The climate emergency is having a devastating impact on emerging economies. Without decisive action, this will only become more severe as global temperatures rise and as countries transition toward net zero. Emerging economies are among the nations most exposed to and the least prepared for the effects of climate change. This is particularly the case across Africa, South and South-East Asia, and the Caribbean, where we invest. In this episode of the IMPACT= Podcast, we explore how the climate crisis is affecting businesses in emerging economies through the lens of our Emerging Economies Clim ..read more

In this episode of the IMPACT= podcast, we talk to Vineet Rai, Founder and Chairman of the Aavishkaar Group – an impact investment platform that “exists to bridge the opportunity gap for the emerging three billion”. Founded in 2001 by Vineet, the group comprises of Aavishkaar Capital – the groundbreaking impact investment fund manager, Arohan – a microfinance institution, IntelleGrow – a venture debt company, Tribe3 – a technology-enabled lending platform and IntelleCap – the global impact ecosystem builder. The group also manages Sankalp – a renowned global platform for engagement around imp ..read more

In this episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Jessica Espinoza, Chief Executive Officer of 2X Global – the leading organisation championing the growth of gender lens investment. 2X Global works together with the full spectrum of investors, capital providers, mobilisers, and influencers, with the aim to transform international finance systems through the deployment of gender-smart capital across asset classes and markets. Jessica has a track record in originating, structuring and executing debt, mezzanine and equity deals in emerging and frontier markets with a strong focus on inclusive ..read more

In this episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Kieron Boyle, Chief Executive of the Impact Investing Institute - an independent, non-profit organisation with a vision of transforming capital markets for a sustainable future, where impact investing is an effective tool for deploying capital. Kieron joined the Institute following seven years as Chief Executive of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, one of the world’s oldest foundations, and itself a pioneer in incorporating impact investment into the investment strategy of its £1 billion endowment. At Guy’s & St Thomas’, Kieron has led ..read more

In this episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Sapna Shah, a partner at Novastar Ventures, one of the first and largest VC firms in Africa that focuses on entrepreneurs building transformative businesses in Africa. Originally from Kenya, Sapna started her career in London in international banking, initially at Lloyds TSB and later at HSBC, working with entrepreneurs and SMEs at various stages of their business lifecycle in the UK, US, Europe and the Middle East.  She returned to Kenya in 2012 to continue her passion for working with entrepreneurs, this time as an investor at Acumen ..read more

In this IMPACT = podcast episode, we talk to our Chief Executive Officer, Nick O'Donohoe. Nick joined BII as its Chief Executive in June 2017 and is also a member of the Board. Prior to joining BII, he co-founded Big Society Capital with impact investing pioneer Sir Ronald Cohen. Nick served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2011 to December 2015. BSC is an independent financial institution established by the UK Government as “the world’s first social investment bank”. Previously Nick worked at JP Morgan, latterly as Global Head of Research. He was a member of the Management Committee of ..read more

In our next episode, we talk to Faheen Allibhoy, Managing Director of the JPMorgan Development Finance Institution.  The J.P. Morgan Development Finance Institution (JPM DFI) was launched in January 2020 to spur investment supporting economic development in emerging markets. The JPM DFI aims to increase the origination and distribution of assets with development impact to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.  Faheen is a seasoned investment professional with a deep understanding of international business, emerging markets, and the development agenda. She has sector expertise in ..read more

In our next episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Amit Bouri, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Amit Bouri co-founded of the GIIN in 2009 and today it is the largest global community of impact investors dedicated to increasing the scale and effectiveness of impact investing. Today, Amit dedicates his work to engaging industry leaders, institutional investors, foundations, and leading financial institutions all over the world to advocate for greater integration of social and environmental factors in all investment decisions, and to develop the tools an ..read more

IMPACT = has been founded as a platform to share impact expertise – through an open dialogue with leaders in the industry and a collaborative exchange of ideas, lessons and examples. In our first IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Andy Kuper, Chief Executive Officer of LeapFrog Investments.   Andy Kuper is a world-renowned responsible investment leader, who founded LeapFrog in 2007. Driven by its “Profit with Purpose” mission, today it is one of the world’s leading impact investors, driving social transformation through innovative financial strategies and investments. Focused on emerging mark ..read more

Economic growth across African countries is under half that of the South Asian economies, while Africa has double the portion of unemployed. If the continent is to achieve decent work for all, it needs more formal firms creating quality jobs for the millions of people entering the labour market every year. New research from the Africa Programme at Chatham House (available from 8 September) looks at how to grow larger businesses in sub-Saharan Africa that can create the jobs the continent needs. In this podcast, Alex Vines from the Africa Programme, Alex MacGillivray from CDC, and Chibamba Lopa ..read more