usafacts
Beats | April 21, 2017
Steve Ballmer’s new project aims to bring back facts to policy debates
In an interview with the New York Time’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, the billionaire former Microsoft CEO said he had been surprised by the …
- Beats
- The Brief
August 16, 2022
The Brief
Featured: ESG Backlash
With his anti-ESG fund, Vivek Ramaswamy takes a page from the Infowars playbook. At least 17 conservative-led states have passed, or are preparing, “anti-ESG” laws that ban banks that have curtailed funding for fossil fuels or gunmakers, supported abortion, or committed other sins of “wokeness.” Positioning himself to profit from it all is Vivek Ramaswamy, the author of Woke, Inc. and head of the newly launched Strive Funds. Ramaswamy, a “slimmed-down Alex Jones in Armani suits,” as Ryon Harms of Manifest Social calls him in a guest post on ImpactAlpha, has his eye on red state treasuries and the nest eggs of hardworking civil servants. One lesson Ramaswamy takes from the founder of Infowars is to preach apocalypse and then sell products to profit from it (an example of what Oxford University’s Robert Eccles calls “grift capitalism”). Ramaswamy’s boogeymen: Vanguard, State Street and BlackRock (never mind that those asset managers are among the world’s biggest funders of fossil fuels, deforestation, tobacco and firearms).
Dealflow: Smart Cities
Urban Innovation Fund’s smart cities fund secures $121 million. As many as five out of six people in the U.S. live in urban areas. San Francisco-based Urban Innovation Fund is tackling urban challenges with investments in — and regulatory support for — 30 early-stage tech startups working in transportation, public health and safety, the future of work, energy, and sustainability. The average check size will be $1.5 million. The women-led and owned venture firm has raised more than $400 million in total and backed 39 companies in 18 cities. At least three of every four teams in the portfolio have a woman or person of color founder; half of the portfolio has an immigrant on the founding team. Companies backed include Ethic, which creates sustainable portfolios for wealth advisors; Electriphi, a smart-charging services company for electric vehicle fleet operators; and Jeeves, a fintech company for small businesses.
Agents of Impact: Follow the Talent
Jared Blumenfeld, California Secretary for Environmental Protection and an Environmental Protection Agency official in the Obama Administration, is named president of the $3 billion climate organization Waverley Street Foundation… ICA seeks a part-time accelerator program associate in Oakland… Palladium is hiring a senior manager in Washington, D.C… The American Sustainable Business Network will host an online discussion on the Inflation Reduction Act, Wednesday, Aug. 17.
- The Call
photo: Pixabay
Originals | June 27, 2022
Seven Calls: Agents of Impact on carbon pricing, political risk, climate adaptation, responsible fintech and more
ImpactAlpha, June 27 – ImpactAlpha’s spring season of Agents of Impact Calls spanned a period of tumult in the financial markets: instability in …
Call Recording | June 3, 2022
Call No. 43: How responsible fintech in Africa provides resilience in a downturn (video)
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – Just as investment in financial inclusion in Africa was really ramping up, a market downturn threatens to slow progress. Or …
Impact Investing | May 13, 2022
Call No. 42: Business financing beyond venture capital to fuel the boom in entrepreneurship (video)
ImpactAlpha, May 13 – One defining outcome of the pandemic: a boom in entrepreneurship. A record five million businesses were started in the …
Inclusive Economy | April 22, 2022
Call No 41: How investors are catalyzing climate capital for adaptation and equity (video)
ImpactAlpha, April 22 – The Ukraine crisis risks tipping up to 1.7 billion people — over one-fifth of humanity — into poverty, destitution …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 1, 2022
Call No. 40: How impact investors embrace political risk to keep progress flowing (video)
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 1 – High-impact investments in fragile countries invariably entail political risk. And impact investments in a free press, humanitarian tech, financial inclusion …
Capitalism Reimagined | March 11, 2022
Call No. 39: Moving from ESG talk to action at major corporations (video)
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 11 – It’s one thing for a corporation to set environmental or social goals. It’s another to shift executives, employees and supply …
Policy Corner | February 25, 2022
Call No. 38: Inside the generational opportunity to reshape rules of corporate disclosure
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 25 – Bottom-up policies for access to capital in divested communities. Top-down strategies to reshape capitalism to work for all stakeholders. “We …
Call Recording | February 11, 2022
Call No. 37: Ramping up the supply of carbon reduction to meet the urgent demand (video)
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 11 – ”$100 a ton?” exclaimed CDP’s Paula DiPerna on ImpactAlpha’s Agents of Impact Call this week. “I should be popping champagne.” …
Looking Ahead to 2022 | December 17, 2021
The Reconstruction in 2022: Seizing the moment to build multiracial prosperity and democracy
‘Tis the season for our lookaheads to 2022 and, thanks to ImpactAlpha subscribers, we are able to make the roundups freely available. So …
Capitalism Reimagined | December 3, 2021
Call No. 35: Building a multi-movement engine to hold corporations accountable and reimagine capitalism (video)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 3 – The New Capitalism Project has over the past two years dissected the failings of the current system and crafted a …
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 19, 2021
Call No. 34: How tech innovation is bridging gaps in small business financing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, November 19 – The boom in African fintech startups began before COVID-19. The economic shutdowns and financial dislocations of the pandemic supercharged …
Catalytic Capital | October 29, 2021
Call No. 33: Using catalytic capital to fill climate finance gaps from the bottom up
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 29 – As the COP26 global climate summit kicks off this weekend, much of the focus will be on the massive …
- Podcasts
Podcasts | August 5, 2022
Introducing The LIIST with Luni Libes and Zuleyma Bebell
ImpactAlpha’s Zuleyma Bebell and Realize Impact’s Luni Libes join host Brian Walsh to discuss the motivation behind The LIIST, our new monthly sampling …
Podcasts | July 29, 2022
ImpactAlpha Open Launches
Zuleyma Bebell and Dennis Price join host Monique Aiken to talk about this week’s launch of ImpactAlpha Open, trends in the media business …
Catalytic Capital | July 28, 2022
Margot Kane: Clearing obstacles to mobilize capital for emerging fund managers (podcast)
“There’s an inherent power dynamic in investing. Full stop.” That’s Margot Kane, the chief investment officer of Spring Point Partners, in an Agents …
Podcasts | July 22, 2022
What Airlift’s crash says about pandemic era VC investing
Jessica Pothering joins host Brian Walsh to dissect the crash landing of Airlift, and chew over the broader Covid-fueled boom and bust in …
Podcasts | July 8, 2022
Politics and Power in the Asset Management Industry
Roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank join host Brian Walsh to discuss Rose-Smith’s latest column on politics and power in asset management …
Gender Smart | June 21, 2022
Delivering higher returns and stronger impact with ‘The XX Edge’
At a breakfast meeting in Singapore a few years ago, Patience Marime-Ball and Ruth Shaber were speaking to asset owners and entrepreneurs about …
Podcasts | June 17, 2022
Emerging Fund Managers Gather in Dar es Salaam
Jessica Pothering joins Monique Aiken to share the work of equity and debt capital providers in emerging markets, whom she met with last …
Podcasts | June 10, 2022
Impact Investing and Coming Out
David Bank joins host Brian Walsh to discuss parallels between the LGBTQ+ community and the impact investing community. We also hear from Megan …
Podcasts | June 6, 2022
New leadership at Kapor Capital doubles down on diversity and impact (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, June 6 – Pro tip for entrepreneurs or fund managers getting ready to pitch Oakland-based Kapor Capital: Don’t leave diversity out of …
Podcasts | June 3, 2022
Briefing: Stephan Nicoleau on Davos and Moving Forward on Climate
FullCycle’s Stephan Nicoleau deconstructs the climate conversation at the recent Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum with podcast host Monique Aiken, and …
Photo credit: Alicia Powell.Podcasts | May 27, 2022
Live-ish from Davos: Taking on the world with BlocPower and friends
ImpactAlpha, May 26 — Donnell Baird arrived at Davos this week with his partners from Brooklyn and Ithaca, where BlocPower is greening thousands …
Podcasts | May 20, 2022
Briefing: Building the next-generation of diverse climate fund managers with Bahiyah Robinson
“My question when I’m really quiet, or even when I’m talking to close friends and colleagues, is one word: Why? Why does this …
- Opinion
Vivek Ramaswamy (photo: Wikipedia)
ESG | August 16, 2022
With his anti-ESG fund, Vivek Ramaswamy takes a page from the Infowars playbook
Alex Jones is getting his overdue comeuppance, but this godfather of conspiracy theories has spawned a new generation of acolytes with marginally more …
Impact Voices | August 15, 2022
Emerging impact fund managers tap ‘community rounds’ to overcome fundraising barriers
A new, more democratic approach to fundraising is putting wind in the sails of new impact fund managers. ‘Community-led investing rounds’ have the …
Credit: GRID AlternativesImpact Voices | August 10, 2022
Fixed-income strategies can offer scalable impact with low risk and liquidity
For financial advisors, impact and investing continue to converge, with new concepts and momentum shaping the way investors view their participation. The desire …
Impact Investing | August 9, 2022
How four institutional investors use climate action plans to map their paths to net zero
New York State’s $279 billion pension fund understands the importance of planning. When the New York State Common Retirement Fund announced in 2020 …
M-Pesa | Photo credit: VodafoneFrontiers in Social Innovation | August 8, 2022
Catalyzing new markets with early-stage impact investments
This post is part of ImpactAlpha’s “Frontiers in Social Innovation” series with Stanford GSB Center for Social Innovation. The posts in the series …
Photo credit: UNICEF UkraineCatalytic Capital | August 4, 2022
How UNICEF’s Bridge Fund is speeding the delivery of aid to Ukraine and other crisis zones
It took Yulia, a mother from Kharkiv, Ukraine, seven days to reach the Polish border with her one-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son. They …
Seeding Impact | August 3, 2022
Combating bias in asset management with catalytic capital and inclusive due diligence
Editor’s note: This blog is part of ImpactAlpha’s series, “Seeding Impact,” authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Seeding Learning Labs. …
Investing in Health | August 2, 2022
How to set social impact targets in an uncertain world
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, which supports ImpactAlpha’s Investing in Health coverage. In partnership with J&J Impact Ventures, ImpactAlpha is exploring the …
Impact Management | August 1, 2022
How one climate tech fund counts – and reports – the impact of its portfolio
At Energy Impact Partners, we just released our 2022 Impact and ESG report, our fourth consecutive public accounting for our environmental and ESG …
photo: Jens CederskjoldImpact Voices | July 28, 2022
Energy efficiency is critical for climate goals and global security
Europe must wean itself off of Russian oil and gas. Energy efficiency can go a long way towards alleviating the pain. Energy efficiency …
Catalytic Capital | July 27, 2022
Impact investors collaborate to amplify the impact of their catalytic capital
Editor’s note: This blog is part of ImpactAlpha’s series, “Seeding Impact,” authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Seeding Learning Labs. …
Pompano Beach, FloridaAgrifood Tech | July 27, 2022
Food banks and food donors get a tech makeover to reduce hunger – and food waste
We are living in the technological age, and a trend ReFED has been watching closely is how this is affecting food rescue, which …
- Agents of Impact
Photo credit: Annie O'Neill
Agents of Impact | August 5, 2022
Brandon Dennison, Coalfield Development: Forging a path for Appalachia’s green economy
ImpactAlpha, August 5 – In the roller coaster climate bill negotiations with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, Brandon Dennison brought something to the table …
Agents of Impact | July 29, 2022
Taj Eldridge of Include Ventures: Putting the cool in climate action
ImpactAlpha, Jul. 29 – Patagonia vests and khakis ain’t gonna cut it, says Taj Eldridge. To spread the word on climate action, the PhD …
Amy Bell, The Cook's NookAgents of Impact | July 8, 2022
Amy Bell, The Cook’s Nook: Planting seeds for impact
ImpactAlpha, Jul. 8 – Amy Bell’s early work as a financier and advisor to impact funds and social enterprises helped establish the nascent field …
Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Francia MarquezAgents of Impact | June 25, 2022
New Climate Leaders: Winning with a green agenda
If the rise of a Black former maid to vice president was once unthinkable in Colombia, so too was the idea that the …
Agents of Impact | June 10, 2022
Elyse Cherry, BlueHub Capital: Creating equity for healthy communities
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 10 – Payday loans. Car loans. Student loans. “One way to describe our economy is that it’s about draining every ounce of …
Agents of Impact | June 7, 2022
In Silicon Valley, talent follows the capital – and the optimists – into climate tech
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 7 – Where you stand on the incipient tech slowdown may depend on where you sit. Investors and executives in climate …
Agents of Impact | May 27, 2022
Olu Oyinsan, Oui Capital: Investing in Africa’s mass market
ImpactAlpha, May 27 – Five years ago, Olu Oyinsan felt an urgent pull back to his native Nigeria while working in the early-stage practice …
Agents of Impact | May 6, 2022
Kevin Jones, Neighborhood Economics: Turning strangers into unlikely allies
ImpactAlpha, May 6 – Kevin Jones played an early role in convening the disparate, and sometimes unruly, tribes of impact investing under the tents …
Agents of Impact | April 29, 2022
Farmerline’s Alloysius Attah: Helping farmers in Africa produce and sell more food
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 29 – The climate disruption is spurring a long overdue upgrade for 500 million smallholder farmers, who produce up to 80% of …
Agents of Impact | April 15, 2022
Maya Winkelstein, Open Road Alliance: Helping social enterprises through life’s ‘OMG’ moments
If it feels like one calamity after another, put yourself in Maya Winkelstein’s shoes. Open Road Alliance, which Winkelstein has led for a …
Agents of Impact | April 8, 2022
António Guterres, United Nations: Calling ‘BS’ on climate double-speak
ImpactAlpha, April 8 – The U.N. chief and former Portuguese prime minister has a simple critique of government and business leaders saying one …
Agents of Impact | March 25, 2022
John Holdsclaw IV, Rochdale Capital: Advancing co-ops and community ownership
ImpactAlpha, March 25 – “I’m a horrible banker,” admits Holdsclaw, who served as director of strategic initiatives at the National Cooperative Bank. Holdsclaw …
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