25 Feb Media Advisory: SEAF to Co-Host an Event on Impact Investing – Feb 25, 2010
Media Advisory on Impact Investing Forum
Impact Investing Forum Answers Question: Is it Possible to Make a Profit While Advancing Positive Social, Economic and Environmental Change?
Ambassador James Michel, Counselor to the U.S. Agency for International Development to give the keynote address. Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank to give the closing remarks.
Washington, DC –The Royal Netherlands Embassy and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation will co-host the Global Forum on Impact Investing on Thursday, February 25, 2010, in collaboration with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the Rockefeller Foundation and the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF).
Impact investing is a targeted investment strategy designed to earn a financial return on investments while at the same time advancing positive social, economic and environmental change. Despite the economic downturn, impact investing has experienced impressive growth that has outpaced expansion in the investment sector as a whole.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s announcement of a collaborative effort between USAID, JP Morgan, GIIN and the Rockefeller Foundation to advance social impact investing strategies highlights how the focus on responsible investing and sustainable development is convening public, private and nonprofit actors and drawing on their respective strengths and resources towards a common goal.
Several Dutch private sector entities are leaders in the field of social or impact investing. ASN Bank, Rabobank, Triodos Bank and SNS Bank are particularly notable for their investment practices.
The Global Forum on Impact Investing will prove it is possible to both make a profit and promote social change to the developing world and will look at how existing barriers to impact investing can be removed. Panelists will share promising trends in the field, as well as examine how more mainstream investors can become involved in impact investing.
Ambassador James Michel, Counselor to USAID, will deliver the keynote address, followed by a panel discussion with key players in the field, including experts from the U.S. Department of State, JP Morgan, Rabobank and the Rockefeller Foundation. Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, will give the closing remarks.
Who:
Royal Netherlands Embassy and SNV Netherlands Development Organization
Confirmed Speakers:
Her Excellency, Renée Jones-Bos, Ambassador of The Netherlands to the United States Ambassador
Elizabeth Bagley, Special Representative for Global Partnerships, US Department of State Ambassador
James Michel, Counselor to the United States Agency for International Development
President Luis Alberto Moreno, Inter-American Development Bank
Dirk Elsen, Chief Executive, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
Neil Gosh, Director, SNV-USA
Lex Kloosterman, Senior Executive Vice President, Rabobank International
Christina Leijonhufvud, Managing Director, Head of Social Sector Finance, JP Morgan
Antony Bugg-Levine, Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation (Moderator)
What:
Panel discussion by experts on the use of investment as a tool to advance positive social, economic and environmental change, with a focus on emerging markets, followed by a reception for networking and informal discussion.
When:
Thursday, February 25, 2010
4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Program)
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Reception)
Where:
The Royal Netherlands Embassy
4200 Linnean Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 244-5300
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs is a global network of organization that propels entrepreneurship in emerging markets. The network’s members provide critical financing and business support services to small and growing businesses that create significant economic, environmental and social impacts in developing countries. www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/aspen-network-development-entrepreneurs
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, D.C. represents and promotes the interests of the Netherlands in the United States. www.netherlands-embassy.org
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) supports collaboration, develops industry infrastructure, and undertakes research and advocacy to foster a coherent impact investing industry. The GIIN’s programmatic agenda is rooted in the challenges investors face. It serves as a forum for identifying and addressing the systemic barriers that hinder the impact investing industry’s efficiency and effectiveness. www.globalimpactinvestingnetwork.org
The Rockefeller Foundation fosters innovative solutions to many of the world’s most pressing challenges, affirming its mission, since 1913, to “promote the well-being” of humanity. Today, the Foundation works to ensure that more people can tap into the benefits of globalization while