This is a moment that calls for real leadership. Foundations and other mission-driven investors are navigating challenging policy landscapes, emerging technologies, and a rising demand for accountability and measurable outcomes. And the communities that members of Mission Investors Exchange invest in are facing mounting attacks.
This is precisely the time to come together, refine our investment practices, and put more capital to work.
That’s why, as president and CEO of MIE, the leading impact investing network for foundations and mission-driven asset owners, I’m so excited for our national conference in Atlanta, April 27-29. More than 750 philanthropy and impact investing leaders will gather to forge the strategies and partnerships that will define what’s possible in the years ahead.
This year’s conference marks MIE’s 20th anniversary. Since our founding, impact investing has grown into a cornerstone of how foundations deploy capital for lasting change. Our 2026 conference themes reflect both how far the field has come and where we need to take it next:
- Investing and leading amidst uncertainty: What does it mean for foundations and other mission-driven asset owners to navigate, invest, and lead in today’s unpredictable social, economic, political, and technological landscape?
- Investing for collective prosperity: How can impact investors create more equitable pathways to collective prosperity through ownership strategies, theme-based investment approaches, and wealth-building initiatives?
- Scaling local impact investing strategies: How are place-based and locally driven investments advancing community vitality, environmental justice, and inclusive, sustainable development?
- Strengthening governance, measurement, and impact: How can foundations and mission-driven asset owners build stronger boards and investment committees and apply rigorous measurement tools to advance accountability and deepen impact?
Inclusive development
This year’s mainstage plenary lineup showcases impact investing’s expanding reach and significance. Our opening plenary conversation features tennis superstar Serena Williams, founder and managing partner of Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm backing tech-enabled and AI-native companies that are expanding access, ownership, and opportunity at scale.
Closing remarks will be delivered by Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. His work has shaped the national dialogue on inequality, mass incarceration, and racial justice. Stevenson is the author of the book, and subject of the film, “Just Mercy.”
They’ll be joined on the main stage by foundation presidents and leaders including Cory Anderson of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Tonya Allen of the McKnight Foundation, Don Chen of the Surdna Foundation, Frank Fernandez of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Stephen Heintz of Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Bruce McNamer of Builders Vision.
Also speaking on the main stage will be Karen McNeil-Miller of The Colorado Health Foundation, John Palfrey of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Carla Thompson Payton of The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Rey Ramsey of Nathan Cummings Foundation, Lata Reddy of Prudential Financial and The Prudential Foundation, Shanaysha Sauls of the Baltimore Community Foundation, and Kevin Walker of Northwest Area Foundation.
We are proud to bring the conference to Atlanta, one of the nation’s cultural epicenters, steeped in a history of civil rights and advocacy. Atlanta offers a powerful example of the public, private, and philanthropic sectors collaborating to advance inclusive development and long-term resilience.
Attendees will kick off the conference at our signature Impact in Action offsite sessions, learning from impact investing and community leaders throughout Atlanta. Our partners include the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and Westside Future Fund, the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs and Kindred Futures, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and Sweet Auburn Historic District Development Corporation.
I’m proud of what this field has built over the last two decades and grateful for the leaders who are shaping it. As we come together, I am confident that our time in Atlanta will challenge us, spark new strategies and partnerships, and renew the energy and momentum our field and communities need, right now.
For more conference content, follow #MissionInvest2026 on LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky throughout the week, and stay plugged in to ImpactAlpha and The Brief.
Matt Onek is president and CEO of Mission Investors Exchange.
