
Read the report: https://www.veriswp.com/deib-investing-report/
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Host Brian Walsh shares highlights from this week’s agents of impact call, “The employee-ownership edge,” which explored the range of opportunities for investing in the conversion of companies to worker ownership. Plus, the headlines.
RSVP for next week's LinkedIn Live with Sherrell Dorsey: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7112932484064968705/comments/
The call replay: https://youtu.be/Kii-53LJR8U?si=xyuQNO5-vdb0r0XD&t=4
Check out all of these stories and more on https://impactalpha.com/
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David Bank is joined by Marjorie Kelly of The Democracy Collaborative to explore the ways that impact investors both help and hinder systemic change. Her new book, “Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today’s Crises,” is out this month. Plus, host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
Read part one of Marjorie’s essay, “How wealth supremacy is driving today's crises,” on ImpactAlpha.
Check out the book here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/wealth-supremacy-how-the-extractive-economy-and-the-biased-rules-of-capitalism-drive-today-s-crises-marjorie-kelly/19486250
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Host Brian Walsh chats with Amy Cortese to set the stage for the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC. Plus, the headlines.
- Amy sketched the landscape in “Protesters and investors to pressure global leaders at Climate Week NYC.” Here are the details of Sunday’s march, Climate Group’s event guide and Climate Tech VC’s cheat sheet to hundreds of side events.
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David Bank catches up with Robert Munson, President of SOCAP and Managing director at the Sorenson Impact Center, who is putting together next month’s gathering in San Francisco. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
Get your tickets today: Oct. 23-25: SOCAP23 (San Francisco) (save $250 with code “s23_impactalpha”)
Find all of the stories mentioned in this week's episode on impactalpha.com
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🎧 Impact Briefing. Pro Mujer’s Carmen Correa joins host Monique Aiken to share how the pioneering Latin American microfinance institution’s bonds are democratizing gender lens investing in Argentina. Plus, the headlines.
“With gender bonds, Pro Mujer puts Argentina’s capital markets to work for female entrepreneurs”
Check out ImpactAlpha's new Career Hub!
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Host Brian Walsh shares some of the insights from this week's Agents of Impact Call, which focused on how resourceful entrepreneurs are tapping community lenders, private investors, philanthropic funds and public dollars to launch Native-led businesses, create jobs and provide vital services.
For the full replay and roundup of the call head over to https://impactalpha.com/calls/. The rest of these stories are also featured on the site.
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Paris Prince of the Intentional Endowments Network joins host Monique Aiken to talk about how impact investors are responding to legal attacks on affirmative action and racial wealth-building strategies.
Sign the Fearless Fund petition: https://share.communityx.com/posts/3297045f-af18-4411-9fa2-82afddc6685a/
For more on all of these stories, head on over to www.impactalpha.com
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David Bank speaks with Hugo Contreras, who helped lead The Nature Conservancy’s efforts in Latin America to value, conserve and enhance our most irreplaceable resource, in the next conversation in our series from the Salzburg Global Seminar, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
impactalpha.com/subscribe
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David Bank chats with Acre Africa’s Niza Banda in the next conversation from the recent “Connecting capital to communities” gathering at the Salzburg Global Seminar, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
For the full story: https://impactalpha.com/acre-africa-insuring-farmers-against-crop-failures-and-climate-change/
Subscribe today: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
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David Bank chats with Musa Mabesa, head of South Africa’s Government Employees Pension Fund, in the latest conversation from the “Connecting capital to communities” gathering at the Salzburg Global Seminar, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
Read the full story: https://impactalpha.com/putting-africas-pension-funds-to-work-for-africas-social-infrastructure/
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David Bank chats with Empowa’s Glen Jordan in the next conversation from the recent “Connecting Capital to Communities” gathering at the Salzburg Global Seminar, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
“When there's no formality, there's no identification. Income is informal. The mortgage product just doesn't work,” says Glen Jordan of Empowa, a Netherlands-based social enterprise. “So we have to turn it around and create products that meet the needs of the informal market. And create structures that enable the capital to flow to those structures in a way that's cost-effective.”
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David Bank chats with FarMart’s Samridhi Singh in the next conversation in our series from the recent Salzburg Global Seminar on “Connecting Capital to Communities,” sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
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David Bank catches up with Michaela Kauer of the city of Vienna to talk about that city’s model of social, affordable housing. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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Despite all efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion, little has meaningfully changed about how, where and to whom capital flows. Known Holdings is out to break the logjam once and for all. “Our goal is to shift capital through all of the ways of wealth creation” says Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, who cofounded Known in 2021 with Natalie Molina Niño, Jim Casselberry and Ushir Shah. “We manage assets, we deploy assets, and we shift capital to focus on eliminating the racial wealth gap.” Known is the rare Black, Indigenous, Latina and Asian American-owned asset management firm. It has quietly attracted assets from impact investors looking to shift capital for greater impact. “We have big ambitions to really shift capital in significant ways,” Red-Horse Mohl tells ImpactAlpha’s David Bank on this week’s podcast.
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Contributing editor Imogen Rose-Smith joins host Brian Walsh to discuss why, despite the recent ESG backlash, institutional impact investors are doubling down on climate investing. Plus the headlines.
RSVP for The Call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/643783843807
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David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to talk about the ownership economy, ESG backlash and system-level investing. Plus the headlines.
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“If you speak to folks here at Capricorn, they'll tell you, ‘Great, we've built all this intellectual property around sustainability and integrating this into the investment process,’” Capricorn’s Kunle Apampa tells David Bank on the latest Agents of Impact podcast. “But we cannot get to where we need to get to if others are not buying into this model.’” Kunle is working to share Capricorn’s capabilities with other “asset owners that get it and are willing to put their capital to work as well.”
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Jack Moriarty of Ownership America chats with ImpactAlpha’s David Bank about employee ownership and new legislation to help investors back companies that are turning workers into owners. Host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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Eunice Ajim, founding partner Ajim Capital speaks with David Bank about her personal journey to launch the fund and her mission to support tech entrepreneurs in her native Cameroon and across Africa. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
For more on Ajim Capital: https://www.ajimcapital.com/blog/ajim-capital-launches-10m-fund-for-african-companies-in-the-tech-space
For more VC include podcasts: https://impactalpha.com/podcasts/
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by NYU’s Tensie Whelan to hear why more and more private equity firms are starting to embrace impact as a path to outperformance.
Tensie's article in ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/more-private-equity-firms-embrace-impact-as-a-path-to-outperformance/
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The BFM (Black Founders Matter) Fund’s Himalaya Rao speaks with David Bank about the alpha case for racial justice investing and the challenges faced by a woman manager when raising her first fund.
Our earlier VC Include interviews:
https://impactalpha.com/toussaint-bailey-uplifting-capital-bringing-the-quietly-bothered-into-impact-investing-podcast/
https://impactalpha.com/bahiyah-yasmeen-robinson-on-includes-three-drivers-of-inclusion-alpha-podcast/
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As the Neighborhood Economics conference wraps up in Jackson, Miss., Kevin Jones speaks with David Bank about startup capital for sole proprietors, Black churches as engines of economic development and how unusual strangers can become unlikely allies. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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The Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Community Investment Management joins David Bank for this Agents of Impact podcast. For a decade, Community Investment Management, an institutional impact investment fund has provided capital to technology-enabled, or "fintech" lenders to small businesses. Now, Haar and CIM are bringing their financial access solutions back to emerging markets.
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For Earth Day, Dianne Dillon-Ridgley joins host Monique Aiken to reflect on her four decades working in finance and on environmental and human rights issues. Dillon-Ridgley is the chair of the board of the Intentional Endowments Network, and has served on 23 US delegations to the UN, including the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Plus, Monique has the headlines.
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"Net zero is not going to get us anywhere,” Ariane Mahler of Veridien Global Investors tells David Bank on this week's podcast. “You need negative emissions, not just net zero.” Veridien’s forthcoming exchange-traded fund (ticker: CLIA) will include names in construction, waste management, agriculture and forestry as well as transportation and energy that “have as their main focus the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.” Plus, Brian Walsh has the headlines.
Links:
Veridien Global Investors: https://www.veridienglobalinvestors.com/
Climate Risk Analytics: https://www.urgentem.net/
Subscribe to ImpactAlpha: https://impactalpha.com/subscribe/
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The Turner Miint’s Adwoa Asare joins co-hosts Monique Aiken and Brian Walsh to talk about training the next generation of impact investors – and the winners of this year’s competition. Plus the headlines.
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From Austin, ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price joins host Brian Walsh to discuss Texas’s surprising role as the U.S.’s leader in clean energy – and how the oil-pumping state might still wrest defeat from the jaws of victory. Plus, the headlines.
Check up on this week's Agents of Impact Call at impactalpha.com/calls
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Host Monique Aiken has the headlines and Atlas Impact Partners’ Robert Brown and ImpactAlpha contributing editor Imogen Rose-Smith join David Bank to parse how bank failures and interest rate hikes have changed the dynamics of impact investing – perhaps forever. “The current iteration of impact investors and advocates – those seeking to redirect large pools of capital – has thrived in the context of low rates, steady economic growth, stable geopolitical environment and favorable regulatory environment,” Brown says. “Throw all that out the window.”
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As mayor of Salt Lake County a decade ago, Ben McAdams was frustrated that there wasn’t $500,000 in a $1.3 billion annual budget for a promising early childhood education program (instead he helped craft one of the country’s first social impact bonds). But an effort he led to map the value of the city’s underutilized real estate yielded an impressive number: at least $15 billion, and up to $45 billion if properties are developed thoughtfully. “I found out there is actually money under our mattress,” McAdams tells David Bank on this week’s Impact Briefing podcast. “It's real estate that is just forgotten.”
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Impact Engine’s Priya Parrish joins David Bank to explain why purpose built investment firms end up with better impact outcomes than purpose driven firms. Plus, host Brian Walsh has the headlines.
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2x Global’s Sana Kapadia joins host Monique Aiken to ring in Women’s History Month and talk about the state of gender-lens investing. Plus, the headlines.
Relevant links from Sana:
- Website
- Inclusive climate and gender finance report and launch event (March 14th)
- The Forum
- Currently hiring a climate lead
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The roundtable – that’s Brian Walsh, Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank – is back together to discuss private equity and, specifically, that $4.5 billion investment made by the investment office of the University of California’s Board of Regents into the Blackstone Real Estate Investment Trust. Plus, the headlines.
Don't forget to email us (podcast@impactalpha.com) with your feedback, and check out the replay of The Call: impactalpha.com/calls
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Project Equity’s Alison Lingane talks with ImpactAlpha’s David Bank about the growing popularity of employee ownership as a strategy for generating wealth and democratizing the economy. And, host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
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Fran Seegull of the Impact Investing Alliance joins David Bank to talk about jobs, climate and communities in this week’s State of the Union address and to preview Agents of Impact Call No. 49. Plus, the headlines.
RSVP for The Call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-year-of-the-s-public-policy-for-social-equity-in-2023-tickets-538081796137
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ImpactAlpha’s David Bank joins Host Monique Aiken to to share some takeaways from this week’s Agents of Impact Call on the steps that some investors are taking to advance racial justice through the municipal bond market. Plus, the headlines.
impactalpha.com/subscribe
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Development finance institutions are essential to the mobilization of capital to slow climate change and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. So why do these quasi-public institutions share so little data about their activities? Jessica Pothering breaks it down for host Brian Walsh. Plus, the headlines.
Next week's Call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/520070213007
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For the banker turned impact investor, building wealth for women and people of color is as much about numbers as it is about equity. “The reason we are the U.S. and we are at the top of the heap, globally, is because we've invested in our prior majorities, which has been primarily white men,” Demetric Duckett of Living Cities told ImpactAlpha’s David Bank in this Agents of Impact podcast.
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Milken’s Dan Carol and Rachel Halfaker join host Brian Walsh to share how they are connecting historically disadvantaged communities with the huge sums of public and private financing looking for actionable green infrastructure projects. The portal, called the Community Infrastructure Center, launched this week at Milken’s Public Finance Forum.
impactalpha.com/subscribe
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Host Monique Aiken and ImpactAlpha’s Roodgally Senatus chat with Su Sanni and Chris Coles of Brooklyn-based Dollaride, which is working with with climate and tech startups to electrify the city’s informal “dollar vans” and boost the livelihoods of drivers in New York’s transit deserts.
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by Kristin Hull of Nia Impact Capital, a long-time Tesla investor who says Elon Musk’s Twitter escapades threaten the electric vehicle maker’s climate mission. Hull spoke to Walsh spoke about Nia’s public markets impact strategy, why they’ve shifted Tesla from their client’s funds into a separate activist fund, and when they might start to consider divesting altogether.
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Jigar Shah, the solar and sustainable infrastructure pioneer who now heads the US Energy Department ‘s Loan Programs Office, joins David Bank to discuss the huge role that catalytic capital from the government is playing in the energy transition.
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Host Monique Aiken has the headlines and David talks with Aisha Weeks of the Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth about narrowing the racial wealth gap by expanding access to home ownership.
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Host Brian Walsh catches up with Common Trust’s Zoe Schlag, who is taking aim at U.S. wealth gaps by helping employees become owners – while enabling business owners to retire with purpose. Plus, the headlines.
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Seth Bannon, Founding Partner at 50 Years Fifty Years, joins David Bank to talk about tech talent, academic research and how the crypto crash might be a net positive for climate action.
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Toussaint Bailey of Uplifting Capital joins David Bank from the VC Include conference in Berkeley. Uplifting Capital aims to broaden access to impact investors to high-net worth individuals and small foundations that are moving capital from public equities to private equities, but may not have an impact lens.
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David Bank chats with Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, founder and CEO of VC Include and Include Ventures, at their recent conference in Berkeley. VC Include works to accelerate investment into women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQ and other underrepresented fund managers — in order to drive economic growth through the power of diversity.
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Amy Cortese catches up with FullCycle’s Stephan Nicoleau at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt to talk methane, governance and catalytic capital. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
Check out this week's Call: impactalpha.com/calls, and all of our coverage at impactalpha.com
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by Steven Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, to chat about how climate investors are reacting to this week’s midterm election in the U.S. as well as the COP27 global climate summit. Plus, the headlines.
Next week's Call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/454045290687
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Jon Hale, director of sustainability research at Morningstar, joins Monique Aiken to talk about what is at stake for impact investors in next week’s US election.
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The municipal bond market has been called the original impact investment asset class, a source of capital for water, housing, parks, libraries, transit and other essential infrastructure. But laced through with historical biases, the U.S. municipal bond market has often been a source of racial harms as well. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has embarked on a broad effort to reshape the nearly $4 trillion muni market around health equity and racial justice.
Kimberlee Cornett, Senior Director for Impact Investments, and Zoila Jennings, Impact Investment Lead, for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation join David Bank to dive into the burgeoning muni impact space.
https://impactalpha.com/browse/beats/locavesting/community-finance/muni-impact/
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Brian Walsh has the headlines and Amy Cortese chats with Oxford’s Bob Eccles about why the distinction between ESG and impact in investing matters more than ever.
https://impactalpha.com/cant-tell-the-players-without-a-scorecard-sorting-out-esg-impact-and-sustainability/
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Host Monique Aiken is live and in person with Rodney Foxworth, CEO of Common Future, and ImpactAlpha’s David Bank at SOCAP22 in San Francisco. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by Daniel Waldron, head of insights at Acumen, to discuss lessons learned from the non-profit investor’s two decades of deploying “patient capital” in companies serving some of the world’s poorest customers. Plus, the headlines.
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ImpactAlpha’s David Bank catches up with Zach Stein, CEO of Carbon Collective, to talk about how average investors with 401(k) retirement accounts can start to shift trillions of dollars away from fossil fuels and toward climate solutions (3:00).
This month's Liist: https://impactalpha.com/the-liist-seven-impact-funds-that-are-raising-capital-now-october-2022/
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Dennis Price joins host Brian Walsh to talk about the new and growing opportunity in ‘refugee lens investing,’ (2:45). And, Brian shares some highlights from this week’s Agents of Impact Call (11:00)
Watch the Call replay on Youtube: https://youtu.be/I0kz0W0dCBI or at impactalpha.com
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by David Bank, who has been on the ground with ImpactAlpha’s New York “bureau” (Amy Cortese, Roodgally Senatus and Dan Keller), taking the pulse of investors and other stakeholders at Climate Week. Plus, the headlines.
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ImpactAlpha correspondent Shefali Anand joins host Brian Walsh from the Impact Investors Council in New Delhi to take stock of the surge in climate and impact investing in India. Plus, the headlines.
Agents of Impact Call replay: https://youtu.be/XlSfGZ7c9xE
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ImpactAlpha’s David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to preview next week’s Agents of Impact Call. Luni Libes of Realize Impact stops by to discuss impact funds featured on this month’s edition of The LIIST. Plus, the headlines.
Next week's Call RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/411553496587
This month's LIIST: https://impactalpha.com/the-liist-seven-impact-funds-that-are-raising-capital-now-september-2022/
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by Roody Senatus to hear about some of the concrete steps being taken to address a particularly hard challenge: reducing carbon emissions from concrete. Plus, the headlines.
More on Pakistan aid opportunities: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kalsoomlakhani_the-floods-impacting-pakistan-right-now-are-activity-6969838421166989312-7s_X/
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New Majority Capital is one of a new crop of emerging impact investment firms that are turning to crowdfunding platforms such as Republic and Wefunder to overcome historic barriers to fundraising. New Majority's Havell Rodrigues speaks with Dennis Price about how the approach has worked for them, and the strategy they're using to seed a new generation of diverse entrepreneurs (3:00). Plus the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh welcomes back roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to dissect the anti-ESG backlash and the Inflation Reduction Act. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by Amy Cortese, who has been talking to investors -- including Full Cycle’s Stephan Nicoleau -- about how the inflation reduction act is resetting the table on climate. Plus, the headlines.
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Realize Impact’s Luni Libes and ImpactAlpha’s Zuleyma Bebell join Brian Walsh to discuss the LIIST, an exciting new sampling of impact funds and companies that, based on public or accessible information, seem to be in active fundraising mode.
The LIIST: https://impactalpha.com/the-brief-the-liist-of-open-impact-funds-evs-as-a-service-impact-tech-in-africa-federal-policy-for-community-solar/
Luni's podcasts: https://www.lunarmobiscuit.com/podcasts/
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ImpactAlpha’s Zuleyma Bebell and Dennis Price join host Monique Aiken to talk about this week’s launch of ImpactAlpha Open, trends in the media business and why ImpactAlpha “dares to be optimistic.”
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“There’s an inherent power dynamic in investing. Full stop,” says Margot Kane, chief investment officer of Spring Point Capital, in an Agents of Impact podcast conversation with Monique Aiken. A portion of their conversation was featured on the weekly Impact Briefing podcast earlier this month. Listen to the full conversation now!
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Jessica Pothering joins host Brian Walsh to dissect the crash landing of Airlift, and chew over the broader Covid-fueled boom and bust in instant grocery delivery in frontier markets. Plus, the headlines.
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Spring Point Partners’ Margot Kane joins host Monique Aiken to talk family offices, emerging managers and catalytic capital. Plus, the headlines.
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Roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join Brian Walsh to draw a line from the massive fees in asset management to the recent raft of radical decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Patience Marime-Ball of the Women of the World Endowment joins Monique Aiken on the latest Agents of Impact Podcast to talk about The XX Edge, her new book which comes out this week.
https://bookshop.org/books/the-xx-edge-unlocking-higher-returns-and-lower-risk/9781637630938
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ImpactAlpha’s Jessica Pothering joins Monique Aiken to share the work of equity and debt capital providers in emerging markets, whom she met with last week in Dar es Salaam at the Collaborative for Frontier Finance's annual convening. Plus the headlines.
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David Bank joins host Brian Walsh to discuss parallels between the LGBTQ+ community and the impact investing community. We also hear from Megan Kashner of the Kellogg School of Management about the genesis of Colorful Capital, the new LGBTQ+ focused venture capital firm that she has started with TIIP’s Bill Burckart. Plus the headlines.
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David Bank is joined by the departing and incoming leadership teams at Kapor Capital. Mitch and Freada Kapor, veteran tech entrepreneurs and investors, are handing over the reins to homegrown talent: Brian Dixon and Ulili Onovakpuri. David spoke with the four of them about the leadership transition, where legacy venture capital falls short, and how to get top-quartile returns along with impact and diversity.
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FullCycle’s Stephan Nicoleau deconstructs the climate conversation at the recent Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum with host Monique Aiken, and points to some surprising opportunities for climate investors. Plus the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to chew over what institutional and impact investors might – and might not – do when it comes to guns and abortion. Plus the headlines.
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On this special edition, Roodgally Senatus catches up with ImpactAlpha's sources on the ground at the World Economic Forum: BlocPower’s Donnel Baird, the City of Ithaca’s Luis Aguirre-Torres, and Jeffrey Dunston of the Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Company, to hear how the world's business elite are reacting to their plans to decarbonize the globe while creating jobs -- one city, one affordable housing unit at a time.
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CEO and Founder of VC Include, Bahiyah Robinson joinshost Monique Aiken to talk about their mission to to increase the number of diverse managers 10-fold by 2030. Plus, the headlines.
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David Bank joins Monique Aiken to discuss the politics of ESG and the importance of flexible financing for startups and small businesses. Plus, the headlines.
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David Bank joins host Brian Walsh to preview next week’s Agents of Impact call (3:45). And Bank checks in with Kevin Jones from the Neighborhood Economics gathering in Indianapolis (7:00). Jones is this week’s Agent of Impact. Plus, the headlines.
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On this Agents of Impact podcast, David Bank is joined by Jonathan Rose, founder and president of the real estate development company of the same name, to talk about building green and affordable housing -- something Rose has been doing since the late '80s.
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Monique Aiken is joined by Jessica Pothering to explore the, yes, social impact of private investment trends on the African continent. Plus, the headlines.
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David Bank talks about diversity in asset management and allocation with Larry Morse, CEO of Fairview Capital, Christine Looney from the Ford Foundation and Najada Kumbuli, Head of impact Investments at Visa Foundation.
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Brian Walsh is joined by roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to decide which type of “activist investor” Carl Icahn is – and what that makes Elon Musk. We also hear from Jah Koh of Lightsmith Group and Benjamin Njenga of Apollo Agriculture, both of whom were guests on this week’s Agents of Impact Call. Plus, the headlines.
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David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to preview next week’s call on catalyzing capital for climate adaptation. And we hear from Jonathan Phillips of the Rogers Energy Access Project at Duke University. Plus, the headlines.
Next week's call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/313635681767
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Roodgally Senatus joins host Brian Walsh to discuss his story – and photos! – from the frontlines of BlocPower efforts to train a civilian climate corps in the Bronx. Dennis Price checks in with Wefunder’s Jonny Price and Fanbase’s Ramiro Canovas to learn why startups are turning their fans and customers into investors. Plus, the headlines.
Roody's piece: https://impactalpha.com/inside-blocpowers-mission-to-upskill-workers-and-green-new-york-city-buildings-photo-story/
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David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to recap this week’s call on how impact investors are approaching political risk and conflict in Eastern Europe and beyond, with call highlights from Jessica Bleyzer of SigmaBleyzer, Media Development Investment Fund’s Harlan Mandel, Daniel Kozlov of Global Venture Alliance and Open Road Alliance’s Caroline Bressan (3:20). And, TIIP has a new systems investing platform (9:45). Plus, the headlines (0:30).
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David Bank joins host Brian Walsh to discuss the surprising breakthrough in the SEC’s new rules on corporate climate disclosure and preview next week’s Agents of Impact call on political and country risk. We also hear from Stanford’s Alicia Seiger,who has a contrarian take on the hot issue of Scope 3 accounting. Plus, the headlines.`
Next week's call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/298268478047
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John Markoff, the longtime New York Times tech writer and author of a new biography of Stewart Brand, joins David Bank to talk psychedelic drugs, the roots of Silicon Valley and Brand's knack for being in the right place at the right time.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554161/whole-earth-by-john-markoff/
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Monique Aiken is joined by Dana Lanza of Confluence Philanthropy to hear about their annual gathering, and to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, climate change, racial justice and more. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh catches up with ImpactAlpha’s Jessica Pothering from Cape Town, South Africa to talk about women driving alpha in emerging markets. And we hear from Harlan Mandel of Media Development Investment Fund on investing in a free press in countries that need it most. Plus, the headlines.
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https://impactalpha.com/how-six-impact-investors-are-giving-their-portfolios-a-gender-smart-boost/
https://impactalpha.com/seizing-africas-overlooked-investment-opportunities-with-an-inclusivity-lens/
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David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to share a conversation with Jon Lukomnik of Sinclair Capital about the swift fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (3:20), the weaponization of finance and the Green Way Forward. And we get a preview of next week’s call from Duke’s Cathy Clark (19:10). Plus, the headlines.
- For all the headlines and more: impactalpha.com
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- Jon's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outside-in-with-jon-lukomnik/id1587041255
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Host Brian Walsh convenes the roundtable regulars, Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank, to talk about the impact on impact -- if any -- of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (3:50), the disclosure/materiality/externality debate (10:00)… and pregnant pigs (18:00). Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken and ImpactAlpha’s David Bank tee up impact investing’s policy agenda (and next week’s Agents of Impact Call), with comments from Satyam Khanna, ex- of the SEC, Cambria Allen Ratzlaff of the Human Capital Management Coalition – and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (2:50). And Dennis Price introduces Bosco and Maya Kante and the innovative ‘impact note’ with which they financed their company, ElectroSpit (7:30). Plus, the headlines.
Next week's call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/265261653747
More on ElectroSplit and the Kantes: https://impactalpha.com/impact-notes-help-entrepreneurs-recoup-equity-by-creating-good-jobs-and-community-wealth/
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David Bank joins host Brian Walsh with updates from the carbon beat and highlights from this week’s Agents of Impact Call. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by David Bank to preview next week’s call on the real world effects of a rising price of carbon (3:15). And, Dennis Price speaks with Kim Folsom of Founders First about flexible business financing to create jobs and wealth (5:15). Plus, the headlines (0:30).
Next week's Agents of Impact Call registration:
- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/255708540127
More on Kim Folsom and Founder's First:
- https://impactalpha.com/founders-first-scores-9-million-to-deploy-revenue-based-finance-to-diverse-founders/
- https://impactalpha.com/kim-folsom-founders-first/
- https://impactalpha.com/impact-investors-turn-to-revenue-based-financing-to-bridge-capital-gaps-for-founders-of-color/
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Host Brian Walsh is joined by roundtable regulars David Bank and Imogen Rose-Smith to make sense of the mixed signals in impact investing and the broader economy (5:50). Dennis Price shares a story on impact-management tech (2:55). Plus, the headlines.
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Daniel Pianko, Managing Director at Achieve Partners, joins David to discuss how his portfolio companies bridge the skills shortage in the USA with European-style apprenticeships.
Daniel is also the host of the Better Money Better World podcast from the Impact Capital Managers, and as such, throws a few questions back at David.
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Monique Aiken and David Bank react to Larry Fink’s annual letter, BlocPower’s expansion and systemic approaches to income inequality. And, at (5:30), David catches up with Martin Whittaker about Just Capital’s “Just 100” rankings, stakeholder primacy and “Davos Man.”
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Dave Chen of Equilibrium Capital joins David Bank for our annual Institutional Shift look-ahead.
For more coverage head on over to impactalpha.com
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Host Brian Walsh brings back roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to take up private equity scandals, impending regulations, the tech reckoning, battling billionaires and, of course, “Don’t Look Up.” Plus, the headlines.
- Headlines: (0:30)
- Roundtable discussion: (2:45)
For daily coverage of impact investing and beyond, head on over to impactalpha.com
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Roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join host Brian Walsh to talk about Imogen's Institutional Shift column, and Resilience Capital’s Gillian Marcelle and 1863 Ventures’ Melissa Bradley challenge impact investors to walk the talk. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken takes a look back on a year of conversations on The Reconstruction podcast with outtakes from Anne Price, Rodney Foxworth and Nwamaka Agbo. Aiken also looks forward to next week’s Agents of Impact Call on the series and what’s next. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh and roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank take up the corporate trend du jour: spinning off high-flying green business units, or ReNewCos, from legacy dirty assets, and chew over prospects for a “multi-movement engine” for corporate accountability.
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On this week’s podcast, host Monique Aiken gets an investor’s takeaways from the Glasgow climate summit from FullCycle’s Stephan Nicoleau. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh is back from Glasgow and joined for an institutional impact roundtable by Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank. They sort out the Marks and the Gretas at COP26 and chew on inflation’s impact on… impact. Plus, the headlines
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Amy Cortese joins host Monique Aiken to share some of the powerful voices that have spoken so far at COP26. Plus the headlines.
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The Families and Workers Fund’s two priorities are the modernization of antiquated public-benefits systems, particularly unemployment insurance, and the promotion of high-quality jobs that provide economic security and mobility through decent wages, benefits, training and working conditions. “This is a crisis," Korberg says. "But this is also a once in a generation opportunity for change."
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Host Brian Walsh is headed to Glasgow for COP26, and looks to roundtable regulars David Bank and Imogen Rose-Smith for the lowdown on what to expect. Plus the headlines.
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David Bank joins Host Monique Aiken to bring us some highlights of the many interviews and panels that the two hosted this week.
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The Managing Director of Impact Investments for the Macarthur Foundation speaks with David Bank about catalytic capital, getting enterprises the kind of financing they need and how technology is driving down costs for impact solutions.
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Ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join host Brian Walsh to talk UK climate politics and investing.
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Sherrell Dorsey, founder of The Plug, joins host Monique Aiken. The Plug launched a new site this week, and will be co-hosting next week's Agents of Impact Call.
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John Cochrane from the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance joins host Brian Walsh to sort out at least some of the policy developments in Washington this week -- and what they mean for impact investors. Plus, the headlines.
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Full Cycle’s Stephan Nicoleau joinshost Monique Aiken to talk about Climate Week, climate action and infrastructure justice. Plus, the headlines.
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Roundtable regulars David Bank and Imogen Rose-Smith return this week to join host Brian Walsh for a conversation about Imogen’s latest Institutional Impact column on carbon lock-in, stranded assets and yes, Harvard’s endowment. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by ImpactAlpha’s David Bank to talk about universal ownership and active stewardship. And to preview next week’s Agent of Impact call, we hear a bit of David’s recent conversation with Hiro Mizuno. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh chats with ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price and Amy Cortese to talk through some of their reporting from the week. And we hear from Sunwealth’s Jessica Brooks, this week’s Agent of Impact. Plus, the headlines.
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Guest host David Bank talks with Roodgally Senatus about the earthquake relief efforts and growing up in Haiti. And we revisit, “How I Stopped the Taliban From Shutting Down My School,” the TED talk by Sakena Yacoobi, this week’s Agent of Impact. Plus, the headlines.
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Brian Walsh enlists roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to dissect ESG and Imogen’s latest column.
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On the latest Agents of Impact podcast, venture capital and private equity investor Edwin Datson breaks down recent developments that are making carbon a hot commodity on global markets.
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Donnel Baird, the founder of climate technology startup BlocPower joins Monique Aiken to talk about the latest IPCC Report, how he copes with climate grief, the Biden administration's infrastructure plans, and the role that impact investors can play in staving off the worst impacts of climate change.
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On this week’s podcast, host Monique Aiken checks in with ImpactAlpha’s David Bank, who is in South Carolina’s Low Country exploring the history of the original Reconstruction. We hear about some of that history in snippets from David’s conversation with Penn Center’s Miss Gardenia Simmons-White and preview Black Philanthropy Month with Philanthropy Unbound’s Renee Joslyn. Plus, the headlines.
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Roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join host Brian Walsh to discuss Rose-Smith’s latest column on how private equity learned to stop worrying and love ESG. We also hear from Netflix star Cooper Connelley – a nice guy, loyal husband and impact investor. Plus, the headlines.
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Monique Aiken brings us the headlines, and ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price catches up with Illumen Capital’s Daryn Dodson about bias in asset management and what a new era of disclosure could mean for diversity in the industry.
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Nuclear fusion: a grand climate solution or a longstanding pipe dream? A number of startups claim to be on the verge of technological breakthroughs that could bring fusion energy to the grid by the 2030s -- and investors are buying it. Host Brian Walsh is joined by Amy Cortese and David Bank to hear more about the growing interest in fusion, and one MIT based startup that's trying to bring it to scale.
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Monique talks with PolicyLink’s Michael McAfee about “the curb-cut effect,” closing the racial wealth gap, and other takeaways from this week’s Agents of Impact Call No. 29: Capitalism Reimagined. Plus, the headlines.
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David Bank joins host Brian Walsh to reimagine capitalism. We also hear from Rev. Dr. William Barber II, PolicyLink’s Mahlet Getachew andOmidyar Network’s Chris Jurgens for a preview of next week’s Capitalism Reimagined Call. Plus, the headlines.
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Lisa Mensah, CEO and President of the Opportunity Finance Network, joins Monique to reflect on our newest federal holiday, the sudden widespread interest -- or should we say investment -- in community lending, and today’s opportunity for a just Reconstruction.
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Roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join Brian Walsh to re-imagine capitalism and review some of Imogen's recent and upcoming hot takes in her IA column. Plus, how the Gates Foundation’s strategy for global access to COVID vaccines worked -- or didn’t. And. as always, the headlines.
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With Omidyar Network, ImpactAlpha is exploring emergent ideas, rules and power relationships of a resilient 21st-century economy. Visit the Capitalism Reimagined landing page for podcast summaries, as well as original coverage, impact voices, features and Agents of Impact.
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Monique brings us some highlights of her conversations with Tiffany Crutcher and Greg Robinson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Anne Price of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development in Oakland, Calif. Plus, the headlines.
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Brian Walsh is joined by Amy Cortese and David Bank to break down the big news coming out of Exxon, Chevron and Shell. Plus the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by David Bank to talk about financing the reconstruction with catalytic capital. Plus the headlines.
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Transparency is elusive as investors assess governance risks in China. There are by now dozens of ways to measure corporate exposure to climate risks, but few good methods to assess the risks of exposure to China, and specifically to the ruling Communist Party. In this Agent of Impact podcast, Isaac Stone-Fish shares how he helps corporations and other organizations identify connections, dependencies and entanglements in the world’s largest retail market.
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David Bank and Jessica Pothering join host Brian Walsh to talk about risks and returns – and explore innovative financial structures that are unlocking new capital in emerging markets. Plus, the headlines.
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Host Monique Aiken is joined by David Bank to talk through some of this week's themes. Plus we hear from Kelli Saulney, a recent guest on the Reconstruction podcast. And, of course, the headlines.
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Brian Walsh welcomes back Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank to discuss the heightened regulatory scrutiny of impact and ESG claims. Plus, the headlines.
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On this week’s podcast, host Monique Aiken checks in with Nathan Cummings Foundation’s Rey Ramsey and The Case Made’s Tiffany Manuel, and chats with ImpactAlpha’s Amy Cortese about climate action news. Plus, the headlines.
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The Nathan Cummings Foundation says it has nearly fulfilled the commitment made three years ago to align 100% of its $450 million endowment with its mission goals – and confirmed that aligning foundation assets with positive impact turns out to be a way to make a decent return as well.
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Host Brian Walsh takes stock of two of the premier showcases for student talent in impact investing and sustainable finance. He chats with Bridges Fund Management’s Brian Trelstad about this year’s competition. And Megan Kashner of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern recaps the Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge, which also staged its finals last week.
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Equilibrium Capital's Dave Chen joins David Bank to discuss the latest trends in instutional sustainable investing
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Host Monique Aiken speaks with B Lab’s Andrew Kassoy about why impact-driven businesses and investors are stepping up their policy advocacy. We also hear from Dr. Tiffany Manuel of The Case Made, next week’s guest on The Reconstruction podcast. Plus the headlines.
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Host Brian Walsh dissects former BlackRock exec Tariq Fancy’s recent takedown of ESG investing with roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank. Plus the headlines.
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Jessica Pothering joins host Monique Aiken to discuss how African entrepreneurs are stepping up with tech solutions to the continent’s challenges in agriculture, climate change and financial inclusion. We also catch up with Unreasonable Group’s Pratibha Vuppuluri and hear a snippet of next week’s Reconstruction podcast with Illumen Capital’s Daryn Dodson. Plus, the headlines.
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Brian Walsh talks with Amy Cortese about regulation crowdfunding’s big week, and we hear from Republic’s Ken Nguyen and Wefunder’s Jonny Price. Plus the headlines.
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Monique is joined by Erika Seth-Davies, a social entrepreneur in residence at Common Future, and founder of The Racial Equity Asset Lab, and ImpactAlpha’s David Bank to talk about the American Rescue Plan and, perhaps, a bottom-up Reconstruction...
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On this week’s podcast, host Brian Walsh discusses the big private equity funds looking to make a splash in impact with roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank. Plus, the headlines.
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On this week’s podcast, host Monique Aiken chats with ImpactAlpha’s Roodgally Senatus about Bitwise Industries’ big raiseand BlocPower’s Donnel Baird, this week’s Agent of Impact.
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Don Chen, president of the billion-dollar Surdna Foundation, joins David Bank to discuss Surdna's 100 million dollar commitment to impact investing, as well as some innovative approaches they've taken to the COVID crisis.
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Amy Cortese joins Brian to bring us up to speed on soil carbon markets. We hear from Gregory Landua of the Regen Network, Mark Lambert of Re-Harvest, and this week's Agent of Impact: Charles D. King, the Founder and CEO of the global media brand Macro.
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The headlines, plus Suzanne Biegel updates Monique on some highlights from this week's GenderSmart Investing Summit, and we hear from Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Enterprise.
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The headlines, plus Brian is joined by Professor Tensie Whelan of NYU Stern School of Business to discuss her latest research into corporate board members ESG credentials.
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1863 Ventures founder Melissa Bradley joins Monique Aiken to discuss how learning from history can create opportunities for equitable wealth-building.
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The headlines, plus Monique and David bring share a sneak preview of "The Reconstruction" our new podcast series and beat which drops on Monday.
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The word of the week is: creativity -- Brian catches up with Upstart CoLab founder Laura Callanan, and we revisit the poetry of this week's Agent of Impact, Amanda Gorman.
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Monique is joined by Jessica Barron and Marion Johnson of Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned social impact consulting firm, to discuss their recent report Demoocracy’s Powerbrokers: Political Power of Women of Color.
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David chats with Jigar Shah, president of Generate, a San Francisco investment firm at the forefront of sustainable infrastructure financing. Jigar was co-founder of SunEdison, a pioneer of the “no money down” solar financing model that unlocked the solar market. He co-hosts The Energy Gang Podcast.
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David joins Brian to chart the year ahead in impact investing with some help from Generate's Jigar Shah.
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David joins Brian to round up the ImpactAlpha week of roundups, plus we hear a few of Dave Chen's predictions for 2021.
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Dave and David look back on some of the predictions from February's episode, and look forward to the trends we'll be seeing a lot more of in 2021.
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David Bank speaks with theco-founder and CEO of Blue Forest, a nonprofit fund financing forest resilience through an innovative pay for performance model.
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The word of the week is "science", and the agents of impact are scientists... and David joins Monique to discuss deep tech investing.
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Dennis introduces Brian to refugee lens investing, and we remember Tony Hsie and his innovative community financing project in Las Vegas, plus the headlines.
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Monique follows up on this week's Agents of Impact call, which put a gender lens on the COVID recovery. We hear from Secha Capital’s Kuhle Mnisi and Wukina’s Maureen Sibanda who are this week’s agents of impact.
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Imogen and David join Brian to discuss the word of the week: transition.
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What else? David and Dennis join Monique to discuss the impact investing narrative in a new political landscape... plus we hear from Amy Domini, Vikram Gandhi and the Rev. William Barber.
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Amy joins Brian to discuss the energy transition, and we hear from Kesha Cash, who just raised $55 million for Impact America's second fund.
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Amy Cortese joins Monique to discuss some highlights from SOCAP. Plus this week's Agents of Impact, voters.
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In the latest edition of our Institutional Shift series, David Bank speaks with Dave Chen of Equilibrium Capital Dave about food system resilience in the face of climate change and COVID.
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Brian welcomes back Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank for a quick roundtable: ‘From ESG to impact.’ And, we meet this week’s Agent of Impact, the Nigerian activist Aisha Yesufu, who has been part of that country’s protests against police brutality.
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The word of the week is Reconstruction, and Monique catches up with Anne Price, Ronald Cohen and Sherece West-Scantlebury. Plus, the Headlines.
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SPACs have come to Impact Investing... David and Jessica explain. Plus, we hear from this week's Agent of Impact Archana Soreng-- one of seven members of the UN’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. And, of course, the headlines.
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Monique brings us highlights from this week's Agent of Impact Call on racial justice investing, redefining pro-business with this week's Agent of Impact RBG, and the headlines.
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It's a roundtable reunion with Imogen, David and Brian to talk about the latest efforts to re-imagine (or is it reset?) capitalism. Plus, Jeffery Ubben is this week's controversial Agent of Impact.
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Emmanuel, the Chief Innovation Officer for Schneider Electric chats with David about decarbonized, decentralized and digital energy.
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Melissa L. Bradley of 1863 Ventures joins Monique to discuss her call to action for entrepreneurs, plus this week's Agent of Impact, Dave Kirkpatrick SJF Ventures, and the headlines.
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The headlines, plus Amy joins Brian to discuss small business financing in the COVID crisis and this week's Agent of Impact, Beth Bafford.
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Headlines, The Democracy Collective's Jessica Rose on employee ownership, and this week's Agents of Impact: basketball players.
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Why have there been so many agri-food deals lately? Plus, the headlines, and this week's Agent of Impact, Andrew Youn, co-founder and executive director ofOne Acre Fund.
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This week's headlines, David and Monique round up our "systemic investing" call, plus Maurice Jones is this week's Agent of Impact.
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The head of U.S. private equity for KKR, the international investment giant, speaks with David Bank about the employee ownership strategy that they've used successfully in the manufacturing sector.
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The headlines, some audio highlights from our latest Agent of Impact call on impact and the 2020 U.S. election, plus Dennis explains this week's theme... "purpose-built."
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The headlines, plus David and Monique talk about Agent of Impact "Aha!" moments, and we hear from this week's featured Agent of Impact, CEO of Native American Natural Foods, Dawn Sherman.
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Blackrock falls short on climate commitments, the Trump administration takes on ESG, and a 1/10th challenge from Ceniarth's Diane Isenberg
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The founder of Ceniarth -- a family office that provides capital for positive impact in marginalized, primarily rural, populations-- speaks with David about family wealth, catalytic capital and impact-first investing.
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David speaks with Nick about how CDC Group, the UK's Development Finance Institution, is approaching risk during the COVID crisis, and more...
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Monique brings us the headines and David discusses the word of the week: topple. Plus, your agent(s) of impact.
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The headlines, a new handbook aims to help scale up the amount of impact capital, and Dennis profiles Tynesia Boyea-Robinson.
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Monique brings us the headlines, Jessica chats with Candide Group's Jasmine Rashid, and Amy Cortese profiles Aurora James
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Leapfrog’s Andy Kuper on impact, exits and scaling growth in emerging markets through the COVID crisis
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The headlines, plus Amy Cortese speaks with Philip Reeves and Todd Leverette about employee ownership as a way to help close the racial wealth gap. And Dennis Price profiles this week's Agent of Impact, Helen Adeosun.
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David interviews Joy Anderson, president and founder of The Criterion Institute. We spoke at the end of May about gender and the COVID recovery
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Guest host Monique Aiken brings us the headlines, and leads a frank and personal discussion of the events triggered by the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd. She is joined by Living Cities’ Demetric Duckett, Colonial Consulting’s Angela Matheny and Castleberry’s Donray Von
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The headlines, plus Jessica Pothering speaks with Aunnie Patton Power about redesigning venture finance, and Dennis Price profiles this week's Agent of Impact, Sarah Kerney from Prime Coalition.
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It could be that the crisis is the catalyst to finally strengthen and scale the small business finance and support ecosystem that has existed outside of mainstream financial channels for decades...
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The headlines, plus David Bank and Amy Cortese on what to do with the mountains of cash corporations have been sitting on, as well as this week's Agents of Impact: Andrew Behar and Danielle Fugere.
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The headlines, plus David Bank on "systems change," and Dennis Price profiles Heron's Dana Bezerra.
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Graham Macmillan joins David Bank for a conversation about the Visa Foundation's mission... and how they're approaching it in light of COVID-19, supporting small and micro businesses run by women.
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Featuring the headlines, plus Dennis Price on a forgiveness and patience as catalytic capital, and a special Agent of Impact birthday surprise...
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The headlines, plus Jessica Pothering on a microfinance lenders lessons from the Ebola crisis, and Dennis Price profiles Paul Farmer and Jim Yong Kim, co-founders of Partners in Health
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Impact investing has posited the role of private capital for public good. The roundtable regulars - Imogen, Brian and David -- are back to answer the question: how is that position faring through the crisis?
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The headlines, plus Dennis Price on Social Bonds as COVID relief, and David Bank profiles Goldman's John Goldstein.
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The headlines, plus David Bank on universal owners, and Lyneka Little on our Agent of Impact.
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Tracy details a new career impact bond.
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The headlines, plus Amy Cortese on CDFI's bridging the PPP's equity gap, and David Bank on this week's Agent of Impact.
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The headlines, plus Jessica Pothering on the affect of COVID on emerging market entrepreneurs, and Amy Cortese on this week's Agent of Impact.
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Amit walks us through how Impact Investors of all stripes are stepping up to the challenges of COVID – and capitalism.
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Your weekly briefing from the virtual newsroom of ImpactAlpha focuses on resilience and disruption: headlines from ImpactAlpha, David Bank on “making this s***storm matter,” and Amy Cortese brings us this week’s Agent of Impact.
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Amy Cortese on high impact small business loans, David Bank on this week's Agent of Impact, and your headlines from this week in Impact Investing.
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The coronavirus pandemic has upended virtually everything. In the pages of ImpactAlpha, we focused on resilience this week, featuring Amy Cortese on global energy markets, and Dennis Price with our Agent(s) of Impact.
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Carbon capture, inclusive fintech, and creative arts investing. Plus, David Bank on how COVID-19 is affecting the field, and Jessica Pothering profiles this week's Agent of Impact.
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In your briefing this week: pandemics, leaks, and billion dollar funds. Plus, Dennis Price on emerging impact managers.
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Your impact briefing for February 21st, featuring the week's headlines, Agents of Impact, and new info on off-grid electricity in Africa.
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Dave Chen of Equilibrium Capital joins David Bank to make bold predictions for 2020 on another episode of our special series: Institutional Shift.
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On the latest edition of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast, host Brian Walsh suggests that the ‘technology’ of ESG and impact investing has passed the early-adopter stage and entered the early majority, gaining momentum among companies, asset managers and banks.
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“The positive news is that more and more people know what we are talking about,” Bertrand Badré says on the most recent ImpactAlpha podcast. “The negative news is there is not enough action.” The former World Bank official and founder of Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital (the name comes from a French surrealist poem) says needed changes in the financial system were not given enough thought when the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted five years ago. He’s writing a book on the topic; as a down payment, Blue Orange is releasing at Davos its internal rating system, SDG Blue, which scores investments against the SDGs in much the same way Moody’s scores companies’ credit ratings.
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The Decapitalization of the Fossil Fuel Industry by ImpactAlpha
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“Global thematic impact didn’t exist, so we decided to build it ourselves," says Erika Karp in the latest ROI. Cornerstone’s Access Impact Fund is a Nasdaq-listed mutual fund that for a minimum $1,000 investment offers access to sub-advisors looking for thematic investments in small-, medium- and large-cap companies across geographies.
Karp, formerly the head of global sector research at UBS Investment Bank, is taking a stand on hotly debated investment topics that go beyond impact investing. She says active management, which has fallen out of favor because of high fees and uneven performance, is key to intentional impact.
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The popular protests that drove the GSG Impact Summit out of Santiago, Chile, added “a poignant urgency” to the first day of the global gathering of impact investors in Buenos Aires, Sir Ronald Cohen said in a podcast interview with ImpactAlpha’s David Bank.
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Dave Chen of Equilibrium Capital returns for another edition of Institutional Shift.
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Now that big private equity players are spinning up impact funds left and right, the impact of the rest of their investments is getting a lot more scrutiny as well.
ImpactAlpha’s roundtable regulars recorded a podcast episode keying on Blackstone’s investments in Brazilian agricultural processing plants linked to deforestation in the Amazon. But other private equity giants have stepped up with their own deals of questionable impact. As a source for stories, keeping watch on private equity impact is the gift that keeps on giving.
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In a counter-intuitive shift, the estimated four million global youth climate strikers who took to the streets last week may be more pro-business than recalcitrant heads of state gathering at the United Nations intent on slow-walking climate action. The U.S., Brazil and Japan, for example, have not even asked to speak at today’s Climate Action Summit, where 60 or so countries are expected to present more ambitious carbon-reduction plans.
By catalyzing a powerful political constituency for urgent climate action, protestors may accelerate the low-carbon transition and soften climate shock. By most expert analysis, keep global temperature rise with 1.5 or even 2 degrees Celsius produces better returns for almost all in
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Updated Corporate Purpose Signals Broader Definitions of Fiduciary Duty and Materiality by ImpactAlpha
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Overcoming Systemic Bias in Investing Means Challenging Power and Pattern Matching by ImpactAlpha
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The latest Returns on Investment podcast takes on the challenge of how investors can help make sure workers get a better shake. In a low-unemployment economy, it’s not only jobs, but quality jobs that are needed to drive broader prosperity that is inclusive of workers of all ages and skills.
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The roundtable regulars aim to trace the connections between the impact investing project writ large and the current political climate, without violating our pledge against armchair analysis of electability, swing-state appeal or fundraising prowess.
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On the latest episode of our special Institutional Shift series of conversations, Dave Chen and David Bank review their predictions from six months ago and look ahead to 2020. On the docket: climate-change investing, plastics, market segmentation, and product development.
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A changing climate is changing the climate inside one of the world’s largest asset managers. Clients of Goldman Sachs Assets Management, which manages assets on behalf of wealthy families, pensions and foundations, endowments and insurance companies. These parties have always expected the firm to recite key financial metrics about the companies they own. But increasingly, says Hugh Lawson, the head of ESG and impact investing at Goldman, clients are demanding the big Wall Street money manager know more about the qualitative aspects of what those businesses do and how they do it.
In the latest episode of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast, David Bank dug in with Lawson about how greater investor urgency around climate, and confidence in low-carbon investment strategies, is changing investing (or isn’t).
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One perk of both owning and managing your own capital: you get to set the rules. Blue Haven Initiative, the $500 million family office of Liesel Pritzker Simmons and Ian Simmons, has for a decade committed to integrate impact across 100% of its investable portfolio. In episode 7 of Beyond Tradeoffs, David speaks with Liesel about Blue Haven's approach.
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In episode 6 of Beyond Tradeoffs, David speaks with Sandeep Farias of Elevar Equity about their approach to early stage investing in developing markets.
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On episode 5 of our special series, Beyond Tradeoffs, produced in collaboration with Omidyar Network, David interviews Roy Swan and Christine Looney about Ford Foundations Mission Investment strategy.
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In Episode 4 of ROI's Beyond Trade-offs series, produced in collaboration with Omidyar Network, Vishal Mehta of Lok Capital recalls how the Delhi-based impact investor blended venture capital and grant funding to build markets for financial services, health care and education for low-income Indians.
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Today on ROI, we feature an interview with Ommeed Sathe of Prudential Financial in the third episode of Beyond Tradeoffs, produced in collaboration with Omidyar Network.
Prudential, a serious institutional investor with nearly $1.4 trillion in assets, is demonstrating that is possible to incorporate impact strategies within the norms and constraints faced by institutional investors. Their $800 million impact portfolio is invested with a specific mandate to show measurable benefits in financial inclusion, affordable housing preservation, educational excellence, workforce development and sustainable agriculture and other areas.
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In the second episode of ImpactAlpha’s “Beyond Trade-offs” podcast series, produced in collaboration with Omidyar Network, Goldman Sachs’ John Goldstein charts the development of “risk-return-impact” frameworks that meet the needs of institutional investors. One of his jobs, he says, “is to help Goldman’s investors do better at doing what they do by incorporating environmental, social and governance into how we invest for all our clients.”
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In a new series of podcasts produced in collaboration with Omidyar Network, ImpactAlpha asked a range of investors, from fully “market-rate,” to unapologetically concessionary, what lies… Beyond Tradeoffs.
What we heard is that investors of all types are finding strategies to avoid specific and systemic risks, to be aligned with long-term trends, to generate tangible and measureable social and environmental benefits and to otherwise meet their objectives – all along the continuum of risks and returns.
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Hidden within the $3.8 trillion market for U.S. municipal bonds are not only mispriced social and environmental risks, but huge potential for on-the-ground impact in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
On this episode, David Bank chats with Eric Glass about how Alliance-Bernstein approaches municipal bonds with an impact lens.
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According to billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, capitalism is not working well for the majority of Americans. In a recent essay he argues that it is producing self-reinforcing spirals up for the haves and down for the have-nots and that these conditions pose an existential risk for the U.S.
In the latest episode of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast, the roundtable regulars took up the challenge as well, with a provocative discussion of inequality and the age-old tension between capital and labor.
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The dramatic fall from grace of Bill McGlashan, co-founder and former CEO of TPG Growth and The Rise Fund, after being indicted in the Varsity Blues college-admissions scandal, Rose-Smith suggests, may say more about private-equity and alternative-investment asset management in general than about impact investing in particular.
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Are newspapers and newsmagazines "impact investments"? And are the billionaires who buy them making a positive impact? Listen in as David, Imogen, and Brian take up the topic of impact investing in news media on the latest episode of ROI
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Newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has galvanized the political debate with a proposed Green New Deal that would rely primarily on government financing to pay for the required investments in climate-friendly agriculture, transportation, buildings, manufacturing and, of course, energy. In the latest Returns on Investment podcast, roundtable regulars Brian Walsh and Imogen Rose-Smith tried to force ImpactAlpha’s David Bank into his own awkward choice: private capital or government funding?
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Will it be risk – rather than returns – that drives impact investment? Major companies are starting to face the very practical implications of climate change, as indicated by responses to CDP, the U.K. organization formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project. The latest episode of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast explores the connection between such risks and the mobilization of investment to address them.
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The three-letter acronym for “environmental, social and governance” has broken out from the wonky world of finance and into subway ads and online pitches for a slew of new ESG mutual funds, ETFs and other financial services.
How such “non-financial” factors affect financial performance has been a matter of hot debate for several years. As ESG breaks into the mainstream, the podcast’s roundtable regulars took on a tougher question is: Does it make a bit of difference in the real world?
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Join us for half-dozen or so forecasts from Equilibrium Capital's Dave Chen, who returned to ImpactAlpha's Returns on Investment podcast for a New Year's check-in on the progress of the "institutional shift" in impact investing. As Dave says, "Everybody loves a list."
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We ring a bell and joke about taking a drink every time we can work the phrase “impact alpha” into a Returns on Investment podcast. We had to suspend the stunt to discuss a new report,“The Alpha in Impact.”
The report pulled back the curtain on 29 investments from 13 funds to demonstrate that impact be a driver of returns, not just a drag. Our roundtable regulars discuss.
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As the climate hangs in the balance, policy momentum, investor sentiment and most of all global leadership will be crucial to sustain the global energy transition and, while we’re at it, economic transformation, that are both so urgently needed.
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In late October 2018 US-SIF released their bi-annual report measuring the size of the impact market. By their calculations, responsible and impact investments now total 12 trillion dollars in the United States - representing a quarter of all US assets under professional management.
Can this amount, a 38% increase since 2016, be seen as an unmitigated success? "Not so fast," cautions the ROI roundtable. Listen in to find out why we're not ready to declare impact victory quite yet.
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When 2019 comes around congress will once again be divided. Could an impact oriented infrastructure bill make it to the president's desk? Our roundtable discusses.
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ImpactAlpha’s editor and CEO David Bank and Paul van Zyl talk about impact investing and social entrepreneurship from the Conduit in London.
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In its daily Brief and on its website, ImpactAlpha writes a lot about the challenges and triumphs of impact entrepreneurs. In this week’s Returns on Invesment podcast, host Brian Walsh put the questions to the company’s own mission-driven entrepreneurs: How’s the business going?
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Join David Bank and Dave Chen as they continue our special series, Institutional Shift. The latest episode of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast takes stock of the state of impact investing at pension funds and other large institutional investors.
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Lower-than-expected risk. Higher-than-expected impact. Access to off-grid electricity is emerging as an impact investing success story across the developing world.
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The impact investing community seems to be in one of its cyclical discussions about who and what should count as impact.
The latest Returns on Investment podcast takes up the growing concern about “impact-washing,” the use of impact jargon or marketing to raise money or burnish reputations without delivering real impact or, in some cases, causing negative impacts.
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What will it take for investors to make the big bets?
ImpactAlpha’s latest Returns on Investment podcast took on what roundtable regular Imogen Rose-Smith, an investment fellow at the University of California, called “the disconnect between rhetoric and reality.”
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The latest Returns on Investment podcast takes up the case of the $1 billion Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund and impact investing failures more broadly. The health fund, which was pursuing an ambitious effort to build comprehensive healthcare networks in the megacities of the 21st century – think Lagos and Karachi and Mumbai – is now embroiled in the larger scandal that has engulfed Abraaj Group.
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Impact investing types, it seems, are proud globalists. That optimistic, connected, cross-border approach to challenges, solutions and human relationships puts them in a unique position in this peculiar historic moment when walls are going up and strangers are suspect. At the same time, the essential precondition of investing – having capital to invest – means most investors are largely distant from the lived experience of many of the people their investments are purported to benefit. ImpactAlpha's roundtable regulars take on the contradictions of globalism.
(Photo: Top view of 1765 de l'Isle globe A 1765 de l'Isle globe, showing top view. Collection of the Minnesota Historical Society.)
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In the latest Returns on Investment podcast, our roundtable regulars take up the April memo from the Department of Labor that tried, albeit weakly, to walk back the Obama-era guidance about how fiduciaries could consider ESG factors.
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The obsession with financial returns that for decades kept major institutional investors away is now pushing them towards a serious accounting of environmental risks.
Ashby Monk joins Dave Chen, the chair of Equilibrium Capital, and David Bank, editor of Impact Alpha, on this episode of Returns on Investment: Institutional Shift.
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A few years ago the Prudential Foundation committed to reaching a billion dollar impact portfolio by 2020, and they're well on their way to reaching that goal. On this episode of ROI, David Bank sits down with Lata Reddy, the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion & Impact at Prudential Financial and Chair and President of The Prudential Foundation to discuss the impact fund, their place based investing strategy, and the role of mission investing in the fight for social justice.
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If impact investors are worth their salt, they’ll soon –– if not soon enough –– come up with a whole raft of investible solutions to the crushing burden of opioid addiction.
The problem may have snuck up over the past decade, but there’s no escaping the costs of the crisis now. As many as 23 million addicts in the U.S. More than 64,000 overdose deaths, most of them opioid-related. The annual economic cost: an estimated $193 billion.
On this episode of ROI, our panel discusses where impact investors can have a role in tackling the issue of opioid addiction.
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Corporate venture capital is a thing. And that thing is converging on impact investing. The amount that global corporations put into strategic investments in startup companies last year reached $31 billion across 1800 deals, both all-time records.
Today on the podcast David Bank, Imogen Rose-Smith and Brian Walsh discuss Corporate Venture Capital and Impact.
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The billionaires with their family offices command on outsized share of attention from impact fund managers. But, the real dollars, as in trillions, are in the huge pension and sovereign wealth funds around the world.
Today on ROI, David Bank speaks with Dave Chen, the head of Equilibrium Capital, about the burgeoning shift towards sustainability and EGS within the world of institutional investors.
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A raft of new social-impact and environmental financing vehicle are emerging from labs, incubators and startup funds. By finding inventive ways to monetize social inclusion and environmental regeneration, the new models are "internalizing the positive externalities." Too wonky? Just say "impact alpha." Returns on Investment's resident blue-sky optimist, David Bank, lays bets that the best new ideas will scale up to attract real dollars. Our curmudgeon, Imogen Rose-Smith, is skeptical that many of the impact investment pilots will graduate from the kiddie table and join the adults in the real world of finance. As always, our host Brian Walsh keeps it lively. __________________________________
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It has been said that "for impact investing, every day is international women's day." As the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements continue to demonstrate their staying power, is it time that impact and finance at large take a closer look at gender equality within firms as well as in their investments? Brian Walsh, Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank discuss in the latest ROI.
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The whole panel is together in Oakland to discuss whether or not California is charting the way forward for the inclusive economy of the future. The golden state does seem to be ahead on issues such as immigration, climate change, and shared prosperity - but is there a flip side to the coin? Listen in as Imogen Rose Smith, David Bank, and Brian Walsh discuss The California Model.
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At a recent hosted at the New York offices of the fintech company Liquidnet, in collaboration with the Tristate Area Africa Funders Network, ImpactAlpha’s own David Bank moderated a panel on “Demystifying Impact Investing” featuring Georgia Levenson Keohane of the Pershing Square Foundation, Liz Luckett of TSEF and Brian Trelstad of Bridges Fund Management..
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Larry Fink, the CEO of the world largest asset manager, pushed "social purpose" higher on the corporate agenda with his annual letter, warning that every company "must show how it makes a positive contribution to society.” Social activists cheered; activist investors more accustomed to pressuring CEOs for stock buybacks and dividends, groaned. As onetime corporate raider Sam Zell put it, “I didn’t know Larry Fink had been made God.” Our roundtable of Imogen Rose-Smith, Brian Walsh and David Bank pull apart not only Fink's arguments, but the critics' and the cheerleaders' as well.
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Natural spaces have long provided financial value to humans, though historically this has been through the process of extracting resources. Now, as scientists better understand the key role that ecosystems play in supporting life on earth, some banks and investors are looking to incentivize the preservation of wild spaces and species. Today on ROI, the panel discusses conservation finance.
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Steve Case tells The New York Times that his $150 million Rise of the Rest Fund is "not an impact fund." Our Returns on Investment roundtable takes on the contretemps that played out on the pages of ImpactAlpha. Good jobs, overlooked geographies, bottom-up innovation – that sounds like impact. Do funds have to measure (and report)? Who decides? Imogen Rose-Smith, David Bank and Brian Walsh take Rise of the Rest apart (and put it back together again).
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In 2007 the term Impact Investing was coined at a Rockefeller Foundation convening in Bellagio. The "framers" put the name to a burgeoning yet broad set of investment strategies being practiced on the margins of traditional finance. On this episode of ROI the panel discusses how the impact community has grown and changed in the past ten years, and where it's headed.
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Imogen Rose-Smith plays cautious realist to David Bank's blue-sky futurist in this heated (but always friendly!) Returns on Investment roundtable.
At issue is the role of the world’s biggest asset owners – so-called Universal Owners – in the rotation of capital toward sustainability and inclusion.
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As Congress debates tax reform, agents of impact have a chance to 'code' a new tax algorithm.
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David Bank chats with Amit Bouri, the founder of the GIIN, about the past ten years of impact investing - and looks forward to the next ten.
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On this episode of ROI, David Bank chats with technologist and entrepreneur Tim O'Reilly about his new book WTF: What's the Future, and Why It's Up to Us.
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On this episode of ROI, David Bank chats with Morgan Simon of the Candide Group about her new book "Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change."
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Climate change is increasing the size, frequency, and cost of natural disasters. In the past several months alone we've seen the devastating affects of hurricanes, droughts, and monsoons. On today’s show, our panel talks impact investing and climate resilience.
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Liesel Pritzker-Simmons and Ian Simmons join David Bank for this special episode of ROI, brought to you in partnership with The ImPact, to discuss their 100% for impact fund Blue Haven Initiative.
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Ross Baird, President of Village Capital, chats with David Bank about his new book "The Innovation Blindspot," why many VC firms are missing out on great investment opportunities, and more.
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On this special episode of Returns on Investment, David speaks with Kyungsun Chung, the Founder and CEO of Root Impact, a nonprofit that focuses on building capacity for the social innovation sector in Korea.
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On this special episode of ROI, we're featuring an interview with Fernando Scodro, a founding member of The ImPact's Brazil chapter.
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On this special edition of Returns on Investment, we're featuring a panel discussion from The Liquidnet for Good 10 Year Anniversary Forum. The conversation focuses on the future of business as a force for good, and is moderated by Daryl Brewster, the CEO of CECP
It features insights from Cammie Erickson, a Senior Manager with Linkedin For Good, Jen Field, the Social Impact Director for GLG, and Andy Fyfe of B Lab.
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Uber is reeling due to a series of damning reports about it's corporate culture of misogyny. One potential solution that makes impact investors ears perk up: diversify the board. But, a new study from Katherine Klein of the Wharton School suggests that "the relationship between board gender diversity and company performance is either non-exist (effectively zero) or weakly positive." How do the findings effect the conversation around gender lens investing?
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On this special edition of Returns on Investment, we're featuring a panel discussion from The Liquidnet for Good 10 Year Anniversary Forum. The conversation focuses on the future of impact investing, and is moderated. by Georgia Keohane, the Executive Director of the Pershing Square Foundation.
It features insights from Liz Luckett, the president of TSEF, Brian Trelsted, a partner at Bridges Fund Management, and Daniel Pianko, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of University Ventures.
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On this special edition of Returns on Investment, we're featuring a panel discussion from The Liquidnet for Good 10 Year Anniversary Forum. The conversation focuses on the future of philanthropy and includes Fay Twersky of the Hewlett Foundation, Dennis Whittle of Feedback Labs, and Blue Meridian's Chuck Harris. The moderator is business and philanthropy journalist Mark Gunther.
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Each year The GIIN releases their Impact Investor survey. Our panel sees some reasons for optimism in the report. But, is impact growing at a fast enough clip to tackle the challenges it's staked for itself?
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Back in 2015, U.N. leaders adopted a set of 17 targets describing what the world should look like in 2030. The goals are highly ambitious, calling for solutions to climate change and poverty, as well as huge conservation targets and a revamping of the global agricultural system. A lot has happened on the geopolitical stage in the past years, but the SDGs, as they're called (to Imogen's chagrin), are still on the table. Has progress been made? Find out on this episode of Returns on Investment.
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TPG Capital is moving into the impact world in a big way with a new 2 billion dollar fund. Bono, the famous face of the new fund, turned heads with some controversial comments at The Skoll World Forum. Are the impact investors of the past big hippies who aren't real investors? Is TPG about to change the game?
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Ford Foundation president, Darren Walker, broke through a barrier of sorts recently with the announcement the foundation would commit $1 billion from its roughly $14 billion endowment to so-called mission-related investments.
In the latest Returns on Investment podcast, our roundtable takes on the question of just how significant Ford’s announcement really was. Will it help unlock many more billions for high-impact investments? Will it change how foundations think about deploying their capital? Can it help change the structure of the financial markets themselves?
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Risk. Is it a board game focused on world domination, a fundamental consideration when allocating capital, or both? We focus on the latter this week, and explore how the impact community approaches issues surrounding risk and opportunity.
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The pace of growth in the impact sector is up, but the amount of capital managed by impact investors is a drop in the bucket of the overall capital markets. What will it take to get the level of investment up to the scale of addressing the great challenges of the 21st century?
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New data shows that global investment in renewable energies fell between 2015 and 2016. Is the world dropping the ball on the sustainability transition, or is there more to these numbers?
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Since the financial crisis, private equity firms have taken over the housing market. How can impact have an effect in this critical part of the economy?
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The panel discusses what a Trump administration could mean for climate action and the impact world.
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What will the Trump presidency mean for the Impact economy? Our panel discusses.
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What will a Clinton Presidency mean for Impact Investing?
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The ROI Panel get's geared up for COP22 Marrakech, and climate finance.
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David chats with the head of Tugende, a social enterprise in Uganda that is battling poverty through lease to own agreements.
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The panel gives their take on SOCAP - what it is, where it's come from, and what it can be.
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The Panel discusses how animals - as food, their welfare, biodiversity, and designer pets - fit into the impact discussion.
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What does the nativist isolationism represented by Brexit and Trump mean for the Impact movement?
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Will millennial's be the force that makes impact investing the norm? The ROI panel discusses. Plus, is Donald Trump an impact businessman?
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David chats with Abigail Noble about her new nonprofit, The ImPact.
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Should artists be considered social entrepreneurs? If so, how can impact investors best support them? An interview with Laura Callanan of Upstart Co-Lab
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The ROI panel discusses this year's Mission Investors Exchange.
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David chats with Emily Stone, CEO and Co-Founder of Uncommon Cacao, about her experience as a social entrepreneur.
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The ROI panel discusses a new collaborative $100 million fund to finance education and child care, healthy food and affordable housing, and energy conservation and jobs in Chicago.
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David Bank speaks with Head of Responsible Investment at Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. about the Paris climate agreement, the challenges facing asset managers looking to invest with an eye towards climate risk, and how to overcome the challenges of responsible investing
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On today’s show, the ROI Panel is talking infrastructure. Join Brian Walsh, Imogen Rose-Smith, and David Bank for a discussion about the huge economic and social opportunities for impact and institutional investors in infrastructure.
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In 2012, the F.B. Heron Foundation made waves by setting a goal to mission-align 100% of it's $300 million in assets by 2017.
Now, in "Building a Foundation for the 21st Century," Clara Miller - president of Heron - has called for the rest of the field to follow suit.
This week on ROI we're featuring an interview with Clara.
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Dennis Price files a report from Merida, where Sir Ronald Cohen has called for new policies to facilitate the Impact Investing "revolution." The ROI panel discusses.
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On this episode of ROI, David Bank chats with Cathy Clark, of Duke University, about bridging the pioneer gap.
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This week, we feature an interview with Alex Eaton, the head of Sistema Biobolsa, a technology company that works to reduce agricultural waste by converting it to fuel and fertilizer.
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The ROI panel discusses what the market's historically bad start to the year means for the impact community.
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Suzanne and David dive deep into the gender lens as an important investment proposition.
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The ROI Panel discusses the news from Paris and what it means for investors.
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Brian Walsh, David Bank, and Imogen Rose-Smith discuss the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the backlash to its LLC status.
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Dave Chen of Equilibrium Capital chats with David Bank about Equilibrium Capital's investment proposition: that sustainable real assets are a great bet for institutional investors.
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Our panel discusses the Volkswagen scandal and what it means for impact investing.
Plus, David discusses ESG investing with Erika Karp of Cornerstone Capital Group.
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Nancy Pfund discusses DBL's new $400 million impact fund, as well as their ongoing investments in Tesla, Solar City, and Pandora.
And, our panel debates whether or not there's too much money in Impact.
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