W3: Developing Your Skills
🛎 Weekly Summary
Hello and Welcome to Week 3!
I hope you have enjoyed meeting each other and starting to become familiar with our program. Please continue to do so. Things now start to speed up. I hope you keep thinking about what we started in our Kick Off call: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEARN?
You will explore these questions when you join for our Wednesday Community Call. This is where you take over the program and host yourself. On Wednesday, you’ll have some self-directed fun with discussion and learning time while meeting each other.
This week, we will give you the opportunity to explore what sustainable finance means and how you can develop your skills in the space. We'll have a great session introducing you to the topic, key skills, and talking points about how sustainable finance is good for the planet, people, and profit. So join us for that skill session on Friday!
And please review the learning materials we’ve put together like the reading from GIIN, or the Impact Investing Institute, or our Intro to Impact Investing.
What You Need To Do:
Please Introduce Yourself to Miro
Rewatch the Kick Off
Join the WhatsApp channel
Catch up on past readings
Check out the additional resources we’ve added to the playbook
We also have some social time you can participate in and our partners in NYC, BASIC, are hosting an in person happy hour and networking. So please do see those below or join from our calendar. See you online.
This week, we have plenty of learning opportunities to go deep into understanding the current system and what needs to be addressed for it to become sustainable.
Join for our:
Weekly Community Call - Your Question & Self-Directed Discussion
Skill Session - The Argument for Sustainable Investing
Additional partner sessions
Recommended readings and videos
Week 3: Developing Your Sustainable Finance Skills
What You Need to Do:
Introduce Yourself To/On MIRO
We'll be using the online chalkboard for our Fellowship. It is a very helpful collaboration tool but requires you to create an account. Please do so by following this link and registering your email. You'll then get access to the platform.
We'll be using this platform for a number of future activities, so sign up now.
Watch our Kick Off Session
Summary - The Kickoff meeting for the Fellowship Community Call #1 welcomed participants from 18 countries, with Stephen introducing the NEIII fellowship program and our focus on sustainable finance and impact investing in the coming weeks and months. Fellows shared their backgrounds, and their desire to make connections and gain knowledge. Guest speakers, Lubna Elia and Adwoa Asare, shared insights and resources to support the fellows’ journeys. The structure of the program was outlined, emphasizing a collaborative approach through community calls, skill sessions, and fellow-led initiatives, with the Playbook identified as a key resource. Networking opportunities were provided in breakout sessions, further encouraging communication via a dedicated WhatsApp group. Participants concluded the meeting with action items such as updating their profile to include NEIII, setting personal goals, and engaging with recommended resources to enhance their experience in the program.
Next Steps:
TO WATCH THE RECORDING AND ACCESS RESOURCES, CLICK HERE
Join Communication Platforms
If you haven’t yet, please make sure to join our WhatsApp group and LinkedIn groups so you can socialize with each other and share resources. There is also a group for our growing LinkedIn community and our Meetup page, which has over 1,000 people.
If you do not join these platforms now, you might miss a crucial part of the program: connecting with each other and our broader community.
Catch Up on Recommended Readings
We've curated several helpful reading resources—videos, articles, and blogs—that will help us share knowledge and language. These resources also expose you to the ecosystem and thought leaders developing content for the space. At the very least, try to spend a little time reviewing the first resources.
Week 1 ResourcesWeek 2 ResourcesJob Boards and Sharing Links
We've spent some time currating recent postings and developed partnerships with groups sharing resources on a regular basis like Impact Entrepreneur's LinkedIn group or Impact Alpha's job board. Below are another two recommended resources.
Our community shares and reposts jobs, internships, and projects here all the time. And was first created by our advisor, Andrea McGrath <3.
Impact Jobs LinkedIn Group #Impactjobs * Post Opportunities * Engage with Our Community * Invite Colleagues to Join
Impact Pool - Check out Impact Pool for roles in development banks. Check out more about Impact Pool and their Career Fairs <— Check this out
Community Call
In Week 3, you'll start with taking over the program. I trust you are ready to jump in the deep in and make use of the program. You take over today's session. You'll direct the conversation
Join Online Wednesday, Feb 19th - Register Here
Self-Directed Fun - where you and your cohort direct the conversation and learning. We'll have some directions for you to open and close breakout rooms and some content you review, and these spaces are completely there for you to connect and learn together.
Prompt for Discussion - Finding Your Impact Investing Question
Take some time to consider what your own impact investing question is. It can be on the very personal level (How can I pivot into working in impact investing? OR Can my scale of impact grow with my own dollars?), or it might range to the global scale (How can sustainable finance catalyze a smooth transition to renewable energy and regenerative agriculture? How can the EU taxonomy drive sustainable financing?)) Think about what that question is for you?
You will explore this question together over the coming months. You'll go deeper into the areas that interest you. We'll base this exploration on the resources we curate from topics like the fundamentals of Impact Investing & SusFin or to skills like impact measurement & reporting, or we'll explore more sector-specific requests like the role of impact investing in making healthcare more accessible or how to best weave the topic into academia. This is where you get to decide to go.
We really want to make sure we address a big part of these questions & also see how they evolve as we start learning together. And we invite you to stay curious & open to be surprised by some different perspectives & angles, in particular, presented in community calls from your peers.
How much you take from the fellowship will depend on your commitment & finding your way to zoom in & navigate. Please take the time you want to give for some reflection. This is all going to feel overwhelming. But we've designed this as a learning journey so you don't get lost and you have friends to go swimming with. So, where do you begin? Right now.
Skill Sessions
The Argument for Sustainable Investing - US SIF and Jenny Coombs
Hello Fellows, we're going to start hosting some times for you to connect with each other and stay up to date with what's h
Sustainable investing isn’t just ethical — it’s smart.
Sustainable funds outperformed traditional counterparts by nearly double in median total returns in 2023 (Morgan Stanley).
Many impact investors meet or exceed their expected returns (GIIN).
Sustainable investing is here to stay – and it’s growing in popularity (Morgan Stanley).
Join us as Jenny Coombs speaks about what Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing actually mean, and helps to debunk some of the most common myths and misconceptions. Her session gives us a chance to practice arguing for and compelling other investors to consider sustainability, impact, and regeneration. Prepare to role-play together as Jenny shares resources and opportunities to tell the story of sustainable finance.
See below for past resources and information from her workshops with us.
Jenny has shared some content from past workshops she's done with us in our Google Drive.
NEIII Fellowship Social Time
Hello Fellows, we're going to start hosting some times for you to connect with each other and stay up to date with what's happening in our program. You get to meet some other Fellows, we get to deepen our relationship with you. So come get some time to talk and explore whatever is on our minds or hearts.
Our Spring 2025 program is underway, and we'll have some in-person opportunities in New York and Boston if you are available. And more public events, let us know if you'd like to participate in upcoming sessions. And hope you'll come say hi during the next two social spot.
I'm looking forward to starting these on a regular basis. In the spirit of co-creation, our own Fall 2024 Fellow, Cecilia Raza, will join us to help host the next two Friday socials. I'm happy to introduce Cecilia, and with your help, we can organize more if you would like to host a call. Join Our Friday Social! > sign up and check your time zone below NEIII Fellowship SocialTime #1Fri, Feb 21·10:00 – 11:00am ET, 4:00pm CET https://calendar.app.google/HytDCUCGRp2trQh99
NEIII Fellowship SocialTime #2Fri, Feb 28·7:00 – 8:00am, 1:00pm CET https://calendar.app.google/T3onh1S5t8S2LXMw5
Past and present Fellows can join to meet each other and connect. We will have a semi-guided structure to the session, with the space being open for you to interact and connect in a relaxed fashion. See you online.
🧠 Impact Investing Knowledge
All investments have impact. Every time capital is deployed into a fund, company, project, or deal, there is impact — on enterprises, communities, people (including investors, managers, workers, customers, and other stakeholders), and the environment. Some of that impact might be positive, some might be negative, and some might be neither particularly negative nor positive. As defined by the Global Impact Investing Network in 2009:
Impact investments are investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. (www.thegiin.org)
In this short, concise definition, which provides a broad umbrella to a range of activities, there are two central concepts that are important to understand.
Week 3 ResourcesIt is recommended that you spend the time reading this intro piece from our friends at Miint. And then go into the recommended resources we provide.
🧰 Additional Learning Resources
Impact Alpha Weekly: The Brief
The Week in Impact Investing: Theories of Change
As we heard repeatedly this week, “The work goes on.” Local enclaves are nurturing new models and demonstrating possibilities for shared prosperity, as Roodgally Senatus documented in his profile of a strip mall in Portland that is helping neighborhood families build wealth and community ownership. In global supply chains, where forced labor remains distressingly common, investors are more important than ever in identifying abuse of low-wage migrants and pushing portfolio companies to disclose their “social audits,” good or bad, argued E. Benjamin Skinner of the nonprofit investigative group Transparentem. Monitoring impact is not an overhead burden, but “an important part of building a business and reaching the holy grail for any startup: product-market fit,” argue 60 Decibels’ Ellie Turner and Tom Adams, and Malika Anand of Catalyst Fund, who introduced a new design goal: “product-impact” fit.
Below, Amy profiles Cynthia Muller, Brian Trelstad and Kendall Bedford, who will be honored by Impact Capital Managers next month. There are many more such talented managers on The Liist, our newly upgraded database of impact fund managers who are actively raising capital. This month’s roundup from Jessica and Lucy Ngige highlights emerging managers forging ahead with inclusive and climate investment strategies. There has been a lot of loose talk about “creative destruction,” and the destruction is certainly ongoing. The creative solutions of Agents of Impact will be vital for the reconstruction ahead. – David Bank
The Week's Podcast
Listen to the new episode of This Week in Impact. Get the podcast in your feed by subscribing on Apple or Spotify.
The Week's Agents of Impact
Impact alpha fund managers chart a path through uncertain times. Eight years ago, about two dozen impact fund managers gathered at Harvard Business School to create a network for market-rate investment managers committed to positive social impact. Fund managers like DBL Partners, Bridges Fund Management and SJF Ventures didn’t quite fit in with either the impact-first or the purely returns-seeking asset management firms. Next month, Impact Capital Managers, an association of fund managers seeking “superior returns and meaningful impact,” will honor individuals that have been central to building the network, which has grown to more than 140 members with $70 billion in assets under management. Brian Trelstad, a partner with Bridges’ US Sustainable Growth Fund, helped catalyze ICM and other core institutions of impact investing. Cynthia Muller of the WK Kellogg Foundation was an early funder and a trailblazer in broadening the scope of impact investments. Kendall Bedford, an associate at SustainVC, won this year’s “emerging leader” award.
Private capital for public good. Misperceptions around impact and financial performance have been put to rest by the track records of these early pioneers. The business case these managers helped build will be critical in navigating an uncertain and sometimes hostile new landscape. Impact Capital Managers’ members will converge on Capitol Hill to press their case ahead of the awards gala on Tuesday, March 18. Even in these uncertain times, “there are huge opportunities for private capital to step in and continue to finance solutions that really make a measurable difference in everyday people's lives,” Trelstad tells ImpactAlpha.
Business case for diversity. As director of mission investments at WK Kellogg Foundation, Muller has championed first-time fund managers such as VamosVentures, Founder’s First Capital Partners, and Harlem Capital Partners, all of which are diverse-led and focused. “It has been truly a gift watching and supporting each one of these general partners through their journeys,” she says. Muller is concerned with what she sees as a “dismantling” of much of the impact support system and urges impact professionals to separate the signal from the noise and find opportunities in the tumult. “It's all about the business case,” she says. “And we have to adapt that voice into our work.”
Creating the future. Bedford, an associate at SustainVC and a former ICM Mosaic fellow, started as an ecologist. "Over time, the conversation about climate just wasn't enough," she says. As a woman of color, "I wanted to start having more conversations about, ‘How can we help Americans that look like me, or who don't have access to the same quality of resources, get those services?’" Her masters thesis at Wharton analyzed diversity in impact investing (impact firms scored better on gender than racial diversity, she says, though the methodology was imperfect). At SustainVC, she works on sourcing and vetting deals across the firm’s themes of climate and inclusive access to education, healthcare, finance and jobs. “The most important thing that I would advocate for right now is that we all keep on keeping on, doing the work that we're proud of and we believe in,” she says. “We shouldn't let any discouragement get in the way of creating the future that we want to see in the world. That's why I'm happy to be involved in impact."
Keep reading, “Impact alpha fund managers chart a path through uncertain times,” by Amy Cortese on ImpactAlpha.
The Week's Spotlight
Mobile Pathways raises $1 million for AI tools for US immigration attorneys. Immigration legal and advocacy groups in the US have had a lot more work to take on since President Donald Trump came back into office. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s social media pages have been repurposed to name and shame undocumented immigrants. San Francisco-based nonprofit Mobile Pathways is using artificial intelligence to help immigrants get access to reliable and timely legal assistance and representation. Its Pathfinder software provides immigration law firms and nonprofits with a case repository and automated status alerts for clients and their families. Pathfinder collects and analyzes government case information to provide, in under two minutes, a ready file of information that would otherwise take a paralegal or case worker up to an hour to assemble. “Pathfinder in about 90 seconds will tell you everything the US government knows” about an immigrant, Mobile Pathways’ Bartlomiej Jan Skorupa told ImpactAlpha. The tool is being used by hundreds of organizations in more than two dozen states; most of its users are based in California and Texas. GitLab Foundation, Firedoll Foundation, AlleyCorp and Fast Forward last week provided $1 million to accelerate the technology’s development and rollout.
Security sensitivity. Skorupa, himself an immigrant to the US from Poland, recalls his family’s difficulties navigating the US’s complex immigration system. Detentions and deportations reached a 10-year peak last year under President Joe Biden. “You have to have an attorney,” Skorupa said, but two out of three immigrants in court can’t afford legal representation. Organizations like the San Francisco Bar Association's Justice and Diversity Center send attorneys to volunteer at immigration court proceedings. “It’s like firefighting,” said Skorupa. "They’ve got five or 10 minutes to learn about [each case]." Mobile Pathways' AI tool is free, but the organization first vets each attorney and organization, “making sure the people that get access to Pathfinder are acting in the best interest of immigrants,” Skorupa said. “We make it very hard to get into, and we keep the security, from a digital perspective, as tight as possible.”
Time saving. Mobile Pathways has gone the difficult route of building most of its AI capabilities in-house. Pathfinder was co-designed with many of the organizations now using it. Their feedback: “This is amazing – and a little scary,” Skorupa said, adding, “That’s a healthy attitude.” Legal nonprofits need to integrate AI to speed up grant writing, legal briefs and other necessary, routine tasks. “Ultimately AI is a tool – and a very powerful one. How you wield it should be taken with great care.”
Share this post, and catch up on all of this week's dealflow reporting.
The Week's Talent and Jobs
Ninety One appointed Samantha Cleyn, previously with BMO Global Asset Management, as head of its institutional division in Canada… BMO Commercial Bank welcomed Taylor Sekhon, previously with Social Capital Partners, as employee ownership managing director… Vanina Farber of the International Institute for Management Development joined the Global Future Council on Innovative Financing for Nature and Climate… John Morton is stepping down in March as managing director and head of Americas at Pollination.
Sustainable Capital Advisors welcomed four research and analyst fellows: Georgetown University's Manon Fuchs, Arizona State University’s Cody Miller, Duke University’s Keanu Valibia, and Alessandra Pelliccia of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business… HSBC selected Julian Wentzel to replace Celine Herweijer as chief sustainability officer… Azolla Ventures promoted Ally Harada to head of finance and operations.
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation tapped Mandy Price, previously with Kanarys, as managing director… Former US Senator Joe Manchin has been named as an advisor to Apollo Global, including on energy markets, and will join the board of the firm’s retirement services unit, Athene Holding… Kiva recruited Beatriz Ospina, former head of international members and programs coordinator for Latimpacto, as investment manager… Anthony Bugg-Levine joined Axum as a part-time senior advisor.
That's a wrap. Have a wonderful weekend.
📅 Related sessions & offerings
Additional resources will be added following our live sessions.
Wed 12.02 - Community Call - 12noon ET, 6 pm CET - our community calls continue this time you take over the discussion and direct it yourself. We will go like this every other Wednesday. Look forward to you joining
NOTE: If you will not join, please respond to the calendar invite.
Fri. 02.21 - Skill Session: Intro to Sustainable Finance - Register here
https://calendar.app.google/vxHq75hHMTzPVAeb7 Fri. 02.21 - Social Time - Register here https://calendar.app.google/P9uJjbqNcBzK75CV8
Fri. 02.21 - Skill Session - The Argument for Sustainable Investing with Jenny Coombs https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88384588465
BASIC NY - in person meetup
Upcoming Event
Join us on Thursday, February 20th, 2025 at 6:00 PM at Kingston Hall for a night of fun and learning about sustainability. At this event, you'll have the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact on the environment.
Come and enjoy delicious snacks and drinks while discussing ways we can all contribute to a greener future. Don't miss out on this chance to connect with others who share your commitment to sustainability!
RSVP here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainability-social-tickets-1234140239679?aff=oddtdtcreator
See you there!
BASIC NY Steering Committee
Jen Louie, Lucian Chown, Griffin Genet, Ivy Trzebuck
TO SUBSCRIBE TO BASIC
visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/basic-new-york/CAOpaBtno8B59BDiAg-6UDHHkMXnmWVbQ7BOXb48Dha871XMXrA%40mail.gmail.com.
Quick Links:
📹 Week 3 Recordings & Resources
Skill Session: The Argument for Sustainable Investing
Click here for more info: Resources
📹 Watch Here - Join Here
📓 Jenny's Slides & Google Drive
Summary
The Skill Session titled "The Argument for Sustainable Investing," led by Jenny Coombs from US SIF, offered participants a comprehensive overview of sustainable investing trends and practices. The meeting began with an introduction highlighting Jenny's expertise, followed by a detailed presentation on US SIF and its biannual Trends Report, which reveals significant growth in sustainable investing strategies, including the recent precedence of fossil fuels as the primary exclusion in portfolios. Participants then engaged in a breakout session to discuss the benefits and challenges of sustainable investing. Jenny addressed common myths surrounding ESG investments, clarifying misconceptions related to returns and fiduciary responsibilities, and emphasized the evolution of companies toward sustainability. The session concluded with a Q&A segment, where participants were encouraged to explore further educational resources and student membership options with US SIF. Action items included updates to resource materials and plans for future discussions on sustainable finance perspectives.
🙆♂️ Jenny's Bio
Join us as Jenny speaks about what Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing actually mean, and helps to debunk some of the most common myths and misconceptions. Her session gives us a chance to practice arguing for and compelling other investors to consider sustainability, impact, and regeneration. Prepare to role-play together as Jenny shares resources and opportunities to tell the story of sustainable finance.
Jenny Coombs. - Head of Content & Development, US SIF
Short Bio
As the Head of Content & Development for US SIF, Jenny leads the strategic vision and implementation of US SIF's educational programs and membership services.
She has over fifteen years of experience in the financial services industry, from technical and fundamental analysis to equity research, trading, and portfolio management. Jenny is most known for spearheading the development of the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC®) designation program when working as an associate professor at The College for Financial Planning (Kaplan Wealth Management), and she continues to work part-time with CFFP as an adjunct professor.
In 2023, she was named an honoree on Investment News 40 Under 40 list and in 2022 was awarded CFFP’s Faculty of the Year. She is a two-time TEDx speaker, and her insights have been featured in The New York Times, AP News, The Journal of Financial Planning, Market Watch, and Financial Planning Magazine.
Jenny holds a Master of Science in Finance (MSF) from The College for Financial Planning and her bachelor's degree in financial analysis and political science from Clarkson University. She is based in Vermont.
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