Impact Forum 2014: Taking impact investing to the mainstream

IIX and Shujog, two Singapore-based Social Enterprises (SEs) focused on raising impact investment capital and magnifying SEs’ impact across Asia Pacific, are hosting the sixth annual Impact Forum. Impact Forum is a gathering of professionals from across the globe who are using capital markets and finance to bring about social and environmental good. Impact Forum 2014 will - for the first time - be hosted on two continents in Singapore and Paris on June 12-13.

With a theme of ‘From Niche to Mass,’ Impact Forum will focus on brainstorming and creating actionable opportunities to involve everyone in the impact investing space. The 2-day Forum will involve investors, entrepreneurs, donors and intermediaries in the growing field of social finance. Experienced professionals will share and facilitate discussions about how to deepen and accelerate impact investing. Some of the more technical discussions will center on innovations in five key sectors: agriculture, energy, water, education and healthcare.

This year’s Forum will bridge the gap between mainstream capital markets and the so-far niche but growing area of impact investing. Experienced panelists will discuss and highlight the numerous examples in which financial return and social impact are not mutually exclusive and are, in fact, mutually reinforcing. The inaugural inter-continental Impact Forum will be held simultaneously in Singapore and Paris, with our partner Le Comptoir de L’Innovation (CDI). Together, we will host in Paris exclusive panel discussions as well as live streaming from Singapore.

Former President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Laureate, Dr. José Ramos-Horta, will deliver the keynote address on how social enterprise contributes to promoting peace. Professor Durreen Shahnaz, founder of Shujog and IIX, will discuss during her opening remarks how the space of impact investing has grown from a niche industry to mainstream in only a few years.

Interactive sessions that provide case studies and lessons learned by impact investors, social enterprises, and other critical stakeholders include the following:

  • Unlocking Investment through Technical Assistance: About the exciting initiatives being deployed in Asia and around the world to prepare social enterprises for raising capital.
  • Private Equity for Social Enterprises: This panel draws attention to the work private equity firms have done for Social Enterprises and discusses opportunities going forward.
  • Mobilizing Institutional Investors: Taking impact investing from margin to mainstream by addressing the needs of the world’s largest capital providers.

Other featured speakers include:

  • Christopher Harvey, Global Leader of Financial Services, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd
  • Nishith Desai, Founder of Nishith Desai Associates, a multi-skilled, research-based international law firm
  • Lisa Hall, Managing Director of Impact Investing, Anthos Asset Management
  • Pavan Sukhdev, Founder-CEO of GIST Advisory, a consulting collaborative that evaluates externalities for governments, businesses, and NGOs

Among others, Impact Forum 2014 supporting partners include the Rockefeller Foundation, KKR, DBS Bank, Singapore Tourism Board, NTUC FairPrice, and Bloomberg.

About Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX):
IIX is a SE dedicated to creating vibrant social capital markets in Asia Pacific. It operates three capital-raising platforms tailored for SEs at various stages of growth - Impact Incubator™, Impact Partners™ and, together with the Stock Exchange of Mauritius, Impact Exchange™. Impact Exchange is the world’s first fully operational social stock exchange and is strategically located in Mauritius, connecting Asia and Africa. These platforms showcase SEs, seeking growth capital to a global audience of impact investors. Together these platforms provide SEs greater opportunities to scale and expand their positive impact. IIX is based in Singapore. More information can be found at www.asiaiix.com

About Impact Investment Shujog Limited (Shujog):
Shujog is a not-for-profit SE based in Singapore. Its mission is to strengthen, deepen, and expand the impact SEs deliver in poor and marginalized communities. To date, nearly 1 million underserved people have benefited from Shujog’s social value creation; over 1,200 impact investing professionals have been introduced to the social finance space through education and training; and more than 20,000 people have been engaged and exposed to the field of social enterprises and impact investing through Shujog’s work. As Shujog diversifies its impact-driven activities across countries and sectors, its footprint in Asia Pacific has become both broad and deep, allowing us to effectively play the intermediary role, be a thought leader, and build bridges among stakeholders.

More information can be found at www.shujog.org

For media queries, please contact:
Li Kah Yan, Advocacy
Email: kli@asiaiix.com
Telephone: (65) 6221 7051

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