Women in Social Finance

💡 Does our aim of advancing the control of capital for and by a diverse group of women resonate with you? Do you identify as, or do you know, a woman working in a senior role with an active interest in directing finance for social or environmental purposes? There’s never been a better time to join us, to foster new connections, peer learning, and mutual advancement. We convene online and in person. We meet at major conferences around the world, in our members’ workplaces and we host events in uplifting venues. We support one another daily through our WhatsApp group. Wherever you are, there are opportunities to engage. Share this with the women who need to read it, or send us your expression of interest and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can collaborate 👉 https://lnkd.in/diYBXkc #WomenInSocialFinance #SocialFinance #ImpactInvesting #GenderLensInvesting #SocialEnterprise #SocialImpact

Companies with gender-diverse teams and women in leadership achieve higher profitability and sales - and here is the evidence base for your investment cases! The new ‘Pathways to Growth’ report from Value For Women Ltd. (led by our member Rebecca Fries) and Acumen provides real-world examples of how gender actions create business and social impact. It offers case studies, practical pathways for early-stage companies, and insights into measuring gender-based impact. Discover how gender inclusion can transform companies and deliver tangible results. 🔗 Download ‘Pathways to Growth: Gender-smart business actions that work’: https://lnkd.in/dxfKAVa5 #GenderSmart #GenderLensInvesting #GenderEquity

🌟 It's wonderful to see our member, Erika Brodnock MBE featured as one of Founders Forum Group's 100 Women Founders to Watch! Erika is the founder of Kinhub, a generative People Performance Platform that reduces employee stress by 48% and boosts productivity by 15%. It is tackling the UK’s £1.8t productivity drain by democratising access to personalised coaching, making it affordable and scalable for all. We're so proud to count Erika as a member of the WISF community. Check out the full list to meet 100 Women Founders launching disruptive new businesses, driving climate action, accelerating #AI and innovating across 20+ industries from #femtech to #spacetech. They’ve raised more than $1.1b between them! 🔗 More: https://lnkd.in/ehgpYiDR #100WomenFounders #WomenInTech #WomenFounders

“Throughout my career in politics, tech, and finance, I have been fortunate to join and contribute to efforts to build the profile of women.” - we’re delighted to welcome Laurie Felker Jones to Women in Social Finance. Laurie’s work producing $1mm+ in earned media, electing 40+ women to office, advising 100+ ventures and raising and allocating $40mm across asset classes has been recognised through two government appointments, and by SXSW, The Chicago Tribune, IDEO.org, Village Capital, and others. Laurie is a graduate of UT-Austin, the London School of Economics, and the Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at the Saïd Business School. She regularly collaborates with funders, founders, ecosystem builders and institutions to drive global impact through mission-driven innovation and aligned capital structures. We’re excited to have Laurie’s energy and talent in our community and look forward to getting to know her better. Would you like to know more about joining WISF? If you are a woman working in a senior finance role directing capital in the realm of social or sustainable finance, send us your expression of interest and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can work together 👉 https://lnkd.in/diYBXkc #WomenInSocialFinance #Investing #ImpactInvesting

📢 Two new reports on Gender Lens Investing (GLI) bring new data and insights that many in our Women in Social Finance community will find valuable. The UN’s report, Empowering Women, Building Sustainable Assets: Strengthening the Depth of Gender Lens Investing Across Asset Classes, explores the evolving landscape of GLI and its potential as a transformative force for societal change. 🔗https://lnkd.in/espsgzfC Meanwhile, the The Global Impact Investing Network’s latest market intelligence report, In Focus: Gender and Impact Investing 2024, offers insights from the 2024 Impact Investor Survey, showing how integrating a gender lens into investment strategies can not only advance gender equality but also drive stronger financial outcomes. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eyxbKqEe Check them out to see how GLI continues to drive real-world impact! #GenderLensInvesting #SocialFinance

🌊🌊🌊 We’ve heard about seven members making waves this month including winning a top award and taking up some fantastic new roles and governance positions. 🌊Esohe Denise Odaro is recognised in the Heroes’s 2024 List of Top 100 Women Executives who are driving innovative and impactful initiatives for women’s inclusion. 🌊Milena Bacalja Perianes is starting a new role with SAGANA as a Senior Consulting Director. She will work closely with fellow WISF member, Kelly Roberts-Robbins to drive SAGANA’s Gender Lens Investing work. 🌊Gila Norich is now Director of Partnerships and Capital Initiatives at the Collaborative for Frontier Finance, which addresses small and growing business finance in emerging markets.   🌊Maria Laura Tinelli is starting a new role at Miembro del Consejo (council Member) at Fundación LA NACION. 🌊Tara Sabre Collier has been appointed as one of the Pathway Fund’s first set of Non-Executive Directors. 🌊Maja Bosnic📍 is joining the Board of WiseScore an IT services company working on ethical, fair and equitable products and AI solutions. 🌊Caroline McLaughlin is starting a new position as Trustee at Risk Pool Fund. Sending huge congratulations to our members on these excellent achievements and we’re standing by to offer any insights or connections you need for the new roles! If you are not yet a member and working in a senior finance role directing capital in the realm of social or sustainable finance, we would love to hear from you. Click “visit website” at the top of our page and send us your expression of interest. #SocialFinance #CareerGoals #ImpactInvesting

🗝️Our member Laurie J Spengler and her partners at Mondiale Impact pose key questions for corporate boards to explore as they navigate today's complex social and environmental transitions. These include: 🔹 Are we actively avoiding harm and delivering clear benefits? 🔹 Are we receiving and assessing the correct information to make that determination? 🔹 Where are our risks and strengths for making social and environmental issues count for performance? 🔹 Do we have a complete picture of the potential consequences of the decisions to act and not act in light of the changing context we’ve identified? 🔹 Does our reporting provide transparent insight into our actions and achievements? 🔹 How is our risk appetite influencing decision-making, and where might managed risks help us move beyond assumed trade-offs? 👀➡️ Read "Why corporate boards must adapt to changing times" by Laurie Spengler, Rosemary Addis, Dolika Banda, Mario Calderini, Karim Harji, and Rajiv Lall via Forbes: https://lnkd.in/gQRcdBYM  #ESG #Impact #ImpactManagement #Governance

🌐Our members are making the most of opportunities to connect in person this conference season. Wherever there's a major social finance event there’s a good chance that WISF members are there, seeking each other out. There were recent gatherings around #GIINImpact2024 in Amsterdam and the Milan Philanthropy & Impact Summit and plans for more this week at SOCAP in San Francisco and AVPA in Nairobi the next week. We are uplifted to hear of meaningful conversations, problems solved and fresh ideas generated, thanks to the connectedness of the WISF network. We are also incredibly grateful to those members who have helped to organise and host WISF fringe meetups. So to our members, keep sharing your participation in events through our WhatsApp group and let’s all make the most of our flourishing community. #SocialFinance #Community #Network

🤝 We’re thrilled to welcome Anna Colombatti, CAIA as a member of Women In Social Finance. Anna is a chartered investment professional with two decades of experience in Financial Services and Asset Management. She is passionate about responsible and impact investment and has advises start up and scale up SMEs as well as venture capital firms investing in entrepreneurs from underserved communities. Anna is currently the Head of Research and Investment COO of the AXA Multi Managers business with responsibility for investment pipeline and ESG due diligence. She also Chairs the Board of a fund delivering social impact investment through repayable finance and is an Investment Committee member for a venture capital fund which raises new capital, utilising enterprise tax relief, to support impact-led businesses. We look forward to getting to know you, Anna, and creating impactful opportunities together. Would you like to know more about joining WISF? If you are a woman working in a senior finance role directing capital in the realm of social or sustainable finance, send us your expression of interest and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can work together 👉 https://lnkd.in/ex5mDCyF #WomenInSocialFinance #Investing #ImpactInvesting

#JOB #Opportunity: Head of Investment (maternity cover, fixed term), UnLtd. Here’s an exciting opportunity to lead UnLtd’s investment initiatives. This role involves managing previously deployed funds and overseeing UnLtd's contribution to the Growth Impact Fund, including pre- and post-investment support, as well as managing their portfolio of investees. 💷 Salary: £58,429-£64,272 + £3,285 London weighting if applicable 📌 Location: Hybrid - linked to one of UnLtd’s offices in London, Birmingham or based in NI, Scotland or Wales 📅 Closing date: 28 October 🔗 Details: https://lnkd.in/gvDgafyY WISF exists to help the women in our community identify and prepare for their next senior, leadership roles. We also regularly collate and share outstanding opportunities through our member communication channels. If you would like to benefit from this support please check our membership criteria and get in touch ➡️ https://lnkd.in/diYBXkc