Welcome to the Impact Money Blog, an independent source of insights on impact investing and social entrepreneurship from the perspective of an investment professional.
I created this blog for two reasons.
First, I am passionate about the work that I do. Since 2007, I have made investments in the developing world and witnessed how a new breed of purpose-driven companies (so-called “social enterprises”) have had a meaningful impact on the lives of the working poor. These companies are designed with the intent of having a positive impact on society and are delivering basic services (such as energy, education and healthcare) in a sustainable (i.e. profitable) manner. Through this blog, I hope to share my experiences with a wider audience and provide examples of both the businesses and the providers of capital that are shaping the impact investing space.
Second, the sector is growing and evolving rapidly and attracting new actors and billions in capital. I hope to shed light on these diverse companies, discover what is motivating them and illuminate how and where they are generating impact. By writing this blog, I also intend to correct what I consider to be certain misconceptions about the industry. A lot of jargon and buzzwords, for example, are being used to describe impact investing these days, which is creating confusion. Terms such as socially responsible investing (“SRI”) and impact investing are being used interchangeably when there are, in my opinion, important distinctions. I have also come across newcomers casually referring to microfinance as “sub-prime” or “pay day” lending, without realizing that the two could not be more unrelated! I hope to bring greater clarity to these subjects and dispel misconceptions and myths.
While my focus will primarily be international, there are many social enterprises addressing the needs of the working poor in the developed world as well.
This is a blog, so the views expressed are my own. They are based on my personal opinions, which have been framed by my experiences in the field of international economic development. I hope to make the site as interactive as possible and welcome feedback and comments from the wider community. I also look forward to your suggestions for future blog topics.
