2019 Symposium Speakers

High Water Women 2019 Investing for Impact Symposium speakers

2019 Symposium Supporters

  • MacArthur Foundation
  • IMPAX Asset Management
  • TriLinc Global, Invest with Impact
  • orrick
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Treehouse Investments LLC, High Water Women Symposium Sponsor
  • Calvert
  • Wellington Management
  • KKR
  • nuveen
  • ISS ESG ethic climate oekom
  • Jonathan Rose Companies
  • Partners Group, High Water Women Symposium Sponsor
 

2019 Symposium Agenda

 
8:00 - 8:45amRegistration and Breakfast
MORNING PLENARY SESSIONS
9:00 - 9:30amWelcome Remarks and Opening Discussions
Speaker: Anna Snider, Managing Director, Head of Due Diligence, Bank of America, and Board Chair, High Water Women.
9:30 - 10:15amWomen Leading Impact Investing: Real stories from real women investing for a better world.
When we bring purpose to our investment choices, women have the power to unleash meaningful social change.
Speakers: Anne Amanda Bangasser, Treehouse Investments; Ita Ekpoudom, GingerBread Capital; Lisa Hammann, Rhia Ventures; Patience Marime-Ball, Women of the World Endowment; Moderator: Ellen Remmer, The Philanthropic Initiative and Invest for Better.
10:15 - 10:30amSpotlight: Catalyzing a Billion Dollars for Women
Speaker: K. Shelly Porges, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Billion Dollar Fund for Women.
10:30 - 11:15amCatalyzing Capital for Change: Building tomorrow today.
Investing in the sustainable future at scale, means identifying and funding new technologies and innovations, and driving large amounts of public and private sector capital to where it is needed. Who is making a difference, what has worked, what has failed. What else needs to happen to galvanize investor behavior and fund innovation.
Speakers: Dana Bezerra, F.B. Heron Foundation; Kate Frucher, New Energy Nexus; Mike Muldoon, The Rockefeller Foundation; Moderator: Brian Walsh, Liquidnet.
11:15 - 11:30amCoffee Break
11:30 - 12:30pmMORNING WORKSHOPS (Pick One of Four Sessions)
1. Impact Innovation/Structuring: Part One
Blended finance. What does it mean? Who are the players and why is it needed? What are the objectives and outcomes that help to develop impact? Where are the most successful models? What are some of the lessons learned?
Hybrid structures, impact bonds, other creative solutions to solve hard problems. What does it take to design a product that is different to the mainstream? Who are the players leading the industry and why are they doing it? How can private investors get involved?
Speakers: Sarah Howe, Deutsche Bank; Asdrubal Negrete, Chemonics International; Clara Sanchez, PG Impact Investments; Jamil Wyne, 17 Asset Management; Moderator: Joan M. Larrea, Convergence.
2. Private Wealth — Portfolio Construction: Part One
While there is significant interest from private investors in impact, adoption has been slow. Reasons for this often include questions on how to deploy impact investments into an existing portfolio, how foundations and PRIs can be used, as well as how to create an investment policy that incorporates impact. This session will explore different ways in which private investors have tackled these issues.
Speakers: Jessica Droste Yagan, The Impact Engine; Kate Huntington, Athena Capital Advisors; Jack Meyercord, Conscious Endeavors; Moderator: Ellen Remmer, The Philanthropic Initiative and Invest for Better.
3. Place Based Investing — Opportunity Zones and Beyond: Part One
Place based investing in rural and urban communities bypassed by economic prosperity. Bringing impact investing home. How to accelerate impact capital into hard to reach communities? Financing, resources, innovation and jobs.
Speakers: Aisha Benson, TruFund Financial Services; Cat Berman, CNote; Paige Chapel, Aeris; Richard Chirls, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Moderator: Caroline Yarborough, Calvert Impact Capital.
4. Climate Disruption and Innovation: Part One
Tackling the impact of climate change on investments, communities and ecosystems. Developing solutions for the climate crisis and protractions from climate risk and extreme weather. Preserving environments, water and food systems.
Speakers: Anne Amanda Bangasser, Treehouse Investments; Josh Huffard, Douglas Winthrop Advisors LLC; Andrew Miller, Kepos Capital L.P.; Paul Rissman, Rights CoLab; Moderator: Imogen Rose-Smith, Journalist.
12:30 - 1:45pmNetworking Lunch
12:30 - 1:45pmLuncheon Discussions (Reserve your seat at the table)
Framing OZ Investments for Impact
Join Richard Chirls and Quinn Moss of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP for a lunch discussion on best practices for leading with and integrating impact into Opportunity Zone investments.
The Practitioner’s Perspective: Can impact really drive return?
Sasha Brown, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, and Marieke Spence, Impact Capital Managers, invite you to get a deeper understanding of how private capital fund managers approach impact investing. Our discussion will include a look at the new ICM network & and Sasha will share specific examples of how EIF uses drivers of “impact alpha” to generate return and impact.
Impact and Risk in Emerging Markets: Does exposure make sense in a portfolio?
Amie Patel, Elevar Equity, and Paulus Ingram, Sarona Asset Management, invite you to discuss impact in an emerging markets context. Does investing abroad makes sense, what are the perceived and real risks and opportunities, how does EM impact stack up against DM impact.
Women Lead the Way
Ellen Remmer, Invest for Better, and Jessica Droste Yagan, Impact Engine, invite you to join a lunch discussion on the ways women are driving the impact investing movement. We will discuss the ways women have moved us forward to date as well as initiatives to support more women to join in.
Investing for Climate Regeneration
Carrie Norton, Green Business BASE CAMP, and Anne Amanda Bangassser, Treehouse Investments, invite you to join a lively discussion exploring current and emerging opportunities to optimize your personal and professional investments for carbon drawdown.
1:45 - 2:45pmAFTERNOON WORKSHOPS (Pick One of Four Sessions)
1. Impact Innovation/Structuring: Part Two
Blended finance. What does it mean? Who are the players and why is it needed? What are the objectives and outcomes that help to develop impact? Where are the most successful models? What are some of the lessions learned?
Hybrid structures, impact bonds, other creative solutions to solve hard problems. What does it take to design a product that is different to the mainstream? Who are the players leading the industry and why are they doing it? How can private investors get involved?
Speakers: Brinda Ganguly, Living Cities; Lisa Hammann, Rhia Ventures; Melissa Weigel, NatureVest; Meredith J. Joly, Wellington Management; Moderator: Amie Patel, Elevar Equity.
2. Private Wealth — Portfolio Construction: Part Two
While there is significant interest from private investors in impact, adoption has been slow. Reasons for this often include questions on how to deploy impact investments into an existing portfolio, how foundations and PRIs can be used, as well as how to create an investment policy that incorporates impact. This session will explore different ways in which private investors have tackled these issues.
Speakers: Andrew Lee, UBS Global Wealth Management; Ann MacDougall, Dunoillie Fund; Eric Stephenson, CAIA, Align Impact; Samantha Taylor, Reputation Dynamics; Moderator: Anna Snider, Bank of America.
3. Place Based Investing — Opportunity Zones and Beyond: Part Two
Place based investing in rural and urban communities bypassed by economic prosperity. Bringing impact investing home. How to accelerate impact capital into hard to reach communities? Financing, resources, innovation and jobs.
Speakers: Shay Chan Hodges, Maui ESG Investment Project; Tracy Kartye, The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Eva Kathleen Schulte, Travois; Nathan Taft, Jonathan Rose Companies; Moderator: Kim Leslie Shafer, Aeris.
4. Climate Disruption and Innovation: Part Two
Tackling the impact of climate change on investments, communities and ecosystems. Developing solutions for the climate crisis and protractions from climate risk and extreme weather. Preserving environments, water and food systems.
Speakers: Sasha Brown, The Ecosystem Integrity Fund; Albert Lee, University of California; Tony Lent, Capital for Climate; Ravi Mikkelsen, ClimateLink Bank; Megan Starr, The Carlyle Group; Moderator: Carrie Norton, Green Business BASE CAMP.
AFTERNOON PLENARY SESSIONS
2:45 - 3:00pmCoffee Break
3:00 - 3:45pmInvestor Fireside Chat
A conversation with Lisa Shalett, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Wealth Management Investment Resources for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and Gloria Nelund, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for TriLinc Global. Interiewed by Drianne Benner, Appomattox, Managing Director.
3:45 - 4:00pmVision for the Future
Speakers: Anna Snider, Managing Director, Head of Due Diligence, Bank of America, Board Chair, High Water Women; Ariane de Vienne, Global Head of Asset Owner Strategy, Institutional Shareholder Services, Board President, High Water Women; Alissa Desmarais, Executive Director, High Water Women.
4:00 - 4:50pmAvoiding Impact/ESG Washing
"Impact Washing" has become a growing concern for investors. What’s real? In a rapidly expanding field, some investments have fallen short of stated objectives and the rise in demand has brought a rush to market without rigorous strategies and data to back up claims. Has the criticism gone too far? Are we discouraging capital and squashing good ideas? How can investors separate the signals from the noise? Can improved reporting metrics help? Investors and practitioners give their perspective.
Speakers: Ian Chan Hodges, Responsible Markets; Emily Dwyer, Brown Advisory; Christina Leijonhufvud, Tideline; Irene Mastelli, Phenix Capital; Rekha Unnithan, Nuveen; Moderator: Delilah Rothenberg, Predistribution Initiative.
4:50 - 5:00pmClosing Remarks
Speakers: Drianne Benner, Managing Director, Appomattox, Impact Committee, Co-Chair – Content and Imogen Rose-Smith, Journalist, Impact Committee, Co-Chair – Content.
5:00 - 7:00pmCocktail Reception