Impact Investing: Global Technology Symposium

I spoke yesterday at the Global Technology Symposium on a panel around “Impact Investments, lessons learned and new trends”. I shared my hope that all investments will be recognized as impact investments. All investments have an impact, just too many have an extractive impact. Money is a form of energy and where we choose to direct that energy shapes the world we collectively create. Our society would change incredibly quickly if all investments followed regenerative principles.
I spoke about my belief that the transmutation of ‘late-stage capitalism’ is coming and there will be far more effective systems for trade and value creation emerge over the next decade. The access economy and sharing economy are important trends but so will be a redefining of the Social Contract and what it means for us to unify around the planetary challenges we face. This is a systemic chrysalis moment.
Despite the opportunities of the moment, I spoke about the crisis of hope in the world. 4 out of 5 people beleive the system is broken and not working for them and 2 out of 3 people beleive the future is going to be even worse (Edelman Trust Barometer). Perhaps more than anything we need to seed and scale a narrative of hope in our future and a collective belief that a different reality is possible and even inevitable.
Some positive data is the largest wealth transfer of all time is underway — $58.7 Trillion is currently moving into the hands of next-gen inheritors by 2052 (Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy). One of the many areas I source my hope from is 70% of this capital is going to women. By 2030 2/3 of the wealth in the US will be in women’s hands (Women as Economic Drivers, AARP). Furthermore, there is a generational paradigm shift underway. 85% of Millenials regard social and environmental impact as important to their investment decisions compared to 39% of those over 69 (US Trust Wealth Report).
Diamonds are created under pressure. Pearls are created from the friction from a single grain of sand. The challenges we face might just be the manure we need to reach new heights of our collective potential. #RememberTheFuture