This month the Citizen Mint team attended the SOCAP conference in San Francisco to connect with other leaders at the intersection of money and meaning. “SOCAP Global is the thought leadership platform for the accelerating movement towards a more just and sustainable economy.”
SOCAP CONFERENCE • IMPACT INVESTING • PRIVATE MARKETS
During the conference we heard from social entrepreneurs, investors, foundations, nonprofit leaders, academics, and more. From all of the events and conversations during SOCAP we couldn’t help but notice some key trends emerging at this intersection of money and meaning.
*Left to right Kelly Rogan VP of Marketing, Josh Hile CEO, Marshall Dunford CTO
Top Impact Investing Trends
Here are the top takeaways we learned from industry leaders that we are excited about in the field of impact investing:
Collaboration Marks the Difference
One of the key differences between traditional finance and impact finance is the ability and willingness to collaborate. According to Luke Sorenson from the Sorenson Impact Center, this advantage will allow impact-focused financial institutions to get ahead as we build strategic partnerships and increase the amount of capital shifting from traditional investments to impact investments that solve social and environmental challenges.
Impact Investing is not Philanthropy
Being at SOCAP reinstated the fact that positive impact and solid financial returns can coexist. We need capital from many different sources to tackle global challenges, which can generate returns to be put back into these solutions and build a virtuous cycle. Many of the speakers during SOCAP were investors who use their money as a force for good while still generating returns.
A great resource we discovered at this conference was the Climate Finance Tracker by ImpactAlpha. “The Climate Finance Tracker (CFT) is designed to help climate funders and ‘ecosystem builders’ better collaborate by easily exploring: who is funding what, who to talk to for shared learnings, where are the gaps, and what type of capital would be most effective where.” In this tool you can see how 44% of funding for climate solutions is venture backed while 54% is grant backed. The opportunity to invest in these solutions is massive and will only continue to grow.
Sign up to download our Guide to Impact Investing
More Diverse Leadership Leads to Optimized Solutions
Each panel we saw and company we spoke with had a unique and diverse background, which clearly was part of their strength. As the panel on family offices mentioned, having women and underrepresented individuals involved in the investment decision making process will only enhance the potential for both positive returns and impact. We must be conscious and intentional when selecting our team members, leaders and advisors to invest in optimized solutions that build a better world for everyone.
Did we miss you at SOCAP? We would love to chat about how you see the future for impact investing. Contact us now to get in touch!
Join our impact investor community and be notified of the latest industry news!
*Financial projections or returns displayed on the website are estimated predictions of performance only, are hypothetical, are not based on actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results.
Disclosures: No communication by Citizen Mint Inc. or any of its affiliates (collectively, “Citizen Mint”), through this website or any other medium, should be construed or is intended to be a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security or otherwise to be investment, tax, financial, accounting, legal, regulatory or compliance advice. Nothing on this website is intended as an offer to extend credit, an offer to purchase or sell securities or a solicitation of any securities transaction.
Any financial projections or returns shown on the website are estimated predictions of performance only, are hypothetical, are not based on actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Estimated projections do not represent or guarantee the actual results of any transaction, and no representation is made that any transaction will, or is likely to, achieve results or profits similar to those shown. In addition, other financial metrics and calculations shown on the website (including amounts of principal and interest repaid) have not been independently verified or audited and may differ from the actual financial metrics and calculations for any investment, which are contained in the investors’ portfolios. Any investment information contained herein has been secured from sources that Citizen Mint believes are reliable, but we make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of such information and accept no liability therefor.
Private placement investments are NOT bank deposits (and thus NOT insured by the FDIC or by any other federal governmental agency), are NOT guaranteed by Citizen Mint or any other party, and MAY lose value. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority has recommended or approved any investment or the accuracy or completeness of any of the information or materials provided by or through the website. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment.
Sign up now to access private market investments on Citizen Mint’s platform.
