Follow the Talent: Agents of Impact special report for Jan. 18

Agents of Impact weekly roundup: Follow the talent with career moves, job openings, events and opportunities.

Agent of Impact remembered: The legacy of I-DEV’s Jason Spindler

As co-founder of frontier markets investments advisory I-DEV International, Spindler took early risks on high-impact companies to demonstrate to other investors that perceptions of risk are often misplaced.
Spindler was killed in the attack on a business hub in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday. At least 20 other people also died, including members of development organizations Gatsby International and Adam Smith International. Staff of the African payments company Cellulant were still missing.

Staid and stable utilities have long been viewed as safe investments. Climate change has disrupted that assumption, at least in California, where PG&E indicated it would seek bankruptcy protection by the end of the month.

The Brief’s Big 8: Fink vs. Fink, climate-smart investors, mission-matching money, conservation finance takeaways, impact-first capital preservation

Remembering I-DEV’s Jason Spindler, Prudential invests in Baltimore opportunity zone, fake Larry Fink letter gets real, seeking impact lawyers

Publications, including the Financial Times, were pranked by a letter purportedly from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. One reason for their credulity: the fake letter made cogent points that could plausibly have come from Fink himself.

The mixed-use project, called Yard 56, is being built on the 20-acre former site of glass and porcelain manufacturer Pemco International’s factory.

Chennai-based fresh food company WayCool is trying to combat food waste and improve livelihoods by sourcing produce directly from small farmers and distributing it to restaurants, local shops and other retailers.