In 2009, at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting, President Bill Clinton stood next to Amit Bouri and his founding partners as they launched the Global Impact Investing Network. The GIIN started as a 22-member community of Impact investors committed to using their investing power not only to produce financial gains, but also to produce social and environmental benefits.
When asked about her experience as a female operating in the building energy sector which is mostly dominated by men, Lucy Lyons, co-founder and CEO of Kestrix describes a mostly positive one. Investors are “more excited to talk to me because I’m a female founder,” she said. “Yes, I’m a woman, but I’m a woman that venture capital dudes can relate to.”
As You Sow and Corporate Knights have released the latest Carbon Clean 200, a global list of publicly traded companies leading the global sustainable clean energy economy. Together, these 200 industry-leading companies generated trillions in revenue from services and products that reduce demand for fossil fuels and water, while offering investors solid returns.
The new CNBC Changemakers list of women who are transforming business and philanthropy, recognizes leaders whose accomplishments span many fields and innovations: biotech breakthroughs, AI advances, women’s health, and new products and services, many focused on female consumers as well as tackling essential societal issues.
Climate change poses significant challenges to our globalized world – the human and economic toll is already evident. The challenge for investors has always been how to navigate these risks and incorporate their analysis into the investment process. There is still no consensus on the potential impact to financial markets or how much risk is currently priced into the markets.
On a backpacking trip through Sub-Saharan Africa, I saw poverty on a scale I had never seen before. That journey altered the course of my life – dedicating my career to building a more equitable and sustainable world. I also began to rethink how I invested my money. I am one of millions of women that are becoming a financial force. In fact, by 2030, women are expected to control $34 trillion, or 38%, of the wealth in the US.
Change isn’t coming – it’s already here. Venture capital is undergoing a seismic shift, and if you’re not investing in women-led and diverse startups, consider this your wake-up call. Investors who aren’t yet looking at the untapped potential of these founders are missing out on some of the most exciting and profitable return opportunities in today’s financial markets.
