The Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific will be hosted from 30-31 March at the ICC Sydney.
Future Alternative‘s sister publication OnImpact, is hosting the seventh annual Impact Investment Summit this March, with the two day event comprising a series of keynote sessions, plenaries, panel discussions, interactive breakouts and pitch presentations.
The 2023 theme is ‘Mainstreaming Impact’, and the event aims to help “shift capital as a force for good” and help the once-niche domain of impact investing move into the mainstream.
According to Rob Irving, co-founder of the Impact Investment Summit, the event has broad appeal, with investors of all shape and sizes, as well as start-ups and budding entrepreneurs to attend. Additionally, the Summit will include content particularly relevant to those in the alternative protein space.
“The 2023 Impact Investment Summit marks its seventh year of mobilising community and capital for good of people and planet,” he told Future Alternative.
“Regenerative future and agriculture feature in the program. The regen and new protein space is attracting strong interest among investors in pursuit of positive impacts on the environment and the communities that produce these foods and products. In addition, a growing number of start-up enterprises in the space attend the Summit to build awareness among and attract funds from investors.”
You can view the program in full here, but highlights include:
KEYNOTE SESSIONS
- The State of Investing – Susheela Perez de Costa, Principal (The Stewardship Centre); Katherine Palmer, Executive Director, Strategic Balance Sheet Management at NSW Treasury (Office of Social Impact Investment); Moderated by Louise Walsh, CEO (Walsh Capital) – Where we are in the investment space, and specifically what opportunities and challenges we are currently facing.
- Best in the World – Pathfinding and Breaking Barriers – Sir Ronald Cohen, Impact Investing Pioneer; Tom Hall, Global Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy at UBS – Best-in-class case studies and what it means to be one of the pathfinders and barrier breakers.
- Moving Beyond Net Zero – Kat Kimmorley, Head of Commercial and Investments (Boundless Earth); Tim Buckley (Climate Energy Finance) – How we have moved from net zero to net positive and a paradigm of leaving things better than we found them.
PLENARIES
- Leading the Way – Natural Capital and Decarbonisation – Nigel Sharp CEO (Tiverton Agriculture Impact Fund); Izzy Jensen, Founder (Kakariki Capital); Toby Grogan, COO and Natural Capital Manager (ImpactAG Partners); Moderator: Mary Delahunty, Managing Director (Seven Advisory) – Inspiring solutions and best-in-class investment opportunities for a regenerative future through decarbonisation and natural capital.
- ESG is Not Impact – Who Gets to Decide? – Kerry Series, Founder Partner (North Star Impact); Lucy Steed, CEO and Co-Founder (Melior Investment Management); Brynn O’Brien, Executive Director (ACCR); Rachel Etherington, Partner and Investment Advisor (LGT Crestone); Moderator: Dr Stuart Palmer, Head of Ethics Research (Australian Ethical) – Where ESG and Impact are similar, different, and ultimately who gets to decide.
- The Nexus Between Money and Wellbeing – Jono Nicholas, Founder (Wellbeing Outfit); Jack Heath, CEO (Philanthropy Australia); Moderator: Dr Joe Fernandes, Group Chief Investment Officer and Executive General Manager (Australian Unity Funds Management) – Mental health and wellbeing experts on the connection between money, impact and wellbeing.
PANELS
- Pushing Boundaries: Creating Tension for the Sake of Growth – A panel with the new generation to hear about how they are working to shift capital impact.
- Leading the Way – Oceans, Food Systems and Measuring Impact – It’s not just important to do the work on oceans and food systems. How do we know we are having the impact we want?
- Impact Investing – What Have We Got To Show For It? – A provocation to stimulate debate and opinion and critical issues in impact investing.
- Foundations Driving Impact – We are increasingly seeing gifts of capital bequeathed to impact investing – the people in the room where it happens let us know what’s happening and how it works.
INTERACTIVE BREAKOUTS
- Institutions and Impacts: What’s the State of Play?
- Impact and Tech: The Next Revolution
- Market Building: Policy and Thought Leadership to Shape Impact Outcomes
- Values Aligned Portfolio Building
- Capital Raising for Impact Entrepreneurs
- Navigating Family Office Dynamics
- Catalytic Capital: What the Hell is it?
The event will also comprise ImpactConnect Pitch sessions: five minute capital raise pitches showcasing bespoke investing opportunities that have the potential to deliver tangible investor benefits and measurable impact.
“The 2023 Impact Investment Summit will shine a light on the nuts and bolts of how and where we can shift more capital to create the world we want to see,” the OnImpact team said.
“It will be for anyone who is ready to or already using their capital as a force for good. There’ll be something for everyone no matter their position on the continuum of impact investing. From beginners to experts, we’re taking a solutions and future-focused approach, including First Nations wisdom, gender, equity and diversity lenses, natural capital and next (and new) gen in the conversation. Onwards and upwards with wisdom, courage and action!”
For more information and to buy Early Bird tickets, click here.
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