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• Opportunities in Investing in African Agriculture

  • When
    21 Apr 2021
  •  
    9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar: Instructions will be emailed to registrants

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  As the global population grows from 7 billion in 2010 to a projected 9.8 billion in 2050,  overall food demand is on course to increase by more than 50 percent. With 60% of the world’s remaining arable land and copious amounts of rain and labor, Africa has a major opportunity to become the world’s food basket.

  However, Africa remains a net importer of food. The agriculture systems on the continent are the least productive in the world. The newly ratified AfCTA presents a massive opportunity to revamp the food system on the continent.

  Join us for a conversation on how market participants are working to address the sector’s vulnerabilities and harness its opportunities through the adoption of modern farming methods.  This webinar takes place 9:00am ET, 2:00pm WAT, 3:00pm SAT, 4:00pm EAT.

  This is the second event by the Africa Working Group co-sponsored by Impact Capital Forum and Impact@Africa. This cross-continental educational series will discuss and explore opportunities to advance impact investing across Sub-Saharan Africa in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  Agenda topics: 

  •  Arising Opportunities in the sector
  • De-risking the sector to make it more investable
  • Can Africa leapfrog the world with regenerative agricultural practices
  • The Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on agriculture sector
  • How you can get involved

  Moderator:

  Ms Bettina Prato, Senior Coordinator, Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN)

  Panelists:

  Ms. Atsuko Toda, Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, African Development Bank

  Ms. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, Co-Founder, Sahel Consulting; Co-Founder, AACE Food Processing & Distribution; Chair, Nourishing Africa, Author: Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses

  Jenya Shandina, Director, Investor Relations, One Acre Fund

  ICF Members, Impact@Africa members & residents of Africa 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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• Understanding How the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Can Turbocharge Opportunity Zone-Based Investing

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

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  Background:

  The COVID-19 pandemic created a nationwide health crisis in America – a kind not seen in over 100 years.  That health crisis triggered an unprecedented and systemic economic crisis triggering capital crunch that itself has led to ongoing revenue and solvency challenges for American businesses.

  The response of the current Federal administration – the American Rescue Plan (ARP) - is an enormous and broadly targeted allocation of $1.9 trillion of Federal funds to municipalities, small businesses and individuals around the nation. 

  Some of these funds will go to immediate use for household spending – directly stimulating the economy. Some will be used for debt repayment and stabilizing municipalities’ finances.

  In many instances, however, these new Federal funds will be directed towards infrastructure investment and supporting private enterprises. 

  Discussion Points:

  This webinar will explore those specific components of the ARP which will drive private sector-focused investment.  It will review how these Federal funds can be leveraged using existing Opportunity Zone legislation to drive stronger returns for investors, provide fresh capital for existing businesses and create opportunities for start-up ventures.

  For example, the ARP will provide municipalities funding that can be used to support:

  • Pre-development activities that can instigate Opportunity Zone investments and reduce investment risk
  • Support a business’ or municipal project’s “capital stack” to encourage incremental (or previously uneconomic) Opportunity Zone transactions

  In addition, the webinar will specifically address how Opportunity Zone investing is maturing as an investment model. 

  The webinar will discuss opportunities for investors to support:

  1. Real estate investments with an emphasis on multi-family mixed income residential building with the housing-development funding from the ARP
  2. Investing in cities now that municipalities have significant incentives to leverage ARP funding to support development plans and redevelopment concepts - including the support of operating companies currently based within Opportunity Zone-areas
  3.  The trend towards combining real estate and operating investments into a singular “transaction”

  About our Speakers:

  • Bo Kemp is the Chief Executive Officer at Southland Development Authority. He partners with a national network of advisors, advocates, government and business leaders to help drive growth, tackle major initiatives and boost efficiency in municipalities. Highly experienced in the structuring and execution of public-private partnerships, Bo has a reputation for driving innovation in municipal utilities, public infrastructure, and economic development for "legacy" cities. For the last 15 years, Bo has worked with municipal executives around the country to address some of the hardest to solve problems.

  • Charles Sheffield is a Managing Director of Capital Access where he helps the firm’s clients make principal investments across a variety of industries. He was a Managing Director of Clearbrook Global Advisors and Snowden Lane Advisors where he advised clients regarding their private investments. Charles was a founder and partner of Carthage Capital Group where he made investments primarily in supply chain software companies. He was a Vice President at LM Capital where he focused on middle market acquisitions. Charles also worked at Accenture and Mitchell & Titus, LLP. 

  • 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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• How Innovative Financing Tools Drive Clean Energy in LMI Communities

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

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  One of the greatest challenges to increasing access to clean energy in Low and Moderate Income (LMI) communities is attracting adequate financing. Despite building a track record as a lucrative investment opportunity, projects serving LMI subscribers may carry the perception of additional risk or lack the scale to attract private financing. Leaders in this space are overcoming these challenges by utilizing innovative financing mechanisms to recruit the required funds while serving the unique needs of LMI participants. 

  This panel will highlight innovative approaches to closing this funding gap by enabling scale and mitigating perceived risks- from recruiting Program Related Investment dollars to issuing Climate Impact Notes. Leaders in the space will speak to the challenges they face in attracting traditional financing, the innovations behind their success, and the benefits to increased accessibility of clean and affordable energy.

  Topics to be discussed:

  • Challenges faced by worthy projects that do not fit the traditional financing model. 

  • Lessons learned from developing financial innovations and working with underserved markets.

  • The potential impact of recent environmental justice policy on the energy industry. 

  Speakers:

  Jason Moore is a Managing Director at NY Green Bank on the Investment & Portfolio Management team, where he works to accelerate the deployment of clean energy assets in New York by structuring and executing transactions for clients and business partners.

  Joel Blaine is the Manager of Business & Project Development at GRID Alternatives. Joel works to develop solar for multifamily affordable housing as well as community solar projects, focusing on innovative financing models to move LMI projects forward.

  Cullen Kasunic is the CFO at BlocPower, an energy efficiency developer and climate technology startup that uses innovative financing and energy data to drive adoption of clean energy products in disadvantaged communities in New York City and nationwide. Over the past decade Cullen has worked across energy asset classes to increase tech adoption through financing.
  

  Moderator: Molly Kiick is a Bard MBA in Sustainability candidate completing a capstone project on energy and environmental justice. She is a Project Manager on the Consulting and Execution team at RR Donnelley.
  

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

  • When
    12 May 2021
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:00 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.

  Our distinguished panel includes:
  

  • Michael Stynes, CEO, Jain Family Institute
  • Raj Balaji, CEO, Ceannate/IonTuition
  • Jukay Hsu, Founder and CEO, Pursuit
  • Jacob Haar, Managing Partner, Community Investment Management

  
  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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• 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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