SXSW 2020 PanelPicker – Cast Your Vote by August 23!

Posted on August 8, 2019August 20, 2019 by Case Foundation

Each year, the Case Foundation looks forward to discussing exciting ideas from changemakers across the country at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive stage. This past March, we joined in the conversation at SXSW with a packed room for an author talk from our CEO Jean Case on her new book Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose, and led sessions on building more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping founders—particularly women and founders of color—learn to tell their stories.

This year, we submitted a number of ideas for the SXSW PanelPicker to allow for discussion around critical topics like the importance of fostering diversity in entrepreneurship, millennial engagement and providing an opportunity to shine a light on social movement and philanthropy leaders who often do not get the chance to tell their stories.

We need your help to get these panels to SXSW 2020. Below, you can learn more about the panels we submitted and how you can cast your vote for them. Not registered for SXSW 2020 yet? That’s okay! You don’t need to register to attend SXSW to vote. To vote, all you have to do is sign into, or create, a PanelPicker account. In addition to casting your vote, we would appreciate your help in elevating the conversation around these important topics by spreading the word on your social media accounts and encouraging your friends to participate in the voting process.

See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting closes on August 23rd!

Unicorns of Color: Where are they?

Everyone is searching for this year’s unicorns, startups that are valued over $1 billion. While they come from a wide range of industries, unicorns are overwhelmingly founded by white men. So, where are the unicorns of color? How can we break down the barriers that hold back founders of color from finding this kind of success? Unicorns of color shouldn’t be so rare. Join representatives from venture capital firms and ecosystem builders that focus on finding these future unicorns and igniting pathways to capital.

Speakers:

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Renee Wittemyer, Sr Lead for Tech Innovation, Pivotal Ventures
Kathryn Finney, CEO, digitalundivided

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Where are the unicorns of color & how can we break down the barriers that hold back founders of color from finding this kind of success? @sarahtkoch @reneewittemyer & @KathrynFinney want to bring this discussion to SXSW. Vote for it now! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103019

Female Founders Breaking out of the Beauty Aisle

Female-founded companies receive only 2.2 percent of VC funding, and it’s even worse for those starting gender-neutral businesses. Many famous female-led unicorns from 2018 and 2019 were companies like Glossier, Rent the Runway and Third Love, all of which cater mostly to women. Crunchbase found gender-neutral businesses get 54 percent less funding than female-founded businesses that are female-focused. In a discussion moderated by Sarah Koch of the Case Foundation, Renee Wittemyer of Pivotal Ventures, Kristen Sonday of Paladin, and Sky Kelley of Avisare explore how women can find big success in building businesses outside of traditionally female-focused fields.

Speakers:

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Sky Kelley, CEO/Founder, Avisare
Renee Wittemyer, Sr. Lead for Tech Innovation, Pivotal Ventures
Kristen Sonday, Co-Founder, Paladin

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Gender-neutral businesses get 54% less funding than female-founded businesses that are female-focused. Vote for @sarahtkoch @reneewittemyer @SkyKelley1 & @kristensonday’s SXSW panel on female founders breaking out of the beauty aisle. https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103017

Millennials: The New Philanthropy Champions

10 years of research on the Millennial Generation from the Case Foundation has shown that Millennials are changing the way change is made. Millennials are more likely to give than generations before them, even with lower earnings and student debt. And with young Americans poised to inherit an estimated $30 trillion of wealth from baby boomers over the next 30 years, it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ they start to change how they think about philanthropy and investing. Already we see young philanthropists and investors trying new ways of giving and making a social impact through day-to-day interactions and where they divert their resources. Learn how Millennials are changing the social impact sector and why your organization can’t afford to ignore this cohort, 80 million strong.

Speakers:

Jessica Zetzman, VP of Marketing and Communications, The Case Foundation
Steph Stephenson, Cordes Foundation
Derrick Feldmann, Ad Council/Cause and Social Influence Summit
Rachel Gerrol, Nexus Global

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Millennials are changing the how change is made & orgs can’t afford to ignore this cohort (80 million strong!). Uplift this conversation at SXSW by voting for a panel featuring @_stephxsteph, @derrickfeldmann, @RachelGerrol & @ActuallyJZ! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/104412

It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur

It takes a village to raise an entrepreneur. When there are so many different actors within an entrepreneurship ecosystem, what is the best way to work together to create opportunities and wealth for an entire community? Unlikely allies have joined together in cities like Minneapolis, Cleveland and Kansas City to create networks, move capital and expand inclusive ecosystems. Investors, accelerators and foundations are finding their unique roles in their cities to create conditions for success for their entrepreneurs. Learn from the Case Foundation, Jumpstart, Center for Economic Inclusion and the Kauffman Foundation about their efforts to support ecosystems that will support entrepreneurs who live all across the country.

Speakers:

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Cathy Belk, President, JumpStart Inc
Tawanna Black, Founder & CEO, Center for Economic Inclusion
Andy Stoll, Senior Program Officer, The Kauffman Foundation

Vote Here

Tweet your support: It takes a village to raise an entrepreneur. @sarahtkoch, @CathyBelk, @TawannaABlack & @andystoll are joining forces at #SXSW to share efforts to support ecosystems that will support entrepreneurs who live all across the country. Vote! 👇https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103192

DIY: Women Starting their own VC Funds

It’s well known that female founders face discrimination raising venture capital funding (raising only 2.2 percent of all VC funding in 2018). What’s worse, only 8 percent of the top 100 venture capital firms have women partners. Women are choosing to break out of firms that are male-dominated and start raising their own funds, so they have power. When more women are on the other side of the table, yielding the power and influence, more female-founders will get their shot. However, female venture capitalists face tremendous obstacles when starting their own funds. Sutian Dong and Kimmy Paluch discuss their experience raising money and offer insight to those looking to jump into the arena; moderated by Sarah Koch from the Case Foundation.

Speakers:

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Sutian Dong, Co-founder, Global Women in VC Directory
Kimmy Paluch, Managing Partner, Beta Boom

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Female VCs face tremendous obstacles when starting their own funds. On this proposed #SXSW panel, @sutiandong & @kimmypaluch share their experience raising money and offer insight to those looking to jump into the arena. Vote plz! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103673

Do This, Not That: How to Tell Your Startup Story

Take a deep dive during this interactive panel on how to tell your startup story and shine in front of reporters. Three seasoned journalists and experts in storytelling will share their tips for what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to prepare for interviews both on-air and in person, fatal flaws to avoid when speaking with reporters and how to build effective relationships with media outlets. At the conclusion of the session, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real-time. Come to this session with your media pitch in hand.

Speakers:

Jade Floyd, VP of Communications, The Case Foundation
Kate Clark, Reporter, TechCrunch
Morgan Clendaniel, Senior Editor, Fast Company

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Interested in learning tips and tricks to successfully tell your #startup story and shine in front of reporters? Vote on #PanelPicker for this interactive #SXSW panel featuring @KateClarkTweets, @MClendaniel & @JadeFloydDC! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102490

Movement Makers: How Movements Drive Social Change

What makes a social movement? Successful movements are citizen-centered and formed from the grassroots up. Philanthropy has an important role to play in driving social change through movement building. These organizations breakthrough, capturing the interest and action of the masses. Learn how they inspire, educate and activate people to action – from social citizens who penned and passed 27 pieces of legislation for sexual assault survivors, to a public health organization that has reduced teen smoking to single digits and national group of coastal defenders who transform their passion to protect our oceans. Meet the movement makers.

Speakers:

Eric Asche, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Truth Initiative
Chad Nelson, CEO, Surfrider Foundation
Amanda Nguyen, CEO and Founder of Rise
Jessica Zetzman, VP of Marketing and Communications, The Case Foundation

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Movement makers inspire, educate and activate people to action and @nguyen_amanda, @chadenelsen, @easche & @ActuallyJZ want to highlight them at #SXSW. Vote for their panel on #PanelPicker here! 👇https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102610

The Million Dollar Club is Getting Less White

Why should the startup world care about what we call, the Million Dollar Club? Well, the median seed round raised by companies is approximately $600,000, so $1 million raised would indicate the startup has been able to raise additional funding after their seed round. Harlem Capital found 117 founders of color that raised over $1 million and Digitalundivided’s research found 34 Black women founders raised over $1 million in 2017—up from only 12 in 2015. That number continues to grow. By the end of 2017, 58 Latinx Women have raised over $1 million in venture funding. Hear from founders of color that accomplished this great achievement, how they did it and how we can support other founders to raise over $1 million in capital.

Speakers:

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Carolyn Rodz, Co-founder, Hello Alice
Sky Kelley, Founder & CEO, Avisare

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Interested in a #SXSW panel featuring founders of color who made it into the Million Dollar Club? Vote here on #PanelPicker to get @carolynrodz & @SkyKelley1 on the stage for a discussion moderated by @sarahtkoch! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102199

When Women Hold the Wealth

Women are set to inherit $41 trillion of wealth over the next 40 years, and they are emerging as a driving force as investors, entrepreneurs and leaders of the impact investing movement. Women have also demonstrated that they often make purchasing decisions based on their personal values. So what happens when women hold the pocketbook? This panel will explore how leading female venture capitalists, female founders and investors are taking the reins in a male-dominated world.

Speakers:

Jean Case of The Case Foundation in conversation with other investors.

Vote Here

Tweet your support: Vote for this #SXSW panel on #PanelPicker that will explore how leading female venture capitalists, female founders and investors are taking the reins in a male-dominated world! @JeanCase, CEO of @CaseFoundation will lead the discussion: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103693

No, Millennials Aren’t Ruining Everything

Even though headlines say Millennials are ruining the housing market, brick and mortar stores, and even marriage, Millennials have actually wielded their influence for social good over the past decade. During the past 10 years, the Case Foundation researched how Millennials interact with the world around them, seeking out possibilities across all aspects of their lives, pushing social movements forward and disrupting antiquated practices.

Speakers:

Matrika Bailey-Turner, Director of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
Steven Olikara, Founder & President, Millennial Action Project
Derrick Feldmann, Managing Director, Principle Researcher, Cause and Social Influence
Jessica Clancy, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal

Vote Here

Tweet your support: No, millennials aren’t ruining everything. In fact, research says the opposite. Help bring this important conversation to the stage by voting for a #SXSW panel featuring @StevenOlikara, @derrickfeldmann, @jsultzer, & @MatrikaBT! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102562

Every year, we are impressed with the conversations we are able to have at SXSW and the way we leave inspired to continue to make an impact. With your help, we will be able to ensure that these important topics are front and center at SXSW 2020 and that we use every possible tool in the toolbox to drive these important conversations forward.

Stephanie Cordes of the Cordes Foundation Shares How She’s Making Fashion More Ethical and Sustainable

Posted on October 9, 2018December 5, 2018 by Case Foundation

This interview is the fifth of nine in a series of Q and A’s with leading changemakers, representing the Millennial generation who are working across sectors to be the force for change on the issues they care about most.

Tell as a little bit about yourself and your work 

From a young age I was naturally attracted to the design, creativity and intentionality in art that the fashion industry embodied. Therefore, it came as no surprise to my parents when I decided to chase my dreams to New York City for internships with high-end designers and magazines throughout college. After these experiences, I ultimately pursued a full-time position at Conde Nast where I further delved into the world of luxury advertising and marketing. During this time, I also started learning more about the “not so glamorous” side of fashion, the side that is often kept hidden behind the beautiful pages of each issue. When I learned that this massive $2.5T industry that I had grown to love was rarely paying its garment workers enough to live on—while also forcing them to work long hours in unsafe working conditions—I became motivated to take action. Shortly thereafter I started working alongside my parents at our family’s foundation, the Cordes Foundation, where we began channeling our combined talents and passions towards making the fashion industry more ethical and sustainable. With my mom’s passion for providing economic opportunities to women and my dad’s passion for equipping the next generation of social entrepreneurs, we were naturally able to integrate my background in fashion to collectively support female-led companies and organizations that were using fashion as a positive force for social change. 

What problem keeps you up at night? What do you think it will take to solve it? 

The fact that we, as Americans, dispose around 12.8M tons of textiles annually is just crazy to me! On average that would amount to 80 lbs. per every woman, man and child in the US! Along with being horrible for the environment of course, it’s also a largely untapped market opportunity given that 95% of used textiles can be recycled. Luckily, we are seeing a rise in the circular economy with the emergence of companies like Evrnu, Worn Again, The Renewal Workshop and others who are creating innovative models to recycle clothing.

With technology, the barriers to understanding major issues have continued to come down—how do you think that has influenced the way you and others decide to act on major issues like improving ethics in the fashion industry?

A major turning point for the industry was the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse that tragically took the lives of 1,100 garment workers in Bangladesh. This was not only a huge wakeup call to brands but also made consumers all over the world start to question the factory conditions in which their clothing was being produced. This formed a global movement called Fashion Revolution which encourages everyone to take action via social media by asking our favorite brands #whomademyclothes. Through asking this simple question, we are calling for greater transparency, accountability and ethics in the fashion industry.

Why do you think it’s important to meet young people where they are to use their resources to address social issues, for example, through Impact Investing?

Every young person has their own unique set of resources, a personal toolkit if you will, that is built over one’s lifetime. It is by understanding and unleashing the various forms of capital in these toolkits that they are better able to identify how they individually want to address social issues. Whether they want to use their social capital to influence and galvanize people around a specific topic or their intellectual capital to share knowledge and facts about a particular issue or their experiential capital acquired through learning-by-doing, there’s a path for everyone. In the case of impact investing, it’s important to meet young people where they are at given that everyone is at a different stage and comfortability level in their journey. For someone that is brand new, a common first step would be to apply a negative screening on their portfolio to remove companies involved in weapons, gambling, tobacco, etc. For someone that is more advanced, they might go one step further and start seeking out companies that have high ESG (environmental, social, governance) ratings. Beyond the public portfolio, an individual can go even deeper by investing directly in social enterprises that align with their personal mission and values. 

What have been some of your biggest challenges?

Deciding where to focus my time! We are constantly hearing about so many amazing initiatives, organizations, conferences and communities—all of which sound incredible—that initially I wanted to be involved in everything. Realizing there are only so many hours in a day, it’s been challenging to scale back certain commitments but ultimately, I feel I’m able to make more of an impact when I can focus on a few core projects rather than trying to do everything at once.

What has been your favorite success story?

One story that comes top of mind particularly as of recently is that of Kennedy and Jess Odede and their organization SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities). We met Kennedy when he was a 2010 Cordes Fellow at the OC (Opportunity Collaboration) and were blown away by his personal story of growing up in the Kibera slum and starting SHOFCO as a teenager with 20 cents and a soccer ball in 2004. It was in 2007 that he was joined by Jess, an American study abroad student at the time, and together they built up the organization and eventually got married. Over the years our team has been proud to support their work and see their impactful programs on the ground in Kibera 3 threetimes. It’s been impressive to watch them grow from a small grassroots organization with one site to an internationally recognized NGO with six sights reaching more than 220,000 Kenyans. The icing on the cake was hearing that just last week they won the $2 million Hilton Humanitarian Prize!

Who are some fellow next generation leaders you admire? 

Sharing a mutual passion for ethical fashion and women’s rights, I’ve come to admire Emma Watson and the leadership role she has taken around these issues. I’m inspired by the way she leverages her platform and influence as a successful actress to advocate for causes that she cares about. She always comes across as thoughtful, articulate and bold when discussing complex topics and ways in which she wants to create change in the world.   

Another strong female next gen leader that I admire is Gwen Floyd, Co-Founder of the ethical jewelry company Soko. After selling her first company, she combined her background in architecture with her passion for sustainable fashion to create a brand that currently employs a network of 3,000+ artisans in Kenya. Soko has become a close partner of our foundation and it’s been amazing to watch them grow and gain traction with large retailers such as Nordstrom, Reformation and Urban Outfitters. 

What is one thing you think everyone should know about your generation? 

We tend to value experiences over possessions. While I can’t speak for my entire generation, I consider myself part of the vast majority that often prefer spending money on meaningful experiences rather than material things. As the rise in the sharing economy skyrockets and we continue to see a shift away from the traditional ownership model, we are beginning to reevaluate what we consider “necessities”. What were once key indicators of security—i.e. homes, cars, offices, etc.—are quickly changing as more and more people become digital nomads and have the ability to bring their work with them while they travel. Our generation is more inclined to choose jobs and opportunities where we know we will learn and grow by experience rather than taking it for salary alone. Personally, I see the importance of traveling and having a diverse set of experiences as it has given me a broader perspective on the world and has positively influenced my professional work. Through study abroad programs, backpacking, international volunteer work, gap years, etc. we gain so much more practical knowledge than a textbook could ever provide. This circles back to the fact that our generation is investing our time, money and talent differently than any before.   

What’s next for you? What are some of your dreams and goals? 

Married life! My fiancé and I got engaged earlier this summer so amidst wedding planning, there are lots of new and exciting things in store for 2019. When we eventually have children, my goal would be to raise them in a way where they are continuously exposed to different cultures, languages, people and places so that they grow up learning the importance of diversity, inclusion and global connection.

How can people interested in your cause learn more? 

They can check out our  Cordes Foundation website and follow @cordesfdn on social media to learn more about all of our amazing grantee and investment partners! My personal website and Instagram @sncordes share more ethical fashion tips and pictures from our travels!

We will be featuring interviews from each of the leaders representing the Millennial generation on key movements and issues today who participated in our recent 10-day Instagram takeover. Stay tuned for the rest of this series and see their stories as part of an infographic detailing ten key traits about how Millennials engage with causes, based on our ten years of research, here.

15 Impact Investing Podcasts To Explore

Posted on August 6, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

The past decade of growth in the Impact Investing movement has been impressive. More investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, foundations and nonprofits are investing with the intention of generating both financial and social return than ever before. As the field has expanded, we’ve built a series of tools like the Short Guide to Impact Investing and the 10-year Interactive Timeline to provide information, learnings and insights to those inside the movement as well as those looking to “stick their toe” into Impact Investing.

And others have joined us, with many taking to podcasts to give investors a window into the ins and outs of Impact Investing by showcasing conversations with professionals and leaders in the field. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorites:

Stanford Social Innovation Review Podcast features lectures and talks by leaders in the social change movement. These leaders come from all places and walks of life, but they have one thing in common: they are dedicated to using their businesses and crafts to make a social impact. By telling their own stories, these leaders are able to inspire the listeners to embark on a social impact journey of their own.

Beyond Reports is a monthly podcast that discusses the latest news in the world of sustainability. It features interviews with experts such as Amanda Feldman, Director of the Impact Management Project and Caroline Rees, President of Shift, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This podcast will bring you the latest on global sustainability from experts in the GRI global community.

Returns on Investment is a podcast from ImpactAlpha. The brief episodes give you the opportunity to quickly learn from leading impact investors. The short tid-bits are a perfect coffee break activity if you’re looking to delve into Impact Investing. The episodes are light, conversational and put things in layman’s terms so anyone can listen in and learn something new.

Next Economy Now, produced by impact consulting firm LIFT Economy, the podcast features pioneering individuals and leaders who are working to use business as a force for good. Highlighting people such as Rose Marcario of Patagonia, John Fullerton of Capital Institute, and Rha Goddess of Move the Crowd, this podcast interviews leaders in a conversational atmosphere that gives them a platform to present how they are working to make a change and how you too can get involved in Impact Investing.

Investing in Impact is a short podcast series produced by The Fletcher Social Investment Group, a student-run organization committed to the study and practice of Impact Investing This group gives students and young entrepreneurs advisory services and information that makes Impact Investing accessible to them. This podcast is an extension of those services that dives deep into the practices of their featured guests, which include investors, organizations, and beneficiaries. Some of these guests include Yigal Kerszenbaum, Senior Program Associate for PRI of The Rockefeller Foundation and Mitchell Strauss, the Special Advisor for Socially Responsible Investment Finance.

The Impact Investing Podcast includes interviews and conversations with leaders in the Impact Investing movement to help build a community of new investors. By interviewing leaders in Impact Investing, it gives listeners an idea of how to begin and how to delve into socially responsible investing themselves. This podcast takes the larger idea of Impact Investing and boils it down to accessible and understandable information for listeners.

The SRIESG Podcast features relatively short episodes that give how-tos on the ins and outs of Impact Investing and socially responsible investing. The host, Bill Holliday, candidly and casually speaks about how you can make an impact in the world with your capital. Holliday highlights a range of topics that make it easy for readers to find their interest area.

Impact on Record is hosted by three Yale students who are interested in educating the public, and especially young adults, about Impact Investing. When encountered with confusion from their peers, Kodjo Adovor, Jenny Chan, and Kristina Whyte created Impact on Record in order to bring Impact Investing to the mainstream. The podcast features interviews with experts in the field who go through the logistics of Impact Investing and make it easy for listeners to learn how they can get involved.

Social Entrepreneur Podcast is hosted former Fortune 500 executive Tony Loyd. He invites changemakers on the show to spotlight individuals who are investing in impactful causes through their own businesses. He makes a point to invite underrepresented voices on the podcast in order to make Impact Investing accessible to everyone. The podcasts consists of cheerful and lively conversations with small business owners that give people a thorough idea of how they can get into Impact Investing. Some of these changemakers include Alicia Wallace of All Across Africa, Junita Flowers of Junita’s Jar, and Aine Mulloy of GirlCrew.

More Than Money focuses on how people can use their conscience to guide their investing. Host Dawn Carpenter created the podcast in order to bring her doctoral research on the responsibilities of wealth to the public. The podcast encourages listeners to use their ethics and values in order to inform investments. Carpenter presents Impact Investing as an alternative approach to asset management through interviews with leading impact investors.

Financing Social Entrepreneurs is a weekly podcast that interviews social innovation leaders like grant providers, impact investors, foundations and even independent individuals. These people share their backgrounds, how they got into their business, their successes, and failures. All this information gives the listener a well rounded image of what Impact Investing looks like, as well as how they can get involved.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business hosts a series of podcasts that present the idea of responsible investing that creates a social impact. The different podcasts come together to give the listener a well rounded image of the world of Impact Investing, featuring leaders from the Gates Foundation, the Wharton Social Impact Initiatives and more Impact Investing Leaders. The lively conversations emphasize the importance of using business and investing as a source for good.

Money + Meaning is a new podcast launched by SOCAP hosted by their own Linsday Smalling and Liz Maxwell. This podcast aims to widen the conversation around Impact Investing and the strategies to stimulating social change through finance and partnerships. They come out with new episodes each week filled with relevant and up to date information on Impact Investing today.

The CDC Podcast launched by Development Finance and the CDC, UK’s development finance institution, brings you discussions on the role of development finance firms in the fight against poverty. The podcasts features experts such as Philippe Le Houerou, the CEO of International Finance Corporation and Sir Suma Chakrabarti, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The Bottom Line, hosted by Drucker Institute’s Rick Wartzman, highlights companies that are advancing social progress. The podcast features conversations with top executives who give insights as to how their companies are fighting against the world’s most pressing problems. Some of these experts include Deloitte Consulting’s U.S. Human Capital leader Erica Volina, as well as Tim O’Reilly, CEO of O’Reilly Media. The conversations with leading changemakers in the world of business will give you the foundation you need to dive headfirst into the Impact Investing world.

We hope these podcasts will help you learn how you can change the the world and invest with impact. Check out our Impact Investing page for more information on the field and to learn how people are joining the movement. Have any other Impact Investing podcasts you think we should keep on our radar? Tweet us @CaseFoundation.

Lisa Hall, Senior Fellow at both the Case Foundation and the Beeck Center, and Monica Pizzo, an intern at the Case Foundation, contributed to this article.

35 Impact Investing Conferences to Explore

Posted on June 21, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

At the Case Foundation, we hit the road each year to spread the word about Impact Investing movement. We also look to learn about the latest thinking in Impact Investing and work alongside all those who are expanding the world of investors looking for both a financial and social return. Along the way, we are continuously reminded of the impressive global community of impact investors who are dedicated to sharing their discoveries, failures and best practices, and we find these experiences invaluable for our work.

Interested in learning more about Impact Investing? Want to brush up on new opportunities and the latest thinking? Our team has pulled together a list of some of our favorite annual conferences and events where Impact Investing is on the agenda or is a favorite gathering place for those who are committed to investing for impact.

Check out this list of the 35 Impact Investing Conferences to Watch in the coming year and beyond.

Vatican Impact Investing Conference, July 8 – 11, 2018, Rome – Hosted by Catholic Relief Services and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Impact Investing experts and Catholic leaders from around the world will convene in Rome to share and evaluate blended finance models and investible vehicles to address systemic challenges of great importance to both the Catholic Church and the global community. These challenges include: Climate Change, Health, Migrants and Refugees, and Youth Unemployment.
The Impact Conference at Sustainatopia, July 17-21, 2018, Moscow – This conference gathers leading Global Impact + SRI investors, funds, social entrepreneurs, foundations, nonprofits, B Corporations and policy makers. Attendees from more than 60 countries share their best practices from a global ecosystem of social, financial and environmental sustainability.

Impact Capitalism Summit Nantucket, July 18-19, 2018, Nantucket – Mainstreaming impact and showcasing stewards of capitalism are this year’s themes at the Impact Capitalism Summit run by Big Path Capital in Nantucket. This year’s conference will explore how institutional investors are finding market performance returns by looking at diversity as a potential source of arbitrage.

Endowments & Finance Summit, – September 6-7th, 2018, Washington, D.C. – This summit is a forum at the nexus of philanthropy, finance, investment and policy where C-Suite foundation leaders go to explore the shifting forces in the investment landscape, gain invaluable insights on trends, strategies, and new regulations and have candid conversations about threats to business models.

North American Family Impact Investing Conference, September 26-27, 2018, San Diego – During the two days of this conference, family business, office and foundation owners and executives share experiences of Impact Investing and debate the key opportunities and challenges that they face. Meanwhile, experts in academia and industry discuss the infrastructure and how Impact Investing can be scalable.

Mashable’s Social Good Summit, September 2018, New York – Held annually during the United Nations General Assembly week, the Summit unites a lively community of global citizens and progressive thought leaders around a common theme: #2030NOW. Attendees focus on how we can unlock technology’s potential to make the world a better place. Past speakers have included Jean Case, Shazi Visram of Happy Family, Kathy Calvin of the UN Foundation, Matt Keller of XPRIZE and many more. Watch last year’s summit HERE.

Wealth Management Impact Investing Forum, September 2018, location TBD – The RIA Institute’s Wealth Management Impact Investing Forum gathers an intimate group of senior RIA, multi-family office and single-family office executives together with thought leaders and elite providers for an afternoon of discussion and debate about Impact Investing opportunities and risks for wealth managers. The forum focuses on the most critical Impact Investing trends in the individual investor industry and the specific ways in which wealth managers can incorporate these strategies into their portfolio profitably and with measurable impact.

Impact Investing Forum North, September 12-13, 2018, New York – The Impact Investing Forum North unites top influencers, both public and private experienced investors, money managers, and service providers that are leading the charge in the Impact Investing space. Defining Impact Investing, portfolio construction, asset class opportunities, and the role of the investor are just a few of the stimulating topics to be covered at this event hosted each year by the Opal Group.

Exponent Philanthropy, September 28-30, 2018, Philadelphia – The National conference offers timely and relevant educational content for staff, donors, and trustees at all levels of experience and serving all types of foundations (including community and family foundations) as well as individual donors, donor advised fund holders and managers, philanthropic service professionals, and thought leaders in the field of philanthropy.

Net Impact, October 25-27, Phoenix – For more than 25 years, the Net Impact Annual Conference has inspired and informed attendees on the most cutting edge and impactful ideas to change the world. An annual favorite, this event creates a space for the brightest young impact leaders from around the world. With specific paths mapped out for students, new graduates, emerging leaders, and those changing careers, all attendees will leave with their own map of their path to purpose. The event will explore examples of transformational change that defy traditional expectations.

GSG Impact Summit The SRI Conference, October 8-9, 2018, New Delhi – The Summit unites hundreds of impact leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, corporates, social sector and government leaders and leading market builders. Together they will explore current and future actions by the GSG, the National Advisory Boards and partners to catalyze the impact economies of the future.

High Water Women’s Investing for Impact Symposium, October 17, 2018, New York – High Water Women’s Investing for Impact Symposium has evolved into an important gathering for female impact investors who want to connect with other investors, advisors, and investment professionals. Topics include the practical realities of building an impact portfolio, the opportunities and challenges for acting, the latest developments in Impact Investing and women in the impact investment marketplace.

SOCAP, October 23-26, San Francisco – SOCAP convenes thousands of innovators in finance, entrepreneurship, business, government and philanthropy from across social and environmental issue areas to accelerate the market at the intersection of money and meaning.

GIIN Investor Forum 2018, October 30-31st, Paris – The Forum provides a unique opportunity to gain insights from industry leaders, discuss cutting-edge research, and network with over 1,000 global practitioners. Whether you are currently making impact investments or exploring the opportunities, this is an opportunity to take part in the discussions shaping the future of the market. Speakers include executives from the the Rockefeller Foundation, Bain Capital, Blue Haven Initiative, MacArthur Foundation and Catholic Relief Services, to name a few.

The Fast Company Innovation Festival, November 2019, New York – Each Fall, thousands of attendees convene in New York City for Fast Company’s unique take on the field trip with 100 plus Fast Tracks. Attendees have the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes at New York City’s most innovative companies where they experience talks, workshops, demos, networking, and sponsor activations. The 92Y also host thought-provoking keynote sessions at companies like Charity: Water, Donors Choose, Swell Investing, Ellevest, Global Citizen, Instagram, Rent the Runway and more.

The SRI Conference, November 1–3, 2018, Colorado Springs -The SRI Conference on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing (formerly SRI in the Rockies) is the annual gathering of investors and investment professionals working to make money and direct the flow of investment capital toward a truly sustainable future. The SRI Conference is the place for professionals interested in responsible investing to learn and network with colleagues, and to grow and deepen their professional understanding of how to make money and make a difference—at the same time.

Social Finance Forum, November 7-8, 2018, Toronto – Now in its 11th year, the Social Finance Forum, organized and convened by the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, attracts more than 500 investors, entrepreneurs, finance professionals, charity leaders and public service visionaries who are reshaping markets and ensuring that every dollar makes a difference.

Sorenson Winter Innovation Summit, February 6–8, 2019, Salt Lake City – The Winter Innovation Summit is the premier cross-industry event in social impact, innovation and investing. Earlier this year the Summit brought together policy makers, funders, nonprofits, and social entrepreneurs to explore the future of social innovation across the globe. More than 700 guests unite for the latest breakthroughs in social impact, innovation, and investing, skiing the greatest snow on Earth and experiencing the 2018 Sundance Film Festival which takes place the same week.

World-Changing Women’s Summit, February 2019, location TBD – gathers the most successful women in conscious business for conversations on developing yourself as an authentic, conscious leader in the workplace, how to develop a more inclusive workplace culture, best practices for raising capital and how you can scale your company while staying true to your values. Last year’s gathering included female influencers from Google, the Beneficial State Bank, Solstice, SheO, Pipeline Angels, Seed Spot and B Lab.

Economist Impact Investing Forum, February 2019, location TBD – Join Economist editors and 200 financiers, institutional investors, policymakers, academics, impact investors and philanthropists at the second iteration of Investing for Impact: risk, return and the future of the world. This past February speakers included National Geographic Chair and Case Foundation CEO Jean Case, Audrey Choi of Morgan Stanley, Case Foundation board member Sonal Shah of the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, Saadia Madsbjerg of the Rockefeller Foundation, Debra Schwartz of the MacArthur Foundation, Liesel Pritzker Simmons of the Blue Haven Initiative, Amit Bouri of the GIIN and Kesha Cash of Impact America Fund.

The Heart Series, February 14-15, 2019, El Segundo, CA – Explores topics like how your company can make an impact, maintaining your brand promise to your customers and the earth, interactive experiences that promote social change, how to activate Millennials and youth and dreaming up big impact partnerships. On site attendees also have plenty of cool eco inspired perks including wellness shakes, meditation resources and massages. That’s my kind of conference! Speakers include leaders from companies like SOKO, Share Our Strength, CLIP Bar, Nerd Wallet, Blavity and Swipe Out Hunger.

Greenbiz Summit, February 2019, location TBD – Leaders from global brands will meet as they discuss and learn the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability. Last year’s speakers included executives from Target, Apple, Bloomberg, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Harvard Social Enterprise Conference (SECON), February 2019, Cambridge – SECON draws almost a thousand practitioners, academics, students, and young professionals. Speakers include influencers and leaders from Omidyar Network, Root Capital, Accion, Mastercard, One Acre Fund, Trillium, Twilio, the Rockefeller Foundation, Accenture and many more.

Duke Conference on Sustainable Business & Social Impact (SBSI), February 2019, Durham – SBSI focuses on the theme of working towards solving our greatest social challenges through innovative methods and cross-sector collaborations. The event has grown to one of the largest conference of its kind in the Southeast, with more 500 people attendees who are making the world a better place while looking to the future of social impact and sustainability.

SXSW Conference, March 8-17, 2019, Austin – Next year marks the 26th Anniversary of SXSW, the world renowned gathering that unites more than 420,000 people from across the globe. Each year SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people expand their knowledge and have the opportunity to meet fellow innovators on a mission to change the world. Conference goers take a deep dive into innovative ideas that contribute to a better and more equitable world. Browse past social impact sessions HERE.

Confluence Philanthropy’s 9th Annual Practitioners Gathering, March 4-7, 2019, Brooklyn – Confluence Philanthropy’s Annual Practitioners Gathering is a four-day conference where asset owners and their advisors meet at the cutting edge of mission-related investing. This Gathering represents the most advanced foundations, investment managers, and advisors in Impact Investing today. They are distinguished by a commitment to building the field through collaboration, innovation, and their investments. Join us for deep strategic thinking, critical discussion, sharing and most importantly, fun.

Skoll World Forum, April 2019, Oxford – Launched by the Skoll Foundation, the Skoll World Forum accelerates entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems by uniting social entrepreneurs in a pursuit of learning, leverage and large-scale social change. Past speakers have included president of the World Bank Group, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Winnie Byanyima of Oxfam International and Hamdi Ulukaya of the yogurt empire Chobani.

Yale Impact Investing Conference, April 2019, New Haven – Impact On Record hosts the Yale’s Impact Investing Conference that includes a day of engaging conversation, presentations and interviews about impact investing. Topics include women and wealth, technology and impact, government and policy, impact funds, emerging markets and faith-based investing.

Milken Global Conference, April 2019, Los Angeles – Each year the Milken Global Conference brings together the strongest minds in business, government, technology, philanthropy, academia and media to examine global challenges and find actionable and collaborative solutions to some of the most important questions of our time. Watch videos from past conference speakers HERE.

Impact Capitalism, April 2019, location TBD – At Impact Capitalism, you will hear from prominent family offices, institutional investors and influential foundations about what is driving their impact investment decision-making and experience an exciting lineup of discussions, debates, and performances across asset classes and impact themes. Over 300 family offices, asset managers and fund managers representing over $150 billion in investable assets take part.

US SIF Annual Conference, May 2019, location TBD – US SIF Annual Conference gives you the opportunity to network with leaders of sustainable, responsible and impactful investing. Hear from leading investors, CEOs and policymakers, and to learn about new approaches, trends and policy developments in the field.

Engage For Good, May 2019, location TBD – If you work at the intersection of cause and commerce, there’s no other event that focuses exclusively on this work and how to engage consumers and employees with social good efforts. Nearly every global brand for good attends include executives from eBay, Fidelity, J.P. Morgan Chase, Omaze, PayPal, REI, Scholastic, The Home Depot Foundation, Univision Communications Inc. and more.

Social Innovation Summit, June 4-6, 2018, San Fransisco – The Social Innovation Summit is an annual event taking place in Silicon Valley which represents a global convening of black swans and wayward thinkers. Where most bring together luminaries to explore the next big idea, they bring together those hungry not just to talk about the next big thing, but to build it.

Mission Investors Exchange National Conference, TBD 2020 – Produced every other year, the conference is one of the most anticipated events for impact investors in philanthropy, offering an action-focused, collaborative, and personal space to renew and build partnerships, experience on-the-ground impact investments, share investment opportunities, meet leading voices in the field, and shape the future of the Impact Investing movement.

Sustainable Brands Conference, multiple dates, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Detroit, Madrid, Bangkok and more – the events are held throughout the year in cities around the globe. The Sustainable Brands conference provides another welcomed perspective as sustainability and design leaders gather from around the world to share profitable business models that deliver brand purpose. Join business intelligence, finance and sustainability leaders to discover innovative tools, ideas and methodologies that capture tangible business value and translate it into financial performance.

These conferences bring together individuals who are pioneering the Impact Investing movement—and they create a platform for professionals who are committed to making a difference or want to learn more about this rapidly expanding field. We hope that they will bring new light to the importance of investing for financial and social returns and give a space for new people to join the movement!

We hope these suggestions help you take the next steps on your Impact Investing journey—whatever stage of it you’re on. Have a conference you want us to keep on our radar? Share it with us on Twitter @CaseFoundation!

Social Good in April: Stories You Don’t Want to Miss

Posted on April 30, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

April was full of breaking news in social good, so we’re bringing you another edition of “This Month In Social Good,” rounding up our favorite stories from our Breaking Good newsletter so you don’t miss anything.

Of particular note this month, we saw a lot of great stories across the podcast circuit. Case Foundation CEO Jean Case talked to Wall Street Journal Podcasts about the importance of fearlessness in her journey to spark innovation in the social sector, and our VP of Social Innovation, Sarah Koch, was on Silicon Hills News and EU Now to talk about the need to support women in tech and entrepreneurship. We also revisited our roundup of Seven Fearless Founder Podcasts for those of you looking to brighten your daily commute.

April also brought us stories about industry leaders attaining B Corp certification, local communities embracing Impact Investing and female founders and investors coming together to change the face of entrepreneurship.

B Corps in the news

This month, a major player jumped into the world of B Corps: Danone North America. The certification, which makes them the world’s largest certified B Corp, comes just one year after Danone legally registered as a benefit company as part of their acquisition of WhiteWave. The North American entity is the eighth company under the Danone umbrella to be certified. The company has long been a proponent of corporate social responsibility and socially conscious business and the speed with which this large company achieved certification is a signal to other companies with social-impact goals that B Corp certification is attainable no matter their size. As an added bonus, the company worked with B Lab to create a case study of the steps they took throughout the year so other multinationals could learn from Danone’s experience and, hopefully, follow in their footsteps.

In April, we also got to hear firsthand about how Greyston Bakery, another B Corp, is making waves. For 30 years, Greyston Bakery has been focused on a big bet: to hire anyone, regardless of their background, as they bake gourmet brownies and cookies, including many of the brownies you see in Ben & Jerry’s Brownie Ice Cream, at their for-profit bakery located just north of New York City. On our latest episode of Be Fearless, we talked to CEO Mike Brady and the Greyston team about the success open hiring practices has brought for their company and their community and how they’re helping other companies do the same.

Impact Investing making inroads in local communities

From Atlanta to Lancaster to Baltimore, local foundations and governments are testing the waters with Impact Investing and alternative funding structures. At the beginning of the month, the Lancaster County Community Foundation announced that they would invest $500,000 in two local organizations aiming for both a social and financial return. The recipients were a housing and neighborhood revitalization organization and a financial inclusion organization. The investment is part of an ongoing effort from the foundation to leverage new funding mechanisms to support their community.

In Atlanta, the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta made a splash with a $10 million impact investment fund—the first local Impact Investing fund in the city. The fund, named GoATL will be distributed over the next two to three years and focused on five impact areas: arts, community development, education, nonprofit effectiveness and wellbeing.

Atlanta also is trying out innovative investing models with efforts to raise $12.9 million for an environmental impact bond through Neighborly, the municipal bond broker-dealer. The funds will go toward minimizing flooding and improving drainage. Baltimore is following suit with efforts to raise $6 million for an environmental impact bond aimed at reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

Seeing communities across the country take on Impact Investing to tackle local but large-scale challenges is a great reminder of the field’s potential to grow and scale globally as it continues to move to the mainstream.

Female founders and the changing face of entrepreneurship in America

In the world of Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Vanity Fair’s April feature gave us both something to celebrate and something to work on. The magazine teamed up with Kathryn Finney and digitalundivided to feature the 26 Black women who have raised $1 million or more in venture funding. And while these groundbreaking women are truly worth celebrating, this was yet another reminder of the need to support all women of color launching business, many more of whom deserve to join the ranks of this “million dollar club.”

Also on the founder side, we heard the stories of inspiring female founders like Maneesha Mukhi, a social entrepreneur who created an online marketplace called ImmiGo to help individuals and businesses find high quality immigration attorneys. We also heard from GirlCrew cofounder, Aine Mulloy, who took to #FacesofFounders to tell the story of launching a platform to connect women across the globe, while fighting for female representation across industries.

Female investors are taking a stand too. April also heralded the launch of AllRaise, a group of 34 women investors—representing over $1 billion in investable capital—who are committed to helping women entrepreneurs raise money. Recognizing that there’s a robust pipeline of female entrepreneurial talent, the group is committed to increasing the percentage of venture funding going to women while doubling the number of female partners at venture firms.

These stories have inspired us and motivated us to get to work this month and beyond—and we hope they’ve inspired you too. To stay up to date on all things social good sign up for our newsletter, Breaking Good. 

Is there anything we missed this month? Tell us about your favorite social good story you saw in April!

23 Conferences on Our Radar in 2018

Posted on January 17, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

It’s that time of year! The beginning of a new rotation around the sun when we all start to prioritize our goals for the next 365 days. One of my resolutions this year is to make meaningful connections and expand my knowledge of subjects both known and unknown. There’s no better way to do so then to step out of the office occasionally and travel to a new region for a few days of learning. Our team at the Case Foundation does just that, attending and speaking at dozens of conferences and events across the globe.

Last year we took the stage at events like SXSW, Essence Festival and the Forbes Philanthropy Summit. We had the chance to talk Impact Investing with the masses at gatherings like the first-ever Forbes Impact Investing Summit, the Financial Times Investing for Good, the NYPL Business Leadership Council, Web Summit, Wharton Social Impact Investing Conference and more. And our Inclusive Entrepreneurship team took the stage at key events like the Women’s Global Leadership Forum, Atlantic Magazine’s Social Impact Forum and Black and Brown Founders.

We know that time is precious and there are countless conferences and events for you to consider in 2018 to expand your knowledge. Here’s our take on 23 conferences to attend this year in the world of philanthropy, Impact Investing, Millennial engagement and Inclusive Entrepreneurship:

MAKERS Conference, February 5-7 (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) explores new ways to make shock waves, unleash our collective power and lift each other up as we fight for causes that matter. Last year’s conference included speakers like Gloria Steinem, Eva Longoria, Priscilla Chan, Sheryl Sandberg, Diane von Furstenberg and Gabby Douglas.
Economist Impact Investing Forum, February 15 (New York, NY) join Economist editors and 200 financiers, institutional investors, policymakers, academics, impact investors and philanthropists at the second iteration of Investing for Impact: risk, return and the future of the world. Our CEO Jean Case is scheduled to take the stage with Liesel Pritzker Simmons, co-founder of the Blue Haven Initiative in a conversation on why investing in women founders is the ultimate return.
SXSW Interactive, March 9-17 (Austin, TX) we would be remiss if we didn’t give a shoutout to the conference of all conferences. Tens of thousands of attendees gather for hundreds of sessions on topics related to social good, investing, entrepreneurship, art, music and more. Our Case Foundation team will take the stage at four sessions that week, and we look forward to seeing many of you while in Austin. Speakers this year will include Melinda Gates, Alex Chung, Mark Cuban, Michael Dell, Kathryn Finney, Cindy Whitehead, Ira Glass, Walter Isaacson, Ezra Klein, Megan Smith, Gary Vaynerchuk and many more.
Women’s Private Equity Summit, March 9-11 (Half Moon Bay, CA) brings together more than 500 female private equity and venture capital leaders for discussion and networking.
Skoll World Forum, April 10-13 (Oxford, England) launched by the Skoll Foundation, accelerates entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems by uniting social entrepreneurs in a pursuit of learning, leverage and large-scale social change. Past speakers have included President of the World Bank Group Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Winnie Byanyima of Oxfam International and Hamdi Ulukaya of the yogurt empire Chobani.
Nonprofit Technology Conference, April 11-13 (New Orleans, LA) features over 100 educational sessions, an exhibit hall highlighting the latest nonprofit products and services and networking events each day. Be sure to check out our session on open source philanthropy with our VP of Interactive Strategies, John Jones.
Women in the World Summit, April 12-14 (New York, NY) presents powerful new female role models whose personal stories illuminate the most pressing international issues. Speakers last year included Scarlett Johansson, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Diane von Furstenberg and many more luminaries.
Tech Inclusion, Spring 2018 (Washington, DC) brings the industry together to drive solutions to diversity and inclusion. Attendees include executives, hiring managers, human resources, data scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and diversity and inclusion advocates.
Vanity Fair Founder’s Fair, April 20 (New York, NY) slated for its second year, this gathering highlights the accomplishments of ambitious women entrepreneurs and explores ways to help them unleash even greater growth for their businesses and their brands.
Good Tech Fest, May 22-24 (Detroit, MI) is for anyone using data and technology to drive impact. It’s for the doers and practitioners. The people on the ground. The leaders that are wanting to find innovative ways to leverage technology, and the technologists wanting to apply their skills for real global change.
US SIF Annual Conference, May 30-June 1 (Washington, DC) gives you the opportunity to network with leaders of sustainable, responsible and Impact Investing. Hear from leading investors, CEOs and policymakers, and to learn about new approaches, trends and policy developments in the field.
MCON, June (Washington, DC) join 1,000 passionate individuals who come together to channel their enthusiasm into action for today’s most pressing issues. MCON gathers leaders, entrepreneurs and cause enthusiasts of all generations to discuss problems and find creative solutions to the challenges of today.
Forbes Impact Investing Summit, June 12-13 (New York, NY) this invitation only event for doers and investors who believe in investing in companies that can change the world is a new offering from Forbes and it’s certain to make an impression. Join seasoned impact investors who are moving capital and leading the next generation of investment.
NextGen Summit, June 18 (New York, NY) unites a global community of young entrepreneurs. The 2017 Next Gen Summit welcomed dozens of investors and founders of billion dollar brands and companies, NBA and NFL stars, Shark Tank alums, world-renowned fitness experts and underwater drone creators.
Aspen Ideas Festival, June 21-30 (Aspen, CO) unites leaders and influencers from around the globe for inquisitive discussions on the ideas and issues that shape our lives and challenge our times. Hundreds of award winning journalists, global leaders, scientists and explorers, former secretaries of states, startup founders and investors take the stage each year.
Fortune Most Powerful Women, October 1-3 (Laguna Niguel, CA) MPW has evolved into the world’s most extraordinary leadership community, convening the preeminent women in business—along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education and the arts—for wide-ranging conversations that inspire and deliver practical advice. The program features one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions and high-level networking.
Communications Network, October 10-12 (San Francisco, CA) brings together more than 500 social sector communications professionals from foundations and organizations across the globe for engaging dialogues on using the power of storytelling to drive social impact, demystifying design and the making of movements.
Global Impact Investing Network Forum, October 30-31 (Paris, France) investors from around the globe convene for the preeminent gathering of active impact investors and those who are interested in building an Impact Investing practice. Hosted by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and PEI Media, the Forum aims to advance and scale the market through insight from industry leaders, leading-edge research and unrivaled networking opportunities.
PopTech, October 31-November 3 (Point Lookout, ME) is a robust gathering of more than 600 scientists, technologists, humanitarians, designers, artists, innovators, corporate and governmental leaders, academics and those who defy tidy categorization.
Inc Women’s Summit, Fall 2018 (New York, NY) unites savvy female business leaders with diverse backgrounds, passions, and pursuits for a day of dynamic exchanges and innovative business ideas. Speakers have included the likes of Spanx CEO Sara Blakely, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, Maria Malcolm Beck of Bluemercury and more.
Blavity Afrotech, Fall 2018 (Silicon Valley, CA) unites founders and employees of some of the fastest-growing tech startups to share the tactics and strategies they use to grow their products and businesses. Conversations range from raising venture funding, combining tech and culture, user design workshops, growth hacking and more.
Washington Ideas, October 2-4 (Washington, DC) is an annual must-attend event bringing the most consequential people and issues to D.C. featuring hundreds of political leaders and those shaping the future of business, science, technology, arts and journalism.
Fast Company Innovation Festival, Fall 2018 (New York, NY) taking place across NYC, the festival features dozens of events in content tracks ranging from tech to design, leadership to creativity, fashion to healthcare and more. CEOs and influencers from companies and organizations like Bloomberg Philanthropies, CARE, DonorsChoose.org, Robin Hood, Swell Investing and more.
Bonus: LIVE anything! Live content from media brands is a hot ticket for 2018 both in person and online. Check out the many upcoming LIVE events from media entities like Forbes, Washington Post, Bloomberg, AXIOS 360 and The Atlantic announced each week.

There are countless other gatherings you can consider like TED, Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen, the Code Conference, the Milken Global Conference, Wharton Social Impact Conference and the Sustainable Brands Conference series. Be sure to check out our past conferences we have featured in our blog from 2017 HERE and 2016 HERE. Many of these events take place year-after-year, so be sure to keep them on your radar in 2018 and beyond.

New Year’s Resolution: Invest With An Eye On Impact

Posted on December 27, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

The past decade of growth in Impact Investing movement has been impressive. More investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, foundations and non-profits are investing with the intention of generating both financial and social returns than ever before, and we have seen interest in the subject soar. Yet it is still early days and impact investing has a long way to go. As such, we have many investors circling around impact investing, looking for ways to “stick their toe in the water” and experiment before they make a substantial commitment. If you are in this crowd and are thinking that your New Year’s resolution should be to step up your commitment to maximize profit and purpose and learn more about impact investing, we have created a number of resources to help you. None provide investment advice. Instead, they give you the tools to learn about impact investing, inform your research and be well informed as you contemplate investing with your values in mind.

The Short Guide to Impact Investing: This guide lays out the basic principles and examples of impact investing across the field. The guide’s content reflects crowd-sourced wisdom from dozens of our partners in the space. We kept it short and, we hope, fun to read. We developed a flexible framework and a simple taxonomy to help people get their arms around what impact investing means. Case studies and examples of organizations and investors will help illustrate how to create meaningful, measurable impact.

Impact Investing Network Map: Those inside impact investing and those new to the field often ask “who makes impact investments, and what do they look like?” That is why the Case Foundation built the Impact Investing Network Map. The Network Map demonstrates the publicly available transactions between investors and companies 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. The Network Map is not intended as a diligence tool, but instead offers a way to view the ecosystem more broadly based on data sets made available in the sector.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the pivotal milestones that have led us to today, and to better understand the experiences and lessons learned from pioneers in the field. To celebrate 10 years of growth in the sector, and to highlight these key moments, we put together an interactive timeline. The timeline looks back at the last decade of growth in impact investing, and spotlights the many investors, entrepreneurs and leaders who jumped in and propelled it forward. The moments captured on this timeline are just some of the activities that have helped to shape the ecosystem we have today, but they bring to light the importance of distinct actions that have created opportunities for others and how the movement has progressed in key areas like intentionality, measurement and transparency. While celebrating the progress made over the past decade, the timeline also shows the promise the future holds for impact investing.

As I wrote earlier this year, we believe that forces are at play that demonstrate a promising future for impact investing. A wider and wider range of actors are jumping in, leading others who historically remain on the sidelines to start to explore impact investing allocations. We see Millennials and women playing a greater role in the next decade around how wealth might be deployed with purpose in mind, but we also see continuing momentum from all sectors of the market. Relatedly, we also see a growing number consumers are using their voices, their dollars and their careers to have impact, as well.

While these signs give us hope, there is much more to be done to keep the momentum going. And that is why we are reaching out to those of you looking to learn more about impact investing in 2018, offering the resources you need to learn more about this exciting field. To those new to the movement, we want to welcome you to impact investing! We look forward to you joining a community committed to putting investment dollars to work in the pursuit of profit and purpose.

Bringing the Last Decade of Impact Investing to Life: An Interactive Timeline

Posted on November 17, 2017November 11, 2021 by Case Foundation

Over the past decade, the Impact Investing movement has grown in extraordinary ways. We have seen investors and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds stepping up their commitment to bridge profit and purpose and embracing Impact Investing. In 2017 alone, the Ford Foundation committed $1bn from its endowment, TPG’s Rise Fund surpassed its $1.5bn fundraising target, and the world’s largest pension fund, JPIF, allocated over 1 trillion yen to socially responsible investments.

The pivotal milestones that have led us to where we are today wouldn’t have been possible without the group of innovators who came together in 2007 to formalize the term “Impact Investing.”

To celebrate 10 years of growth in the field, and to highlight these key milestones, we put together an interactive timeline. The timeline looks back at the last decade of growth in Impact Investing, and spotlights the many pioneers who jumped in and propelled it forward.

The moments captured on this timeline are just some of the activities that have helped to shape the ecosystem we have today, but they bring to light the importance of distinct actions that have pushed the field forward and created opportunities for others.

Take a look at the timeline below.

We hope this interactive timeline gives those within the sector an opportunity to reflect on our shared growth. For those who haven’t jumped in yet, we hope it shows the promise of the field as we work towards a future where Impact Investing is the norm.

Impact Investors Are Setting the Tone for Aligning With the SDGs

Posted on November 2, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

Earlier this fall we talked about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—a collective action agenda that offers a coordinated approach to ending global poverty. We were particularly inspired by the strong examples of SDGs providing a unifying framework for corporations to double-down on integrating impact. But corporations are not the only group of actors finding alignment across the SDGs. Some impact investors—a community that continues to grow in size and scope—are already there.

Since the SDGs were formalized in 2015, we’ve seen impact investors reframe their thinking across both measurement and the development of new products. And the data supports this with the latest Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Annual Survey reporting 26 percent of the investors surveyed already track performance of their investments to the SDGs. An additional 34 percent plan to do so in the future—this will represent more than half of the active respondents already engaged in Impact Investing. Of the respondents who participated, many cited easier communication of impact (78 percent) and alignment with global development structures (75 percent) as key strengths of using SDG-aligned language.

Advancements in Standards and Frameworks

Standardization around how we invest in—and measure—the SDGs will be critical to truly meeting the Goals. Establishing a coherent set of frameworks that guide investors on “how” will also help us speak the same language. This year alone we’ve seen a thoughtful emergence of some of these SDG-aligned frameworks. Many allow investors and companies to measure how their investments and enterprise activity contribute to “achieving” the SDGs. Different approaches to measuring and integrating the SDGs are a positive sign that they could become best practice around how the sector designs for impact:

SDG Compass developed by GRI, the UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) provides company-level guidance on measuring and managing the effect and contribution of companies toward the SDGs
Toniic—a global action community for impact investors – released a framework earlier this year to allow their investor community to align their investments with the SDGs. These framing facilitated better identification of synergies across global investment opportunities
The MSCI ACWI Sustainable Impact Index works across the public markets to consolidate the 17 Goals into five investible themes – basic needs, empowerment, climate change, natural capital and governance. The Index identifies companies that derive at least 50 percent of their revenue from products and services that address environmental and social challenges within these themes, and weights them accordingly.

Innovations in Products and Processes

Impact investors are also leading in other ways, experimenting with actual integration of the SDGs into their decision-making process. For these investors and managers, the SDGs offer guidelines on how they make decisions, the investments they select, the companies they support and how to measure that impact:

Encourage Capital, an emerging market-based private equity fund manager has identified five impact objectives all closely aligned with the SGDs—financial inclusion, climate change, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable seafood and water conservation. According to a GIIN Report on the SDGs, Encourage uses the SDGs to “ground the impact outcomes that might be more difficult to conceptualize.”
Sonen Capital, a multi-strategy impact investing manager framed its 2015 Annual Report around how its investment strategies link to the SDGs. According to the firm, the SDGS could be good for business, serving as a “compass” to ensure investments can be measured in their contribution to the Goals.
PGGM, the second largest pension fund in the Netherlands, modified their investment strategy to include “Sustainable Development Investments (SDIs)”. These investments must fulfill regular risk return requirements, while providing a substantial and measurable contribution to one or more SDGs. Aligning across six of the SDGs, PGGM focuses on climate change mitigation, water, food, and health.

The above are only a handful of the innovative experiments and commitments on the part of impact investors to make the SDGs a part of how we invest and what we measure.

To truly end global poverty and achieve the Goals, we’ll need many different folks around the table. Creating a common language for all actors is critical and we should continue to commit to learning from those who are experimenting. We hope that the development of measurement frameworks, investment products and ecosystem building will only increase over time. To facilitate doing that the right way, creating synergy across how we talk about the Goals will take us one step closer to effectively channeling capital to solve our most pressing challenges.

With thanks to Mai Nguyen (Social Innovation Intern at the Case Foundation) for her support in researching this piece.

B Lab 2017 Best for the World Funds Are Featured on the Network Map

Posted on October 13, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

As the momentum for Impact Investing grows, we continue to see organizations raise the bar around standards and benchmarks that begin to measure social and financial performance. This week, we celebrate the release of the 2017 Best for the World Funds list. Utilizing the GIIRS Impact Rating system developed by B Lab, funds can evaluate their impact performance against others in the field. Twenty-eight funds are being honored as 2017 Best for the World Funds for their deep commitment to having this rigorous and transparent third-party review of their impact. By sharing and comparing fund performance that includes social and environmental metrics, these featured funds help empower the companies that aim to do good in the world.

The Case Foundation is proud to partner with B Lab to showcase the profiles of these 28 leading funds on our Impact Investing Network Map as the two efforts are working towards the same goal: accelerating the Impact Investing movement through transparency and open data.

Check out the BLab press release here, and feel free to explore the Network Map here.

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Tell as a little bit about yourself and your work 

What problem keeps you up at night? What do you think it will take to solve it? 

Who are some fellow next generation leaders you admire? 

What is one thing you think everyone should know about your generation? 

What’s next for you? What are some of your dreams and goals? 

How can people interested in your cause learn more? 