You’re Ready to #ShareYourData…. Now What?

Posted on August 28, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

Over the past six weeks, we have been sharing an initial look at the Beta version of the Impact Investing Network Map that the Case Foundation has been building. This started with a call to action that many of you heeded, leading to wonderful excitement and feedback about the Impact Investing Network Map and its potential to better understand the Impact Investing landscape. We are thrilled with the feedback we have received from investors, entrepreneurs and others in the space who share the Case Foundation’s belief that standardized data and publicly accessible information are vital for driving Impact Investing to scale. But there’s still more you can do.

So what is the next step? Many of you have asked important questions around submitting your data for inclusion on the Network Map, like:

What data should you share?
Where can you share that information?
And how can you make sure that your impact organization and investments show up accurately on the Impact Investing Network Map?

With two critical weeks left in our Data Campaign, we want to equip you with all of the information you need to turn your intention into action.

So what data should you be sharing?

For the Beta version of the Impact Investing Network Map, all of our data is pulled in from our partners —ImpactSpace and Crunchbase. ImpactSpace hosts the largest public Impact Investing dataset and have been a longstanding supporter of data transparency to propel the Impact Investing movement to tipping point. We’re pulling data directly from ImpactSpace through their API, which updates the Network Map on a weekly basis.

The data that we pull in features two types of information on investors and companies—biographical and transactional.

Biographical data includes basic details like the intended social, environmental and operational impact (Impact Objectives); geographic focus of that intended impact (Impact Geography); headquarter location; organizational structure and Impact Investing relevant certifications.
Transactional data relates to capital raised at the company level. Specifically, this includes the different fundraising rounds from Seed to Series C+; the overall size of each round; investors that participated in the individual round and the basic structure of the investments.

If you’re interested in being included on the Network Map, you can share any or all of the data mentioned above, whatever your organization is comfortable with. At this early stage, we’re not yet capturing performance information, but we are working with partners and experts in the field to understand the most responsible way to include this type of reporting. In the meantime, we hope you’ll look at what level of biographical and transactional data you might be willing to share.

Where and how do you get your data into the Network Map?

The process of submitting your data to ImpactSpace is simple. Go directly to ImpactSpace with your biographical and/or transactional information in tow. Check out this simple upload guide for more information on how to upload your data. ImpactSpace has a 48-hour review period for new data to be approved and included on their website, and the Network Map draws updated information from ImpactSpace on Sunday evenings.

How can I edit or update my existing data so it’s accurate on the Network Map?

If some or all of your information is already in the Network Map, but is slightly out of date or you’d like to add additional levels of detail, you can click edit on your Network Map profile, which will take you to your page on ImpactSpace. You can also go directly to ImpactSpace to update your profile information. Once you’ve arrived at your ImpactSpace profile select Edit under each appropriate section. There is a 48-hour waiting period for entries to be approved, and you’ll receive a confirmation email upon approval.

Get started TODAY!

More than 1,000 impact investors, entrepreneurs, field builders and others interested in learning more have visited the Network Map since our campaign launched a little over a month ago. Our Network Map Champions have taken the early step to join us in the call to action to #ShareYourData, and you can too. We hope that you will join leaders in the Impact Investing field to commit to some level of transparency as a way to serve the development of a more robust and powerful Impact Investing movement. Head over to ImpactSpace and #ShareYourData, then become an active Network Map tester and let us know how we can improve the platform to build a stronger tool to support your work!

Is your data on the Network Map?
Let us know using #ShareYourData

A Seat at the Table

Posted on August 23, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

This article is contributed by Rehana Nathoo, VP of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation; Will Jacobson, Director of Business Development at Microvest; and Ben Thornley, Managing Partner at Tideline. The following was created based off of a panel discussion the three of them presented at Institutional Investor’s Senior Delegates Roundtable during the Fixed Income Forum.

Attend an investment conference these days and Impact Investing is part of every agenda. Sometimes it’s a panel of industry experts debating the necessary conditions for institutional-quality product development. Other times it’s the wildcard, pre-cocktail discussion of what impact means and how to measure it.

At a recent convening in Los Angeles last month, the three of us embraced the opportunity to lead a conversation on Impact Investing.

Impact Investing continues to grow rapidly, propelled by a range of actors interested in making a positive contribution. All the while still generating profit. Some Institutional Investors are doing their part to bolster the creation of solutions to urgent social and environmental challenges. But all of these efforts are happening in a fragmented fashion, and in small pockets of activity. This leads us to believe that with the trailblazing efforts of these early innovators, it’s time for traditional investors to jump in.

As with many nascent markets, the first Impact Investing products faced significant roadblocks. This style of investing was different, the breadth of managers who were well versed in the space was sparse, and benchmarks were non-existent or unrecognizable. But in the same way the sum total of carbon emitted in the production of the first Tesla Roadster hardly answered the call for environmental stewardship, there was immeasurable value in laying the groundwork for a paradigm shift. One that would see half of all cars in 2040 be electric.

Impact Investing can be at the helm of a similar global systemic change in the way we think and the way we invest. As the space has evolved, so too has the caliber of managers. DBL Partners has delighted many investors. TPG, Bain Capital, Morgan Stanley, and Blackrock have developed and established impact-oriented products and platforms away from the cocoonery of their CSR departments. And last we checked, none of these firms, funds, or managers are in the concessionary returns business.

Recent controversies, not least in Silicon Valley, show that the days of separating action from consequence are coming to an end. Historically, investors haven’t necessarily had to think about the specific, non-financial outcomes of their investment decisions. But getting educated on Impact Investing, and formulating a response, will provide an important on-ramp for what may ultimately become the future of all investing.

In the spirit or getting educated and moving to action, here are some core principles to keep in mind:

Be clear on your intention

It’s almost always possible to turn impact into action. Contrary to the scarcity myth, most impact “themes” are in fact investable. A general commitment to measurable economic development in the US, for example, may yield a range of products that support small business development in underserved parts of the country. A passion for changing the gender gap in business ownership, or course-correcting the global water scarcity are all focused, specific, and actionable. The more clarity investors have on their intentions, the easier it will be to find or develop investment opportunities for the problems they hope to solve.

Be specific with your objectives

Because Impact Investing is defined by the pursuit of “intentional” social and environmental outcomes, it would pay to develop a better understanding of what motivates the investment. Intentions of the actor are important, but so is the intended outcome of the investments. Is supporting a particular place important, as Newark is to Prudential? Or is it a particular theme or objective that motivates you, like investing in new products working to solve climate change across the globe? Being specific with a fund’s impact objective can help new investors see their place in that investment.

Be action-oriented

Perfect is no longer the enemy of the good. The field is increasingly embracing a broader definition of Impact Investing and lauding efforts to make important improvements in the totality of a portfolio’s impact. Relatedly, while Impact Investing also requires that hoped-for outcomes are measured, perfect rigor is less important than a commitment to putting in place a responsible, transparent process. The ethos of transparency is one of the reasons we’re seeing consistent thought leadership in onboarding new investors, the development of the Beta version of the Impact Investing Network Map and a multitude of other efforts.

We know that Impact Investing still has ample room to grow. We need stronger and longer track records, an increased culture of transparency and disclosure, responsible market segmentation, and greater clarity on what it means to create impact at different parts of the investment value chain—for asset owners, asset managers, and their investees. But it’s not too soon for traditional investors to take a closer look, and keeping the above principles in mind will help activate your impact investing journey today.

Immigrants, We Create Jobs

Posted on August 18, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

The Broadway musical Hamilton has a line that elicits thunderous applause every night—“Immigrants, we get the job done.” Recent research shows us that the line could just as accurately state, “Immigrants, we create jobs.” One recent study shows that immigrant-founded and owned companies employ nearly 6 million people. And even Mary Meeker’s 2017 report, which analyzes and predicts the latest Internet and technology trends, emphasizes the importance of immigrants in the tech sector and as entrepreneurs.

One of the most astounding graphics in this report shows how influential immigrants’ innovation has been in Americans’ everyday lives; 60 percent of the most highly valued tech companies were co-founded by first or second generation immigrants. These include Steve Jobs, a second generation Syrian immigrant, and Sergey Brin, the Russian immigrant who co-founded Google.

The expanded immigrant report also shows that as of 2007, 25 percent of all companies are founded by immigrants and Entrepreneur reports that more than 40 percent of businesses on the U.S. Fortune 500 List are launched by immigrants or children of immigrants. This is especially remarkable given that the overall percentage of immigrants in the US is only about 13 percent.

We have seen firsthand the power of immigrant experiences through #FacesofFounders. Entrepreneurs like Shazi Visram of Happy Family, Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos, Felicity Conrad of Paladin and Annie Liao Jones of Rock Candy Media all took their immigrant and first generation experiences, their drive to build a life here and their entrepreneurial spark to build something important and meaningful. For entrepreneurs—like Jean Sim of Fresh Monster, for example—who not only immigrated with their parents but also followed in their entrepreneurial footsteps, having immigrant role models significantly impacted the goals they set for themselves. As Jean says, “I saw firsthand how being an entrepreneur was the best possible way to shape my own future, and how much effort it took to succeed.”

But the compelling case for inclusive entrepreneurship isn’t just the personal stories and life experiences of immigrants and diverse communities. What makes inclusive entrepreneurship vital is the economic and financial impact that investing in diversity can have. Not only have we seen that investing in women can provide outsized returns and that diverse teams outperform industry averages, but the National Venture Capital Association offers more insight into the vast contributions immigrants make in the startup world in their publication “ Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs are Crucial for America’s Future.” In it, they quote Bill Draper, one of the first venture capitalists, emphasizing, “Immigrants are such a key part of the entrepreneurial spirit in America. Immigration has been at the root of this country since the beginning, and we need to hold on to it and encourage it.”

Groups like Unshackled Ventures see this opportunity and have created support systems and investment funds to accelerate immigrant businesses. In addition to pre-seed capital and network support typical of most accelerators, Unshackled Ventures specializes in what its entrepreneur cohorts need most—employment and immigration support to legally work and build a company in the U.S. Specialized accelerators like this, alongside substantial support from investors and companies for smart immigration policies and start-up visas, are critical to democratizing access and opportunity to America’s next big idea and next set of jobs.

So why do so many of those who were born in a different country have such a large share of entrepreneurial spirit and success? We believe it is because a diversity of backgrounds leads to a diversity of innovation which, in turn, drives a greater expansion of the creative force and job opportunity in America. This kind of smart business decision is why we push for inclusive entrepreneurship so strongly. Inclusive entrepreneurship is not limited to acknowledging the contributions of women and minorities. It means enabling people from all demographics to get in the arena and let their ideas, from a kids’ shampoo to a behemoth search engine, change the world. And particularly in this time of division, turmoil and violence against communities of color, it is our responsibility to stand up for opportunity, stand up for justice and stand next to those fighting every day for an equal chance at the American Dream.

Stand Together, Stand Up, Be Clear and Be Counted: Let Urgency Conquer Fear

Posted on August 16, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

Growing up, I was raised by German grandparents, whom I truly loved. They were a big influence in my life and some of the things they modeled, like hard work, faith, commitment to family and love of country are just some of the enduring qualities that so greatly influenced me. They left their homeland of Germany in the 1920’s, as an ugly movement was beginning to take shape there. As history records, the Nazi Party would soon come to power, exploiting the fears of those living in an economy that was left in ruins after World War I and exploiting a society that had divisive factions emerging that were spewing hate and blame. My grandparents arrived in America with little money in their pockets and no English-speaking skills, but they carried with them a dream of a better life. After settling in the Midwest, their hard work and grit enabled them to start businesses of their own and they slowly claimed a solid place in the middle class—a nice home, reliable car, savings in the bank and the ability to pay their bills without worry. I so admired their spirit and their willingness to sacrifice for what was important.

As I grew I would often pepper them with questions about Germany—could they help me understand the rise of the Nazi party? Could they possibly explain the inaction of citizens who saw the divisive threat that Nazi movement represented before they came to power, but did not find a way to stop it? I grew fascinated with the stories of remarkably brave individuals like Miep Gies, who harbored Anne Frank’s family and Corrie Ten Boom, who helped many Jews escape the Nazis and who was later imprisoned for her actions. And so, I wondered, how could some watch neighbors be dragged away and do nothing? So much of this had come long after my grandparents left their homeland, so that they, too, struggled with these questions.

Fast forward to America in 2017. We live in a country with good people all around—great Americans committed to all that this country stands for. And, yet, in the midst of it all, what was laid bare in the events in Charlottesville over the weekend was the fact that in some communities and towns across America, ugly, divisive factions are at work seeking to pit citizen against citizen. Responses to this abhorrent gathering ranged from silence, to tepid statements to the most clear, fearless call-outs for what it was: a modern version of the Nazi spirit that swept across Germany in those earliest days, or the racial bigotry that swept across swaths of our own nation in our own dark past, resulting in a bloody war, sometimes pitting brother against brother, 150 years ago. And while, yes, this was one incident and perhaps not an exact parallel to the more dramatic and ubiquitous events of the past, still, it merits contemplation.

In our work at the Case Foundation over the last 20 years, we have maintained a strong focus on igniting civic engagement, with a firm belief that an active, engaged citizenry makes for a strong democracy. Taking up the lessons from ugly factions that emerged in other places through history, and even across our own nation in the past, we recognize that we cannot wait until divisiveness takes a stronger hold in our streets, or impacts us in a personal way. In Charlottesville and across the country, we must call out hate and bigotry—and individuals and organizations that promote them—for what they are. We must stand up with a voice and with actions early, when we see this reprehensible movement on display. We must stand together with those being targeted to offer our support and assurances that we’ll have their back. We must be swift and clear with our words to send the strongest signal possible that hate and racial bigotry have no place in America. Our voice, our actions should be directed with full awareness that we want to be counted—counted in the present as those who will stand up for the values of this nation and for its citizens, and counted through time so the next generation may never have to ask, “How did they let this happen?”

In short, we need to turn this threat of division into an opportunity to come together as citizens. To reignite our beliefs and practices around the values we hold dear and the belief that all are created equal, and deserving of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It’s well recorded that even the founders of our nation, who embraced the language of equality, couldn’t find a way to lift the burdens of slavery and injustice, and left it to the generations to follow. Perhaps after nearly 250 years of slow progress, it is time for our nation, its citizens and its institutions to take the final steps and, at last, not just quell efforts that promote injustice, but commit ourselves fully to ensuring a fair and just society for all.

In the coming days, we each must ask how we can use our voice, our participation, our resources and our actions to make a difference. Dangerous movements that threaten society often start as one moment with just a few participants. But just as Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the “fierce urgency of now”, we, as caring, committed citizens must create our own positive movement to overwhelm the voices of hate, bigotry, violence and division before they are given a chance to grow and further infect our communities. We each have a role to play and now is the time to play it.

To those questions I asked my grandparents way back in the day, I think we all knew the answer then, even if unspoken, and it speaks to us through the generations. Fear created the silence. Fear created the inaction.

Today we have a choice: we can turn the other way and pass off the growing, dangerous divisions as someone else’s problem to solve, or we can choose to Be Fearless at a time in our modern history when our nation may need it most. To truly let urgency conquer fear with actions, words and a renewed commitment to American values we hold so dear.

The decision to ignore, overlook, brush off or to take real action is an individual one. Yet, if we work together and all take action, we can turn these despicable acts into a rallying point for change that will make our communities, families and democracy even stronger. While we each need to find our own path and make decisions based on our own experiences, some ways to take a positive step forward include:

Talk to and teach our children
Speak up when even slight injustices and less dramatic examples of hate and bigotry are on display
Use your civil society ties (church, civic organizations, etc.) to reach out to those targeted and express support, and use the power of the collective to help build a movement; take steps to have your pews and your membership ranks reflect the rich fabric of America
Encourage companies and organizations to embrace and enforce clear policies and values statements
Support those whose mission and focus seek to build bridges and break down divides, in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds
Thank and support leaders who call out injustice, hate and violence and who take bold measures to protect citizens
Seek out and embrace friends, neighbors and community members who are different from you to build genuine connections and meaningful interactions
Model kindness toward others in big and small ways

The events in Charlottesville stopped many of us in our tracks. We mourn the lives lost, pray for those injured, and hope for a balm to mend the wounds in the hearts of many Americans who felt injustice and hate. By standing together, being clear and being counted and taking individual actions, we can halt this movement and make our country and democracy even stronger. At the Case Foundation, we’ve always believed that small actions, when taken together, can do powerful things. I look forward to standing side-by-side with the millions of other Americans who are using their voice and taking action to ensure our country remains a beacon of hope now and for future generations.

Adventures in Data: Recap of our Webinar with MIE and CASE

Posted on August 15, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

As Impact Investing continues to scale, data is becoming even more critical to meet the rising demand for better measurements and frameworks. That’s why I was excited to join Cathy Clark, Faculty Director of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University to discuss the Impact Investing Network Map. Together, we discussed the challenges and opportunities involved in aggregating and visualizing data.

The webinar also covered:

How impact investors can use data to meet their goals
The importance—and nuance—of transparency and disclosure across the impact investing ecosystem
How data and impact investing expertise helped create the Network Map

You can find a recording of the conversation here or watch it below.

If you’re ready to share your Impact Investing data for inclusion on the Impact Investing Network Map, you can do so by going directly to ImpactSpace and uploading your data. There, you can find a simple to use Upload Guide that will help you aggregate and submit your data directly to ImpactSpace, where it will be automatically pulled into the Network Map on a weekly basis.

SXSW 2018 PanelPicker—Cast Your Vote by August 25!

Posted on August 9, 2017August 8, 2019 by Case Foundation

Every year, the Case Foundation and our partners love to share some of our exciting work and ideas that we find compelling from the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive stage. This past March, we celebrated the Case Foundation’s 20^th anniversary at SXSW by hosting the #GetInTheArena lounge and presenting on four panels. We got to talk about Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Impact Investing, millennial engagement, social good and the important role citizens play in science in the 21^st century. We worked with incredible speakers and learned invaluable lessons on innovation across movements.

This year, we submitted 14 panel ideas for the SXSW PanelPicker that discuss topics like diversity in entrepreneurship, women in Impact Investing, millennial engagement, open source technology, business journalism, user generated content, digital analytics and more.

We need your help getting them to SXSW 2018. Below you’ll find out about each panel and how you can vote for them. In addition to casting your vote, you can help these important topics be part of the discussion at SXSW by spreading the word with the social messages below and encouraging your friends and networks to vote as well.

See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting ends on August 25th!

Under Her Eye: Women Are Our Future

Women—nearly 4 billion strong—are our business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, global leaders, journalists, scientists, philanthropists and CEOs making their mark on the world today. Women multiply the impact of an investment made in them by building businesses that outperform, creating better lives for their family and cultivating strong communities. Explore why women are vital to long-term business and community success and meet dynamic female leaders championing other women.

Speakers

Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President of Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Jennifer Stybel, Executive Director, Rent the Runway Foundation
Cindy Whitehead, Founder & CEO, The Pink Ceiling
Stephanie Lampkin, Founder & CEO, Blendoor

Vote Here

Tweet this: Why are women vital to long-term business success? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2wqwcSP

Gen Unaware: Can Millennials Invest for Impact?

The next generation of investors are bringing increased attention to the world of sustainable and impactful investing. As more investors and consumers put real focus on how companies stack up on environmental, social and governance criteria, these factors influence markets, and by extension, business. Learn new strategies that can turn you into an impact investor today.

Speakers

Rehana Nathoo, Vice President, Case Foundation
Jennifer Pryce, President and CEO, Calvert Social Investment Foundation
Dave Fanger, Founder and CEO, Swell Investing
Megan Hryndza, Founder & CEO, Mighty Deposits

Vote Here

Tweet this: Interested in learning about how Millennials can invest for impact? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vGwBlQ

Building a More Inclusive Startup Culture

Leading women in tech continue to speak out about injustices in working with tech executives and investors, but gender and racial imbalances remain. Meanwhile, Paris, London and other European cities are pouring money into innovative startups. This panel will explore how government, big tech and investors can help build a more inclusive and innovative startup ecosystem. The panelists will also discuss getting past the unconscious biases of VCs that tend to invest in founders who resemble them.

Speakers

Kenya Wiley, Founder and CEO, Fashion Innovation Alliance
Janett Martinez, CEO, LOOMIA
Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President, Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Erik Moe, Artist and Writer, Erik Moe Creative

Vote Here

Tweet this: I’m hoping to discuss how to increase diversity in the startup world at #SXSW2018. Vote for my panel here: https://bit.ly/2vj28Zb

Get in the Arena: Fearless Changemakers Tell All

Meet the leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs who drive and inspire us to change the world. From igniting civic engagement, to creating sustainable oceans, and leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs of color, these social impact champions are catalyzing efforts to create transformative change. Join the Case Foundation as they explore the breakthrough organizations and individuals who are taking bold risks, and failing forward in order to produce exponential social returns.

Speakers

Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President of Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Derrick Feldman, President, Achieve
Daniela Fernandez, Founder & CEO, Sustainable Oceans Alliance
Adam Foss, Fmr. Assistant District Attorney, Prosecutor Impact

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how social impact champions are living our #BeFearless principles? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel https://bit.ly/2vdyJkG

The Overlooked Future of Entrepreneurship: Latinx

The Latinx community accounts for more than half of the population growth in the US, but Latinx entrepreneurs represent less than two percent of venture-backed companies. Hear from Latinx entrepreneurs and the investors who back them to understand who they are, what they’re building and why investors should be paying attention to this important group of entrepreneurs.

Speakers

Sarah Koch, VP, Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Dyan Gibbens, President, Trumbull Unmanned
Kristen Sonday, Co-Founder, Paladin
Carolina Huaranca, Principal, Kapor Capital

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to hear about the future of Latinx entrepreneurship at #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here: https://bit.ly/2vfMtJV

Creating a Movement through User Generated Content

User Generated Content (UGC) has quickly become a valuable form of marketing, and today’s rich analytics environment means we have more information than ever about how people are reacting to brands and using different platforms. But creating a campaign that leverages UGC across multiple channels—playing to each of their strengths—remains a challenge for many marketers. Join Nat Geo, ONE Campaign, NBCU and the Case Foundation to see how they are creating cross-platform campaigns centered on UGC.

Speakers

Jessica Zetzman, Director of Digital Communications and Marketing, Case Foundation
Monique Carswell, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Comcast NBCUniversal
Kate Coughlin, Director, Audience Development , National Geographic Partners
Meagan Bond, Creative Director, ONE Campaign

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to create a movement w/ user generated content @ #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here https://bit.ly/2vdxO3t

Women and Wealth: The Drivers of Impact Investing

With news of the $41 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer, there’s a real opportunity to change the face of social impact. Wealthy women are taking over familial decision making, armed with a view of the world that blends profit and purpose. Young millennial women are also making waves to disrupt traditional structures and try their own hand at changing the world. This panel will examine the role women will play to truly tip the Impact Investing movement.

Speakers

Rehana Nathoo, Vice President , Case Foundation
Jackie VanderBrug, Managing Director, U.S. Trust
Kesha Cash, General Partner, Impact America Fund
Anna Marie Wascher, Founder, Flat World Partners

Vote Here

Tweet this: How are women driving Impact Investing? Help @CaseFoundation discuss at #SXSW2018 by voting for this panel on #ImpInv https://bit.ly/2wnK002

No Margin, No Mission: Building Social Enterprises

Social enterprise is not always not-for-profit and having a great idea is not enough to create a sustainable impact venture. Generating revenue via sales or fundraising is critical to the sustainability of social enterprises. Learn from experts on how to weave mission throughout the fabric of impact ventures, while transforming idea into viable businesses. Join Halcyon for this session to see how we do it!

Speakers

Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President for Social Innovation, Case Foundation
William Eggers, Executive Director, Center for Government Insights, Deloitte
Melissa Bradley, Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
Ryan Ross, Program Director, Halcyon Incubator, Halcyon

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how a for-profit startup can be a high-impact social enterprise? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel: https://bit.ly/2vgqfZV

Build It & They’ll Come! Data Viz for the Dataless

Data visualizations are a great way to communicate a complex subject or issue, but how can you leverage this powerful storytelling tool with imperfect data? By being fearless! Using the Case Foundation’s Impact Investing Network Map as a case study, we’ll dig in with data science & impact investing experts to discuss leveraging available resources & creative problem solving to build a useful data visualization platform, while creating conditions and infrastructure to meet your eventual objective

Speakers

Sheila Herrling, SVP, Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Cathy Clark, Director, CASE i3 Initiative on Impact Investing, CASE at Duke University, Fuqua School of Business
Rayid Ghani, Director, Center for Data Science and Public Policy, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago

Vote Here

Tweet this: How does the Network Map leverage data visualization with imperfect data? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2fqyAoy

The $1 Million Club

Fewer than twenty African American woman have raised more than a million dollars in venture capital. What’s going on here? Meet some of those women and the investors who back them. Learn why they are building the next breakthrough businesses that will change America.

Speakers

Sarah Koch, VP, Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Kathryn Finney, Founder/CEO, digitalundivided
Cheryl Contee, Co-Founder, Fission Strategy and Attentive.ly
Kellee James, Founder, Mercaris

Vote Here

Tweet this: <20 African American women have raised over $1M in VC. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss the issue https://bit.ly/2ujOo2I

Improving Digital Communications Through Analytics

In the fast moving world of digital communications, it can be hard to find the time to step back and evaluate what is working, what is not, and where there is room to innovate—but doing so has never been more critical. In this hands on workshop, take some time to learn how to build an internal Analytics, SEO and KPI’s (ASK) team, set up regular, smart digital experiments and report them out to senior staff in a way that is relevant, interesting and actionable.

Speakers

Jessica Zetzman, Director of Digital Communications and Marketing, Case Foundation
John Jones, VP of Interactive Strategies, Case Foundation

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to step up your digital comms & analytics game @ #SXSW2018? Vote for this panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vd8muR

Next Frontier in Philanthropy: Open Source

As technology continues to be a pivotal element of social-change oriented activities, it is imperative that these efforts have access and tools to use open source software. Leaders from both the nonprofit and technology sectors explain why recognizing open source contributions made by individuals and organizations as a new form of philanthropy is crucial to the future of both sectors. This includes well-established projects but it also increasingly includes purpose-built technologies.

Speakers

John Jones, Vice President of Interactive Strategies, Case Foundation
Dave Hollander, Data Scientist, Foundation Center
Andrew Means, Co-founder, The Impact Lab
Daniel Doubrovkine, CTO, Artsy

Vote Here

Tweet this: #OpenSource is the next trend in philanthropy. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss how the 2 come together https://bit.ly/2uAeKJ5

Millennial Activism in the Trump Presidency

On Saturday, Jan 21, 2017 we witnessed a massive shift in social issue engagement. Millennials took to the streets with an energy, never before seen for this generation. Petitions began to drive online voice to real-life action, showing Millennials what issues affect them, how to contact reps and where to meet for protests. But what does all of this energy add up to? What do Millennials really care about and what action are they taking? Join a discussion on the research tackling these questions.

Speakers

Sean Tennerson, Program Officer, Case Foundation
Derrick Feldmann, President, Achieve Agency
Clare Kenny, Campaigns Manager, GLAAD
Abdi Soltani, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union or Northern California

Vote Here

Tweet this: How did the 2016 election affect Millennial activism? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will look at the research https://bit.ly/2hDq0Dr

Covering America: Journalists Challenging the Business

Journalists are conquering stereotypes and busting myths everyday through their digital, online and print platforms. Meanwhile, newsrooms are taking increased steps to cover diverse audiences and the changing demographics of business in America. The Case Foundation leads the conversation on how news agencies are sharing stories that shatter the status quo. Seasoned journalists share how they are covering communities of color, inclusive networks and entrepreneurs who are the new faces of business.

Speakers

Jade Floyd, Vice President of Communications, Case Foundation
Esha Chhabra, Freelance Journalist
Shadi Rahimi, Senior Producer, AJ+
Megan Rose Dickey , Reporter, Tech Crunch

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The Technology Powering the Impact Investing Network Map

Posted on August 8, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

The Case Foundation has worked over the last two years with data partners ImpactSpace and Crunchbase to develop the Impact Investing Network Map, an interactive tool showcasing the publicly available transactions between companies and investors within Impact Investing. We believe that by bringing the connections between actors to life—looking specifically at the investments that connect them—we can foster a better understanding of the size, breadth, depth, and, importantly, the enormous potential of this field.

Data visualization, the process of using graphics to express a dataset in an easily digestible format, drove the development of the Network Map. But not all data visualizations are created equally. From the beginning, we were cognizant that visualizing that much data in a helpful, easy to use way would be a large technological undertaking. When considering ways to showcase the relationships that make up the Impact Investing ecosystem, we pretty quickly determined that the functionality and design of a network graph—a type of visualization that illustrates points of data and their connections—would provide the best solution to conveying the incredibly complex relationship data we were working with. In our case, the points of data are companies and investors, and the connections are transactions. Choosing the right tools to help us visualize this data would be fundamental to the end product’s success. Tapping the knowledge of the team at Creative Science Labs, we decided that using Sigma.js, a JavaScript library dedicated to graph drawing, to display the map would give us the greatest level of performance. It would allow us to draw the many thousands of companies and investors in our dataset simultaneously without need for paging or artificial limiting of users’ search results.

But choosing the visualization library to build the Network Map in wasn’t our only technological roadblock. We know that we’re living in an increasingly mobile world, and in order to create a tool that would truly meet the needs of users, we needed to ensure it was mobile-first. To address the complications of a data visualization map on a mobile device, we chose to go with a table format to display relationships without sacrificing the richness of the data. This permits mobile users to explore the data of the map in a way best suited to the mobile experience where there is no mouse to provide the fine-point selection ability required by a network graph visualization.

Over two years of designing, coding, tweaking, testing and debugging, these technological bones have allowed us to build not only a beautiful tool, but one with incredible functionality and scalability that will allow it to grow with the Impact Investing sector as it advances. We have partnered with ImpactSpace and CrunchBase to utilize their API to pull in the data that we visualize, and in June of this year, launched the Beta version of the Impact Investing Network Map.

With the platform up and running, we’re excited to see how this technology is able to help the Impact Investing ecosystem come to life. However, we know that the network visualization needs more data to paint a more complete picture of the true scale of the Impact Investing ecosystem. That’s why we launched our #ShareYourData campaign, to encourage more actors to submit their data and join us in this effort. This presented us with the opportunity to learn about our potential users, how they interact with the Network Map, and what features they need for the Network Map to suit their needs.

As we embark on this data campaign, we are taking advantage of these early interactions with the Network Map to poll users and perform targeted analysis to better understand users’ experiences interacting with the Network Map. Through targeted questions, our goal is to understand with whom this tool primarily resonates and what additional features or changes they do—or do not—value. Our team actively gathers data on a weekly basis about engagement and session activities to identify pain points, and the team uses that data to guide the discussion on how to improve the tool. We’re learning an incredible amount from this and hoping that this early interaction with the Network Map helps actors in the Impact Investing sector to see the value of sharing their data publicly.

But we’re not done refining the tool yet. Like with any technology product, we know that learning from our users and improving functionality will be critical to the Network Map’s ultimate success.

Our next step is to engage in active user testing: we will work with a select group of individuals to perform a set of actions in the Network Map and provide specific feedback on their experiences performing those tasks and what could improve those experiences. Our team will use that information to build a potential roadmap for future iterations of the Network Map.

Does that sound like something you’d like to be involved with?

Great! We need your help.

If you are interested in becoming a Network Map tester, sign up at casefoundation.org//networkmap. You will be contacted in the coming weeks with further details on the testing program.

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