September 24, 2026 | Harvard Club of New York City
AGENDA
BE INSPIRED BY THE IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY PIONEERS!
Impact Summit America invites global leaders, pioneers and experts of the impact investing universe to share their knowledge and inspiration. Our programme focuses on the impact investments, offering experienced impact investors the stage to share best practices & know-how with their industry peers.
Complimentary for asset owners/LPs, please apply for invitation.
AGENDA 2026 WAS SHAPED WITH THE INPUT FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
ADVISING COMMITTEE
Caitlin Rosser
Director, Impact ManagementCalvert Impact
Jyoti Aggarwala
PrincipalPrivate Capital Raise
Mari Brossard
Principal, SustainabilitySagard
Ryan Malloy
Research Analyst, Sustainable InvestingFiduciary Trust
Smitha Das
Senior Director, InvestmentWorld Education Services
Temple Fennell
Co-Founder & Managing PartnerClean Energy Ventures
Wren Laing
Senior Investment DirectorMcConnell Foundation
Smitha Das
Senior Director, Investment
World Education Services
🔗LinkedIn
📍Washington DC, USA
📍Washington DC, USA
Smitha Das is deeply committed to centering equity and justice within her work and demonstrating a trust-based investment approach, with an eye to reimagining the broader capital markets. As the Director of Mission and Impact Investing at World Education Services (WES), a global social enterprise, Smitha leads WES’ investment practice, stewarding 100% of WES’ resources to be mission-aligned. Her passion to create meaningful social and environmental impact sparked at a young age when she founded a water nonprofit at age 12. She has since worked in government, renewable energy private equity, venture philanthropy, and innovative finance. Smitha has a MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and AB with Honors in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, where she co-founded the HBS Impact Investing Club and Harvard College Social Enterprise Club. She serves as a board member and advisor for several organizations, including Cell-Ed, JFF Ventures, New Power Labs, and the HBS Impact Investing Alumni Group.
PRELIMINARY AGENDA 2026
11:30 – 12:00
Registration
12:00 – 12:55
Interactive Lunch | Investor Workshop
12:55 – 13:00
Coffee and Convening for the Plenary
13:00 – 13:10
Opening Remarks/Host of the Day | Welcome by Phenix Capital Group
YANA KALOSHINA
Managing Director, Phenix Capital Group – Impact Events
13:10 – 13:25
Keynote Speech | Intersectional Impact: One System, One Opportunity
13:25 – 14:10
Panel Discussion I When Government Steps Back: Private Capital Filling the Gap in Health, Housing, and Energy Transition
PAULA LUFF
Director of Sustainability Research and Engagement, DSC Meridian Capital
KENNETH HUANG
Executive Director, LGT Capital Partners
NICK PETERS
Managing Director, Investments, ImpactAssets Capital Partners
MICHAEL GROSSMAN
Chief Investment Officer, Calvert Impact
Moderator
ANDREW SIWO
Head of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
14:10 – 14:30
Coffee Break
14:30 – 15:30
Breakout session A1 I InvestorConnect session
(Pre-scheduled meetings, for Asset owners)
14:30 – 15:30
Breakout session B1 I AI for Good: Finding the Impact Investor's Role in Technological Transformation
15:30 – 15:45
Networking Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:15
Panel discussion | Nature-Based Solutions: From Niche to Institutional — What Will It Take?
Breakout Session A2
15:45 – 16:15
Panel discussion I Total Portfolio Activation: Moving Beyond Thematic Impact to Systemic Change
Breakout Session B2
AMANTIA MUHEDINI
Head, Sustainable & Impact Investing Americas, UBS GWM CIO Global Investment Management
WREN LAING
Senior Investment Director, McConnell Foundation
16:15 – 16:25
Logistics Break
16:25 – 17:15
Panel discussion | Capital Value Chain: the LP to GP to Foundation to Grantee
17:15 – 17:20
Closing Remarks
17:20 – 19:00
Closing Reception Drinks
FEATURED SPEAKERS FROM OUR PAST EVENTS
IN THE COMPANY OF THOUGHT LEADERS
Al Gore
Former Vice President of the United States
Anita Bhatia
Former Assistant Secretary - General & Deputy Executive Director,UN Women
.jpg?width=445&height=445&name=Sir%20Ronald%20Cohen%20(GSG).jpg)
Sir Ronald Cohen
Chair,The Global Steering Group (GSG)
Ndileka Mandela
Founder and CEO,Thembekile Mandela Foundation
Matt Damon
Co-founder,WaterEquity and Water.org
Scilla Elworthy
Peace Builder, Three-time Nobel Prize Nominee
Mark Mobius
CEO,Mobius Capital Partners
Eva Halvarsson
CEO,AP2
Eduard van Gelderen
Chief Investment Officer,PSP Investments
Anna Snider
Managing Director and Head of Due Diligence for the Chief Investment Office,Bank of America Corporation
Amit Bouri
CEO & Co-founder,The GIIN
Fran Seegull
President,U.S. Impact Investing Alliance
.jpg?width=445&height=445&name=Roger%20Havenith%20photo%20sq%20(1).jpg)
Roger Havenith
Deputy CEO, The European Investment Fund
Hazel Henderson D.Sc.Hon., FRSA,
Founder, Ethical Markets Media,Certified B Corporation
Hartwig Liersch
Chief Investment Officer,Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek
Jennifer Morris
CEO,The Nature Conservancy
Former Vice President Al Gore is the cofounder and chairman of Generation Investment Management, and the founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a non-profit devoted to solving the climate crisis. He is also a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a member of Apple Inc.’s board of directors. Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1982 and to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990. He was inaugurated as the 45th vice president of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years. He is the author of the #1 New York Times best-sellers "An Inconvenient Truth" and "The Assault on Reason," and the best-sellers “Earth in the Balance,” "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis," "The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change," and most recently, The New York Times best-seller "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” He is the subject of the documentary movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” which won two Oscars in 2006 and a second documentary in 2017, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” In 2007, Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for “informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change.”
Anita Bhatia
Former Assistant Secretary - General & Deputy Executive Director,
UN Women
Former Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, UN System Coordination, Sustainability, and Partnerships. Ms. Anita Bhatia served as the Former Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director since August 2019.
Before that, Ms. Bhatia served since 2014 as the Director for Development Partner Relations at the World Bank Group. Previously, she held the position of Director of Partnerships and Advisory Services Operations (2011–2014) and Global Head of Knowledge at the International Finance Corporation (2010-2011).
Ms. Bhatia also served as Head of IFC’s Latin America Advisory Operations. In addition to Latin America, she has worked in Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and South and East Asia. Ms. Anita Bhatia brings extensive experience in the area of strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, and management. During her time at the IFC, she developed and expanded innovative partnerships with public and private sector partners to support its strategy in key areas, including fragile and conflict-affected states, gender equality, financial inclusion, support to women-owned businesses, and other priorities critical for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ms. Bhatia holds a BA in History from Calcutta University, an MA in Political Science from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University.
Sir Ronald Cohen
Chair,
The Global Steering Group (GSG)
Sir Ronald Cohen is a pioneering philanthropist, venture capitalist, private equity investor, and social innovator, who is driving forward the global Impact Revolution. For nearly two decades, his ground-breaking initiatives have catalyzed global efforts to drive private capital to serve social and environmental good. He serves as Chairman of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment and The Portland Trust. He is a co-founder of Social Finance UK, USA, and Israel; and co-founder Chair of Bridges Fund Management and Big Society Capital. He chaired the G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce (2013-2015), the UK Social Investment Task Force (2000-2010) and the UK’s Commission on Unclaimed Assets (2005-2007). In 2012 he received the Rockefeller Foundation’s Innovation Award for Social Finance. He was a co-founder and Executive Chairman of Apax Partners Worldwide LLP (1972-2005), a global private equity firm. He was a co-founder and Chairman of the British Venture Capital Association and a co-founder of the European Venture Capital Association. He is a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School; a former director of the Harvard Management Company; and formerly a member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers and the University of Oxford Investment Committee. He graduated from Oxford University, where he was President of the Oxford Union. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School to which he was awarded a Henry Fellowship. Sir Ronald was born in Egypt and left as a refugee at the age of 11, when his family came to the UK.
With a background deeply rooted in healthcare and a passion for humanitarianism, Ndileka embodies dedication in all endeavors. As the grandchild of Nelson Mandela, her extensive network underscores her commitment to collaboration and inclusive governance.
Ndileka, having more than 15 years’ experience in the medical field, leads the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, which focuses on health, education and youth development in South Africa's rural villages. She recently participated in a panel at COP28 entitled "Strategies in Climate Financing; Empowering Sustainable Development in Africa", where she called for an end to "climate apartheid".
Ndileka's philanthropic ethos also shines through her involvement with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. Beyond her contributions to healthcare, Ndileka's leadership extends to impactful community projects, including the transformation of Clarkebury High School. She is also a council member for the Nelson Mandela Museum and a Global Fund Champion for HIV, TB, and malaria.
Through her memoir, "I am Ndileka," she shares her remarkable journey, inspiring others to embrace their own potential for change.
Ndileka, having more than 15 years’ experience in the medical field, leads the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, which focuses on health, education and youth development in South Africa's rural villages. She recently participated in a panel at COP28 entitled "Strategies in Climate Financing; Empowering Sustainable Development in Africa", where she called for an end to "climate apartheid".
Ndileka's philanthropic ethos also shines through her involvement with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. Beyond her contributions to healthcare, Ndileka's leadership extends to impactful community projects, including the transformation of Clarkebury High School. She is also a council member for the Nelson Mandela Museum and a Global Fund Champion for HIV, TB, and malaria.
Through her memoir, "I am Ndileka," she shares her remarkable journey, inspiring others to embrace their own potential for change.
Matt Damon
Co-founder,
WaterEquity and Water.org
Academy Award winner Matt Damon is an actor, screenwriter, producer and humanitarian, who has garnered international acclaim for his work both on- and off-screen.
Inspired during international travel with his family throughout Mexico and Guatemala as a youth, Matt has long been devoted to environmental and social issues. Learning about the immense challenges of accessing safe water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa, Matt decided to create the H20 Africa Foundation. In 2009, he teamed up with Gary White to join their organizations and launch Water.org.
For his work as Co-founder of Water.org, Matt, along with fellow Water.org Co-founder Gary, was recognized as one of the TIME 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and received the Environmental Media Award from The Environmental Media Association in 2013. In 2014, the World Economic Forum named Matt as the Crystal Award winner for his work through Water.org. Matt’s active participation in his organization’s work, including site visits to multiple countries, strategy development, advocacy, and high-level meetings with institutions like the World Bank and the World Economic Forum over the past decade, has positioned him as one of the world’s experts on water and sanitation issues.
Inspired during international travel with his family throughout Mexico and Guatemala as a youth, Matt has long been devoted to environmental and social issues. Learning about the immense challenges of accessing safe water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa, Matt decided to create the H20 Africa Foundation. In 2009, he teamed up with Gary White to join their organizations and launch Water.org.
For his work as Co-founder of Water.org, Matt, along with fellow Water.org Co-founder Gary, was recognized as one of the TIME 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and received the Environmental Media Award from The Environmental Media Association in 2013. In 2014, the World Economic Forum named Matt as the Crystal Award winner for his work through Water.org. Matt’s active participation in his organization’s work, including site visits to multiple countries, strategy development, advocacy, and high-level meetings with institutions like the World Bank and the World Economic Forum over the past decade, has positioned him as one of the world’s experts on water and sanitation issues.
Scilla Elworthy
Peace Builder, Three-time Nobel Prize Nominee
Dr Scilla Elworthy turns vision into action. Today her full attention is on developing Business Plan for Peace, resulting from her 2017 book: The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War. She has been three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for developing effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policymakers worldwide and their critics, with the Oxford Research Group she founded in 1982. Peace Direct, voted ‘Best New Charity’ in 2005, goes from strength to strength under brilliant young leadership, founded by Scilla in 2002 to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas. Scilla was adviser to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’, and was Awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003. She co-founded Rising Women Rising World in 2013, and FemmeQ in 2016 to establish the qualities of feminine intelligence - for men as for women - as essential for building a safer world. Her TED talk on non-violence has been viewed by over 1,400,000 people on TED and YouTube. Her book Pioneering the Possible: awakened leadership for a world that works (North Atlantic Books, 2014) continues to receive critical acclaim from experts in the field. She’s Ambassador for Peace Direct, a Councillor of the World Future Council and patron of Oxford Research Group; adviser to the Syria Campaign and the Institute for Economics and Peace. She advises the leadership of selected international corporations as well as young social entrepreneurs. Scilla is a mother, stepmother, and grandmother and loves messing about in her garden near Oxford in the UK.
Eva Halvarsson
CEO,
AP2
Since 2006, Eva Halvarsson has acted as the CEO of the Second Swedish National Pension Fund -- AP2. She heads up an organization with more than SEK 345 billion (approx. USD 43 billion) under management in virtually every asset class, and one that is active in all parts of the world; AP2 is one of northern Europe's largest pension funds.Ms. Halvarsson began her career as an accountant, progressing to the point that before joining AP2, she spent ten years working for the Swedish Government where she was responsible for the governance and management of the large and extensive portfolio of state owned companies. Eva Halvarsson has had a distinguished and varied leadership career. She took part in the working group that put into effect the Swedish Corporate Governance Code in 2004. She also spent several years, serving on the Swedish Corporate Governance Board. Eva has been a board member of several large companies and has chaired the nomination committees of some of Sweden’s largest listed companies. She recently left after serving for ten years as the Deputy Chairperson of the board of the University of Gothenburg.Presently, she is board member of the UN-PRI (the United Nation´s Principles for Responsible Investments), Vasakronan (the largest real estate company in Sweden), The Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development and The Royal Swedish Opera. In addition, she serves on the advisory board of the Women Entrepreneur´s Opportunity Facility, the first-ever global finance facility dedicated exclusively to women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises.Eva Halvarsson was born in 1962 and holds an MSc in Business and Economics from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.
Eduard van Gelderen
Chief Investment Officer,
PSP Investments
Eduard van Gelderen is senior vice president and chief investment officer at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) where he oversees the organization’s total portfolio and establishes the long-term investment portfolio strategy. He also heads the responsible investment, public policy, and government relations functions.
Prior to joining PSP Investments, Eduard was senior managing director at the office of the chief investment officer of the University of California. As a member of the executive team, his primary responsibilities included overseeing the University’s retirement plan, heading up equity and real assets activities, and handling strategic partnerships in Europe. He also served as CEO of the Dutch financial service provider APG Asset Management and as deputy CIO of ING Investment Management.
Eduard is a certified financial risk manager and a chartered financial analyst and has served on several investment advisory boards. He holds a master’s degree in quantitative finance from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a post-graduate degree in asset liability management from Maastricht University in Limburg. He is currently a PhD candidate at the International School of Management in Paris. Eduard began his career as an investment banker in London and Amsterdam.
Prior to joining PSP Investments, Eduard was senior managing director at the office of the chief investment officer of the University of California. As a member of the executive team, his primary responsibilities included overseeing the University’s retirement plan, heading up equity and real assets activities, and handling strategic partnerships in Europe. He also served as CEO of the Dutch financial service provider APG Asset Management and as deputy CIO of ING Investment Management.
Eduard is a certified financial risk manager and a chartered financial analyst and has served on several investment advisory boards. He holds a master’s degree in quantitative finance from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a post-graduate degree in asset liability management from Maastricht University in Limburg. He is currently a PhD candidate at the International School of Management in Paris. Eduard began his career as an investment banker in London and Amsterdam.
Amit Bouri
CEO & Co-founder,
The GIIN
Amit Bouri is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the GIIN. His work in impact investing began when he was a strategy consultant with the Monitor Institute. At Monitor he was part of the team that produced the Investing for Social & Environmental Impact report, and he left Monitor to co-found the GIIN in 2009.Amit's other projects at the Monitor Institute included strategic planning and organizational development work for nonprofit organizations and foundations. Amit previously worked in the private sector as a strategy consultant with Bain & Company. He left Bain to work in global health at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He also worked in the corporate philanthropy units of Gap Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. Amit holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, an MPA from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Swarthmore College.
Fran Seegull
President,
U.S. Impact Investing Alliance
Fran Seegull is the Executive Director of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance which works to increase awareness of impact investing in the United States, foster deployment of and demand for impact capital across asset classes globally, and partner with stakeholders, including government, to build the impact investing ecosystem. The Alliance is being accelerated by the Ford Foundation and supported by a range of philanthropies and individuals.
Fran was the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Investments at ImpactAssets where she headed investment management for The Giving Fund—an impact investing donor advised fund. She also oversaw product development for and managed the Global Sustainable Agriculture and Microfinance Plus Notes.
Prior to joining ImpactAssets, Fran was Managing Director at Funk Ventures, an early-stage impact venture capital and acceleration firm. She also served as Vice President of Business Development at Novica, an online retailer of products made by artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Fran has consulted to National Geographic and NPR West as well as a number of family foundations and offices.
Fran has a BS in Economics from Barnard College at Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the Investment Committee of Align Impact. Previously, Fran taught a graduate-level course on impact investing at USC’s Marshall School of Business and served on the Investment Committee of the Goldhirsh Foundation and on the G7 Social Impact Investment Task Force Working Group on Asset Allocation. She tweets on impact investing at @franseegull.
Fran was the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Investments at ImpactAssets where she headed investment management for The Giving Fund—an impact investing donor advised fund. She also oversaw product development for and managed the Global Sustainable Agriculture and Microfinance Plus Notes.
Prior to joining ImpactAssets, Fran was Managing Director at Funk Ventures, an early-stage impact venture capital and acceleration firm. She also served as Vice President of Business Development at Novica, an online retailer of products made by artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Fran has consulted to National Geographic and NPR West as well as a number of family foundations and offices.
Fran has a BS in Economics from Barnard College at Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the Investment Committee of Align Impact. Previously, Fran taught a graduate-level course on impact investing at USC’s Marshall School of Business and served on the Investment Committee of the Goldhirsh Foundation and on the G7 Social Impact Investment Task Force Working Group on Asset Allocation. She tweets on impact investing at @franseegull.
Roger Havenith is Deputy Chief Executive of the EIF since 1 January 2016.In his role, Roger is part of the Fund’s governance providing leadership and direction to the institution.He deputises for the CE in the day-to-day management of the Fund, has specific responsibilities for supervising the risk management, compliance, financial control and middle/back-office services and acts as main senior counterpart for the EU institutions.Previously, he had several key roles at the EC: among others, he was a Commission negotiator in charge of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) SME Window, as part of the Investment Plan for Europe. He also led the EC’s Designated Service responsible for the negotiation, implementation and oversight of financial instruments under CIP, EPMF, MAP and other initiatives.He has a B.A. in Business Administration from HEC St. Louis in Brussels (Belgium) and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Vrije Universiteit Brussel; He also earned a postgraduate degree in European Studies from Institut d’Etudes européennes de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and M.A. as conference interpreter from Institut supérieur de Traducteurs et Interprètes/ULB
Hazel Henderson D.Sc.Hon., FRSA, founder of Ethical Markets Media, Certified B Corporation. She is a world-renowned futurist, active environmentalist, syndicated columnist, and author of award-winning Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy (2006); Mapping the Global Transition to the Solar Age (2014), and other books in 800 libraries, in 20 languages, including “Planetary Citizenship “co-authored by Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda. Ethical Markets is the publisher of Henderson’s forthcoming textbook, “Mapping the Global Green Transition: 2009-2020“.
She is the producer of the global TV series “Transforming Finance“ and the Ethical Markets TV series. She created in 2004 the EthicMark® Awards for Communications Uplifting the Human Spirit & Society, showcasing positive messages to raise the ethical bar on global advertising and in 2009 the annual Green Transition Scoreboard®.
She launched the EthicMarkGEMS®.com, the first global standard certifying only gems NOT mined from Mother Earth, to phase out unnecessary global gem mining, now chemically- identical gems are cheaply available worldwide and also co-created Ethical Biomimicry Finance®. Henderson served as a cabinet-level science policy advisor to the US Office of Technology Assessment, the National Science Foundation, and the National Academy of Engineering.
Her over 400 articles appear in Harvard Business Review, New York Times, LeMonde Diplomatique, and journals in Japan, Britain, Venezuela, China, France, Australia. Honorary Member of the Club of Rome, Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society for Arts and of The World Academy of Art & Science, Henderson shared the 1996 Global Citizen Award with Argentinian Nobelist Pérez Esquivel. She has many honorary degrees.
Jennifer Morris
CEO,
The Nature Conservancy
Jennifer Morris is Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization working with partners around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Jennifer leads nearly 4,000 global staff who are dedicated to creating a world where people and nature thrive together. Her teams bring diverse groups together in a collaborative way to transform business practices, shape government policies, and leverage rigorous science to prove and scale on-the-ground conservation work. Jennifer brings more than 25 years of conservation leadership experience to her role as CEO. Previously, she was president at Conservation International, where she developed some of CI’s most enduring programs, partnerships, and innovative strategies using business development as a tool to protect nature for the well-being of humanity. Jennifer is a passionate storyteller, avid outdoors enthusiast, and mentor to the future generations of conservation leaders.
