Meredith Shields’ Post

Check out my interview with AARP below, where we delve into impact investing, AgeTech and what the Citi Impact Fund is doing in this space! https://lnkd.in/ebsirHNH

We're hosting our first Impact Investing Summit at the offices of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP in Manhattan the afternoon of Thursday, November 7th. There will be two panels, one I'm moderating and one moderated by Robert B. Weiss. If you have an active or even academic interest in impact funds, particularly non-concessionary impact funds, you should attend. My panel will include Philip Reeves of Apis & Heritage Capital Partners, Susie Qian of BlackRock, Shundrawn Thomas of The Copia Group, LLC, and Michael Korengold of Enhanced Capital. I expect a lively discussion on a number of issues about the past, present and future of impact funds. Rob's panel includes Alex Smit of Ares Management Corporation; Natalie Edwards, formerly the Apis & Heritage Chief Legal Officer and a current advisor; and Terrence Purcell, CAIA, currently of Longwall Partners and former Head of Alternatives at the State of Connecticut Office of the Treasurer. They will discuss, among other things, how to structure and raise an impact fund and, in the case of Ares, an interesting (and in at least some ways culturally transformative) alternative to impact funds, essentially impact "managers." We think the ghost of Adam Smith may be in the room, for impact funds may be a solution that "enlightened" self-interest uses to apply the powerful tools of capitalism to the most pressing ills of our age. What could be a better use of a few hours of your time? Join us.

🎥 2024 Fund Insights: What we learned and where we're headed   Last week, we hosted a webinar sharing Aurum Impact’s journey and insights from evaluating 96 funds this year. It was fantastic to connect with so many of you and exchange ideas on the challenges and opportunities in impact fund investing.   For those who couldn’t join, here’s a recap of what we discussed:   🛠 What we're looking for in impact funds At Aurum Impact, we evaluate funds against several criteria that reflect our mission to drive measurable and intentional impact:   ➡ Impact Frameworks: We prioritize funds with a strong theory of change and robust impact KPIs. Clear articulation of how impact is embedded into the investment process and portfolio management is critical. ➡ SFDR: While SFDR Article 9 funds are a preference due to their explicit sustainability objectives, we also work with Article 8 and non-EU funds if they meet rigorous impact standards—including signing an impact and ESG side letter to ensure alignment. ➡ ESG Practices: Beyond regulatory classifications, we look for funds that actively integrate ESG considerations throughout the investment process. ESG isn’t just a box-ticking exercise—it’s a foundation for long-term resilience and value creation. ➡ Diversity: Diversity within fund teams and portfolio companies is key to innovation and success. We actively assess how funds embed diversity in their strategy and decision-making processes.   🌱 Outlook: What the ecosystem needs The impact investing ecosystem has tremendous potential, but to unlock it, we see three critical areas for improvement:   ➡ More funds in underinvested themes: Climate investing is well-represented, but we need more funds tackling challenges like biodiversity and social equity. ➡ Regulatory clarity on SFDR: While SFDR is a powerful tool, navigating unclear guidelines and differing interpretations remains a challenge. ➡ Harmonized impact assessment approaches: Consistent methodologies are vital to assess and compare impact effectively across funds.   💡 Advice for GPs & LPs Drawing on our learnings, we shared practical advice to strengthen the ecosystem:   ➡ For GPs: Know your LP and what the LP is looking for, focus on a strong USP, impact excellence, and building a diverse, complementary team to maximize your competitive edge. ➡ For LPs: Commit more capital to impact, support emerging managers, and drive systemic change through collaboration and engaging beyond fund investing alone.   💬 Interested in diving deeper into any of these topics or need help in evaluating an impact fund? We’d love to continue the conversation. Drop us a message or comment below!

White Oak Impact Fund is a mutual fund that creates a financial return and good social and environmental impact. Socially responsible investing (SRI) and impact investing have become very popular in the ever-changing world of investments. The White Oak Impact Fund is a well-known name in this field. What exactly is the promise of the White Oak Impact Fund? #impactfund #mutualfund #whiteoak #WhiteOakImpactFund’

👉 💚 📈 Impact linked compensation Impact linked compansation helps impact fund managers to turn their intention into reality. Thanks a lot World Economic Forum, for giving me the opportunity to shed light on this important topic. Check out the link to the article below. #ChiDeepImpact, #ImpactVC, #Intentionality John Dutton, Allison Voss, Ross Chainey

BlueMark's Tristan Hackett recently spoke with David Bank at ImpactAlpha to discuss whether fund managers are prepared to set and meet impact performance targets. The conversation highlighted findings from BlueMark's Making the Mark report, which revealed that only 42% of clients require impact performance targets as a condition for their investments. Tristan noted that while there are valid reasons this practice isn't yet widespread in impact investing, there are also some questionable ones. Read on to uncover the reasons behind these trends, key steps fund managers can take to improve target-setting, and how BlueMark is piloting solutions to ensure fund managers stay on track and deliver on their promises. https://lnkd.in/gqskjQMs

Here's a handy resource for Impact Investors on the Due Diligence front: #impactvc #earlystage #vc #fund

With impact funds booming, it's crucial to separate genuine efforts from marketing hype. Impact-linked compensation can bridge that gap, ensuring fund managers' interests align with real-world impact. 💡 Read Top Investor Christin ter Braak-Forstinger, Dr., LL.M.'s insights on how this model fosters accountability and drives meaningful change in the impact investing sector: https://ow.ly/Zj1s50T1SAa Chi Impact Capital #ImpactInvesting #Accountability #SocialImpact

📈 Turning intention into reality🌍. Thanks a lot World Economic Forum UpLink - World Economic Forum for giving me the opportunity to share some practical insights why i believe that impact linked compensation will become the new normal. #ImpactLinkedCompensation, #ImpactInvesting, #ChiDeepImpact

Great read on the evolving Impact investing space, where emerging managers have accounted for 55% of Impact fund closes over the past 5 years. However, despite emerging managers making up more than half of the closes, the total capital raised is still dominated by experienced managers. Last year only 18% of total Impact capital raised went towards emerging managers, with 82% being raised by experienced fund managers.