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• Income Share Agreements: Can a New Education Finance Vehicle Promote Racial and Social Equity?

  • When
    12 May 2021
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:15 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  As we all grapple with the economic and social consequences of the past year, many asset owners are seeking to activate their investment portfolios to advance racial and social equity more broadly. Investment in higher education and workforce development remains a proven pathway for achieving these goals.
  
  The US is experiencing a crisis in education finance which is impacting educational access, completion, and the upward social mobility that higher education is meant to facilitate. Job insecurity and a rapidly evolving skills economy during the COVID-19 pandemic have laid bare the risks of traditional student financing. Moreover, these risks are amplified for low-income and minority students, raising a critical need for a flexible student financing tool that breaks down barriers to higher education enrollment without placing undue risks on student borrowers.
  
  Income Share Agreements (ISAs) are a nascent but promising education financing structure that allow students to fund their education through a controlled share of their future income, aligning repayment with positive post-graduate outcomes. When strategically applied, ISAs can be used to support and scale higher education models that are delivering positive results for underserved student demographics.

  Impact Capital Forum is excited to partner with Outcome on this event. The goals are to provide a fundamental overview of ISAs, discuss the present and future trajectory of the sector, and highlight the role that impact capital can play. Join us for a forward-thinking conversation on the potential of ISAs to deliver both financial return and large scale social impact that addresses educational access, racial equity and income mobility.

  We are fortunate to have Senator Todd Young joining us for a special keynote. Senator Young was one of the bi-partisan Senators to introduce the 2019 ISA Student Protection Act to improve an innovative financing tool for students pursuing postsecondary education. 

  Our distinguished panel also includes:

  • Moderator: Michael Stynes, CEO, Jain Family Institute
  • Ethan Pollack, Director of Financing the Future Initiative, Jobs for the Future
  • Jukay Hsu, CEO and Founder, Pursuit
  • Jacob Haar, Managing Partner, Community Investment Management
  • Balaji "Raj" Rajan, CEO, Ceannate/IonTuition

  Bios:

  • Senator Todd Young is a United States Senator from Indiana. He currently serves on the U.S. Senate Committees on Finance; Foreign Relations; Commerce, Science & Transportation; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Previously, in the House, he served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Budget Committee, and most recently the House Ways and Means Committee.
  • Balaji "Raj" Rajan is CEO of a group of fin-ed-tech companies, Ceannate/IonTuition.com and Meta.app serving colleges, students and families. IonTuition offers Income Share Agreements as the nation’s newest and most complete ISA program manager and Servicer. META.app is the nation’s only collegiate mental health marketplace. Raj has been engaged in higher education since 1990 and has worked closely on higher education policy, operations, and legislation over the years. He sits on various boards in advisory positions.
  • Jacob Haar serves as Managing Partner of Community Investment Management (CIM) and leads the firm's investment and operations activities. CIM seeks to deliver positive social impact by partnering with innovative credit providers offering responsible and transparent financial solutions to underserved communities. CIM is an early investor in ISAs, backing up to $100M of Kenzie Academy’s ISA program.
  • Jukay Hsu is the co-founder & CEO of Pursuit, a social impact organization that enables equality of opportunity and is closing the prosperity gap in America. Pursuit identifies and trains adults with the most need and potential to gain their first tech job, advance in their career, and become the next generation of leaders in tech. Pursuit graduates are hired as software engineers by leading companies like Pinterest, Kickstarter, LinkedIn, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase, and on average go from making $18,000 to over $85,000 yearly. At the same time, their graduates represent the diversity of our society with 50% women, 60% African American or Hispanic, 40% immigrant, and 60% without a college education. In addition to training and career support, Pursuit’s innovative operating model combines partnerships with tech companies to retrain their blue-collar workers and social impact investments to re-envision funding for outcomes-based organizations. 

  • Ethan Pollack is a Director at Jobs for the Future, where he leads Financing the Future, an initiative that seeks to reimagine the way education and skills development investments are financed. He explores innovative approaches to education financing, including income share agreements, aims to track the evolution and performance of these new approaches, establish best practices and policy guardrails to ensure that they are learner-centered, and cultivate an ecosystem that fosters experimentation and emphasizes consumer protection.

  • Nora Delaney is Quantitative Social Scientist at the Outcome Group. Nora completed an M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences and a Masters of Public Administration at Columbia University. She has held roles at the U.S. Department of Treasury and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research covers higher education access and labor market outcomes, as well as topics in international economic development.

  • Moderator: Michael Stynes is the CEO of Jain Family Institute. He has ledthe Jain Family Institute (JFI) since its formation, directing research into an array of economic, cultural, social, and political areas. Previously, he taught at Harvard University. Michael holds a master’s degree in philosophy from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College.

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.
  

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• Going Green and Making Green: How Evolution in ESG Priorities Among Investors Can Accelerate Businesses’ Sustainability Efforts

  • When
    20 May 2021
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  Join us to explore how the growing incorporation of environmentally friendly investment policies, the advent of new technologies and business processes and funding for green initiatives is changing how Corporate America approaches sustainability.  And ultimately, how environmentally focused strategies can yield superior investment returns and operating profits.

  Our expert panel will discuss what’s happening in high impact industries (energy generation, the automotive sectors and transportation) and review the shifting views within the investment community and highlight the metrics investors focus on with respect to ESG impact.  As well, they will spotlight ongoing innovation within companies – large and small – to take advantage of this accelerating shift to Going Green.

  The distinguished speakers for this webinar include:

  Steven Berkenfeld relatively recently​ ​retired from a long career in Investment Banking to focus entirely on impact and sustainability. ​He is now the founder and principal of Ecotopia Consulting and is primarily engaged in helping early stage, mission driven companies in the development of their business plan and growth strategy with the aim of improving their financeability, enhancing their market adoption and commercialization, and maximizing their impact. In addition, Steven serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Brightcore Energy, currently sits on the Board of Directors of Svante Inc. and Preserve, and serves as an advisory board member to a number of other impact focused companies.

  Kent Lucas operates at the center of Technology, Mobility and Investing.  Currently, Kent is general partner at non sibi ventures, an early stage venture capital fund that invests in exceptional underrepresented founders. He is also a venture partner at Next Gear Ventures, an Israeli-based venture fund that invests in early stage mobility companies, and is founding partner of 30X LLC, a global technology advisory firm with a focus on innovation, disruption and venture in the mobility, smart cities, clean and industrial tech verticals.

  Wayne Seaton is responsible for the strategic growth of Sustainalytics in the global fixed income markets, specifically for sovereign, sub-sovereign (including U.S. municipal), and corporate asset classes.  In this role he integrates Environmental, Social and Governance metrics and methodologies for both issuers and investors.  Prior to joining Sustainalytics, he was Managing Partner and founder of Sustainable Public Infrastructure Partners, LLC, an advisory/consulting firm in ESG and sustainable market sectors.

  Moderator: Kenneth Allen has over 25 years of experience in investment banking, business strategy and project management. Kenneth is the founder of Azurest Partners, a financial advisory firm. His prior experience includes senior roles at Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan. At Lehman Brothers, Kenneth was an investment banker focusing on clients in the business services, IT professional services and technology sectors. He also served in the Corporate Strategy group at Lehman Brothers and has served as a CAO in Lehman's Mortgage Capital division. Kenneth is also an Impact Capital Forum Board member.
  

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.

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• Virtual Impact Community Networking Lunch

  • When
    16 Jun 2021
  •  
    12:30 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  Take a midday lunch break and join us for an enjoyable hour of idea exchange, networking and light conversation. In smaller, rotating groups, connect with other Impact Capital Forum members and more professionals interested in impact investing, social enterprise, microfinance and financial inclusion.

  During the last such event, participants found advice and even projects to work on from the interactions. Join us starting at noon (EST) and stay for the entire session or just the first half, as your schedule allows.

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.

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• Donor Advised Funds: Philanthropy 100%?

  • When
    24 Jun 2021
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  How can DAFs be invested for positive impact? Join us as we discuss the barriers and solutions for aligning philanthropic dollars with the overall impact mission. 

  There is significant philanthropic capital available and yet so many purpose-driven organizations and causes are starved for funding.  Financial solutions exist to match these dollars to their mission in a way that creates impact in perpetuity.  This event will explore the history of philanthropy and the benefits or drawbacks to Donor Advised Funds as a philanthropic vehicle. The panelists will discuss the roadblocks that keep philanthropic dollars from being invested for positive impact, how clients can create a grant-making strategy to move from ad-hoc to intentional giving and align the investments in a DAF with the mission of the organizations they support.

  The panel will discuss:

  • The history of philanthropy

  • Typical barriers to making an impact with philanthropic dollars

  • The benefits of Donor Advised Funds as a means of putting philanthropic capital towards positive impact

  • Strategies for aligning the investment portfolio with the philanthropic mission 

  • Resources and solutions for identifying and choosing grant recipients with enduring impact

  Speakers:

  • Greg Hagin is a Partner & Managing Director at CCS, where he provides fundraising counsel and philanthropic advice to the nonprofit sector and social impact space.  A member of the CCS Board of Directors, he leads offices in Philadelphia, Toronto and Sydney, and co-chairs CCS Elevate, the firm’s thought leadership platform. Greg teaches at The Wharton School and the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.  Throughout his career, Greg has designed, advised and directed more than 100 resource development initiatives that have raised collectively over $10 billion, positively impacting tens of millions of lives.
  • Alex Neckles serves as ImpactAssets' Regional Director, working with financial advisors and family offices to amplify the impact of their philanthropic dollars. Alex has spent over a decade working with high net worth individuals, financial advisors and impact organizations to invest in socially conscious enterprises using philanthropic capital.  He joined ImpactAssets as part of the Operations Team, where he worked directly with clients to make Custom Investments into social impact organizations. Previously, Alex was at the law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where he worked with the public finance group on multifamily affordable housing.
    

  • Liz Sessler is the Vice President of Product and Partnerships at Capshift technology. She leads the development of the CapShift technology and oversees the software development team. She co-founded and was a senior vice president at ImpactUs Marketplace LLC where she was responsible for client experience, business development, and marketing.  Liz helped develop ImpactUs as the director of innovation at Enterprise Community Partners. Earlier in her tenure at Enterprise she oversaw the launch of Enterprise’s first retail investment product. Liz began her career at Calvert Impact Capital. She has also worked internationally connecting small and growing businesses with capital and technical assistance services. 

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.

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• Banking on “1.5 Degrees”: Strategies for Banks to Manage and Reduce Their Impact on Climate Change

  • When
    13 Jul 2021
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  Large financial institutions provide significant financing to many high-emitting entities, such as fossil fuel companies and steel manufacturers. In order to limit their Scope 3 emissions and reduce their impact on climate change, banks are exploring strategies to mitigate their exposure to “financed emissions” associated with lending and investing activities. Banks can play a unique role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy and meeting the global climate goal of less than 1.5-degrees of warming by providing capital towards sustainability innovations.  

  Join us for a conversation with industry professionals leading the way through interdisciplinary strategy, innovative financial products, and the power of data analytics. During this event, the panelists will discuss the challenges to making an ambitious climate commitment, collaborative efforts towards building climate-aligned tools, and emerging solutions that are building traction.  The panelists will provide their insights on existing technical guidance, the regulatory context, and the future of their lending practices in a 1.5-degree climate scenario. 

  The panel will discuss:

  • The challenges, opportunities, and business case for making an ambitious climate commitment

  • Collaborative efforts for peer banks and other stakeholders to build climate-aligned tools together.

  • How to evaluate and deploy existing technical guidance and methodologies

  • The future of data and analytics applied to lending in a net-zero world

  • Emerging climate-aligned lending and financing solutions that are building traction

  • The regulatory context that supports this work and emerging policies that will facilitate climate action in the banking sector

  Our distinguished panel includes:

  • Davida Heller, Senior Vice President, Sustainability & ESG, Citi 

  • Jamie Martin, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

  • Herve Duteil, Chief Sustainability Officer, Americas, BNP Paribas

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.
  

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• How Can Corporate Venture Capital Guide Us Towards a More Sustainable and Equitable Future?

  • When
    15 Jul 2021
  •  
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  Of the estimated $715 billion invested in impact, corporate impact investors manage more than $7.2 billion of this committed capital. Corporations and corporate impact investors are uniquely situated to empower early-stage companies with their capital, game-changing partnership opportunities, and well-established corporate social responsibility initiatives. How are some companies leading these initiatives? Join us as we showcase the leading innovators in Corporate VC and how they are aligning ESG strategies with business priorities to achieve maximum shareholder and stakeholder value.

  Join us as we address questions including:

  • How far have we come from the Business Roundtable?

  • What are the characteristics, goals, and initiatives of influential Corporate VC as Impact Investors?

  • Are Corporate VCs focused on a different type of investment than a traditional VC?

  • How do Corporate VCs fit into the impact investing ecosystem?

  • How can Corporations reinforce positive social impact and long-term business value?

  • Any recommendations for best practices for other Corporations or Corporate VCs to follow in your lead?

  • How can social entrepreneurs align themselves with Corporate VCs?

  The distinguished speakers for this webinar include:

  • Ryan Macpherson leads impact investing at Autodesk and Autodesk Foundation, investing in startups that use design and engineering to address climate change and the future of work.
  • Claudine Emeott is Senior Director of the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, investing in mission-driven enterprise technology companies in education, workforce development, and sustainability, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Ken Gustavsen is Executive Director of Social Business Innovation at Merck, where he manages the company’s impact investing portfolio with the aim of creating a more sustainable and resilient global health ecosystem

  ICF Members can pre-register at no cost. Non-Members may join for a $15 registration. Membership is available at levels for $25, $50 and $95, learn more.

  Login instructions for this Zoom videoconference will be emailed after your registration is completed.

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