IMPACT SUMMIT AMERICA 2024 - Highlights, Replays & Expert Interviews

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HIGHLIGHTS 2024
The 5th edition of Impact Summit America brought together a highly curated audience and some of the brightest minds in impact investing for another year of thought-provoking, meaningful discussions. Held on October 30, 2024, in New York City, this pivotal event convened institutional investors and asset owners, impact fund managers, experts, and industry specialists to advance the field of impact investing.

UPHOLDING AGAINST HEADWINDS

The Summit’s theme was a resounding call to action, encouraging financial players to build resilience amid a constantly evolving landscape. Participants explored how to embody the values they champion while driving capital toward transformative solutions with even greater ambition. This new era of investing demands visionaries who also act as stewards, fostering environments where values thrive and deliver measurable global impact. The Summit’s agenda focused on three areas: Navigating Polarization, Standardizing Impact Metrics, Addressing Social Equity.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to institutional investors and asset owners, fund managers, partners, and supporters who made this event an impactful milestone in the evolution of sustainable finance.

We are excited to announce that the 6th edition of Impact Summit America will take place on October 16, 2025, in New York City. Thank you for being part of this incredible community, and we look forward to building on this year’s success together.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Tangible Frameworks & Tools: The programme equipped attendees with actionable strategies and practical tools through workshops & deep dives.

Real-world impact, Data & Opportunities: Investors were presented with the latest market insights and introduced to a select group of pre-screened impact strategies of institutional quality across different impact themes and asset classes.

Navigating Challenges: Leading impact and sustainable allocators addressed pressing issues, including the complexities of impact measurement and the proliferation of unaggregated indicators. They shared practical solutions to set clear impact goals and measure real-world results.

Community Collaboration: The Summit provided a platform for collaboration and idea exchange among a dedicated community committed to advancing the impact investing field.

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Keynote speech | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Commitments vs. Reality

Frank Altman, a Forbes best-selling author, social entrepreneur, and pioneer in transforming the community development finance system, is the Founder and former CEO of Community Reinvestment Fund. In this keynote, he will examine the trajectory of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments within the finance industry, highlighting the disparity between ambitious pledges and their actual implementation. The discussion will focus on the practical necessity of robust DEI policies for the next generation entering the job market, emphasizing the tangible benefits these policies bring to organizations. He will explore the real-world challenges and opportunities in making DEI commitments more than just a box-ticking exercise, but a driving force for meaningful change.

Investor panel I How different asset classes and investor types show resilience in their long-term investment strategy?

In this panel discussion, the panelists discuss resilience in long-term investment strategies across asset classes and investor types, examining diversification, risk management, and adaptability in navigating market fluctuations.

This discussion took a holistic and practical approach, on how to solve such large scale issues on a systemic level.

Keynote speech | Impact Investing and the Macro-context

Pedro, Representative of the Secretary General for Investments and Assets, United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) discusses the UN pension fund’s strategy to integrate ESG and impact metrics across its portfolio, addressing challenges in measuring impact across diverse asset classes. He shares insights from COP16 on the need for significant investment in nature-based solutions, emphasizing scalable initiatives, policy clarity, and collaboration to meet biodiversity and climate targets.

Panel discussion I What are the right questions to ask your managers? Focus on listed equities

The panel explored innovative solutions, funding mechanisms, and creative partnerships to address biodiversity loss, emphasizing the $900 billion annual financing gap and the need for tools like conservation bonds and carbon credits.

Scalable opportunities in forestry, agriculture, and aquaculture were highlighted, alongside the urgency of collective action and robust frameworks to meet ambitious targets like 30x30.

Case study | Endowments Impact Benchmarks

This case study explored the role of the Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB) in encouraging organizations to reflect on their sustainable investing strategies and transparency. The discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration, accountability, and addressing issues like equity and climate in investment practices, despite challenges like "green hushing" and political pressures, with the goal of driving meaningful change through greater transparency and field-building.

Case study | Conducting thorough due diligence throughout the manager selection process

Ander Iruretagoyena, Vice President- Funds & Co-Investments of The Impact Engine discussed Impact Engine’s approach to evaluating funds based on managers' intentionality and the societal impact of portfolio companies. Using a scorecard with six dimensions, the firm ensures investments align financial growth with positive social outcomes, demonstrating that impact investing can drive equity and strong returns.

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