This Week in Impact

🎧 This Week in Impact. Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Why Trump's order to cut a Main Street lending program led to a rare GOP rebuke. How Canadian employee ownership trusts offer a path to shared prosperity along with protecting national sovereignty (06:17). And finally, as private equity fundraising becomes more competitive, how GPs can differentiate on impact (12:53).

RSVP for the call:

• https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3AUkUaVZTyivXhXx0oVsrw

Story links:

“⁠Threat to CDFI Fund gives community lenders a chance to flex bipartisan support⁠,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese

“In Canada, employee ownership trusts offer a path to shared prosperity and national sovereignty,” by Roodgally Senatus.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The significance of noted green banker Mark Carney’s new role as Canadian Prime Minister; what’s at stake as US climate policy heads to the courts (06:41); and, why one impact fund manager says low-income customers are more profitable – and has the data to prove it (12:25)

Story Links:

• "Canada puts a green banker in charge of its response to Trump,” by Amy Cortese and David Bank.
• “EPA raises the stakes in battle over $20 billion in green bank grants,” by Amy Cortese and Isaac Silk.
• “Climate United carries legal banner in battle for the green bank,” by David Bank and Amy Cortese.
• "Elevar Equity says low-income customers are more profitable – and has the data to prove it," by Shefali Anand.

Host Brian Walsh chats with ImpactAlpha’s emerging markets reporter Lucy Ngige. Up this week: Why the mood at two impact investing conferences in Nairobi was hopeful, despite the US foreign aid freeze. Plus, a roundup of some of the most interesting recent emerging markets deals.

Check out all of the deals here:

• ⁠https://impactalpha.com/browse/beats/dealflow/⁠

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: Jessica digs in on food and agriculture in East Africa. Emerging fund managers in the ownership economy deliver returns to investors by sharing the wealth with workers, families and communities. And, what the EU Commission’s revamped rules mean for climate and sustainability disclosure.

Links:

• "GPs deliver ownership investing strategies for LPs of all sizes," by Jessica Pothering
  

• “The European Union is poised to scale back its ambitious climate finance regulations, too,” by Louie Woodall.
  

Timecodes:

• 00:00 Impact Investing Insights from East Africa
• 11:04 Emerging Trends in the Ownership Economy
• 17:39 EU Climate Regulations: A Shift in Strategy

This week, Brian and David discuss the resilience of impact investing amidst political upheaval, focusing on emerging markets, small businesses, and climate strategies. Also, the evolving dynamics between limited partners (LPs) and general partners (GPs) in the investment landscape, particularly through co-investments. Finally they cover the University of Utah's new initiative to become a hub for impact investing education.

00:00 Impact Investing Amidst Political Turmoil

07:30 The Evolving LP/GP Relationship

14:27 University of Utah: A New Epicenter for Impact Investing

Relevant links:

• Sign up for the LP/GP newsletter.⁠⁠
• “⁠⁠EPA’s efforts to claw back ‘green bank’ funds hit a snag⁠⁠,” by Amy Cortese.
• “⁠African leadership is reshaping the continent’s small business investing ecosystem⁠,” by Lucy Ngige.
• “⁠Climate and development challenges spur development finance institutions to unlock private capital⁠,” by Leslie Maasdorp of British International Investment.
• “⁠Why TPG’s Jim Coulter is bullish on impact⁠,” by Amy Cortese.
• “⁠That (mixed) feeling when your LP co-invests in the sweet deal you’ve just negotiated⁠,” by David Bank.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: An innovative investment vehicle turns a strip mall in Portland into a community investment trust that’s helping local renters build family wealth; the Liist gets a facelift and the importance of highlighting the raises of emerging fund managers; plus, why impact investors are split on President Trump's proposal to axe the carried interest tax loophole.

Links:

Timestamps:

On this episode of 'This Week in Impact' Brian Walsh and Jessica pother discuss the implications of the Trump administration's freeze on development finance, the evolving landscape of voluntary carbon markets driven by corporate buyers, and the challenges facing private equity in the healthcare sector.

Story links:

"⁠Corporate buyers nudge voluntary carbon markets toward higher-quality projects⁠," by Jessica Pothering

“⁠An allocators guide to reigning in private equity’s worst excesses in healthcare⁠,” by Ibrahim Rashid

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Stories featured in this week's episode:

⁠Mission-driven funders scramble to respond to federal funding freeze⁠⁠, by Amy Cortese and David Bank

Call roundup: ⁠https://impactalpha.com/calls/⁠

⁠How machine learning and AI can be harnessed for mission-based lending⁠⁠, by Mar Diteos Rendon, Nicole Jansma and Sachi Shenoy

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Stories covered this:

“⁠Trump’s executive orders will affect investments in climate, equity, AI and global development⁠,” by Dennis Price, Isaac Silk and Amy Cortese

“⁠Investors look for Opportunity Zones to get an extension and a fresh dose of tax-advantaged capital⁠,” by Roodgally Senatus

“⁠Adding a dash of guaranteed liquidity to impact funds to attract more institutional LPs⁠,” by David Bank.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How the devastating LA wildfires are putting a spotlight on wildfire prevention tech and what the disaster means for California's fragile insurance market; examples of outcomes-based financing driving systemic change in education; and Colossal Biosciences’ $200 million raise to revive the wooly mammoth among other lost species.

,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.

,” by Louie Woodall

,” by Jenny Berg and Inês Charro of Education Finance Network

,” by Amy Cortese

⁠In the age of fire, tech solutions can help but not heal⁠⁠LA wildfires push California’s insurance market to the brink⁠⁠How outcomes-based financing can drive systemic change in education⁠⁠Wild and woolly: Colossal Biosciences raises $200 million to revive the mammoth and other lost species⁠