Please note we are now at capacity for this event. Email Amy Valerio at avalerio@acumen.org if you’d like to be added to the waitlist.
Imagine a system where the workforce is supported and the environment is thriving. A system where people have access to the resources and infrastructure they need to be safe, financially secure and more resilient against climate shocks. A system where dignity is embedded into every job in the value chain because corporations have normalized the practice across sectors. The Dignified Work session will challenge us to articulate what it means to create “dignified work” opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable people. We will also explore how competing priorities might influence change rather than stymie progress, shedding light on the collective responsibility philanthropists, donors, entrepreneurs, and practitioners have in creating a more inclusive system for workers.
Speakers:
Aniket Doegar, CEO & Co-Founder, Haqdarshak
Gayatri Jolly, CEO & Founder, MasterG and Daughters
Mahesh Yagnaraman, Country Director, Acumen India
Shriti Pandey, Founder, Strawcture
Moderated by:
Sabrina Lee Sanchez, Head of Development and Partnerships - Foundations, Acumen
In this session, we will discuss what it will take to end energy poverty and achieve a just, inclusive clean energy transition. We will start by unpacking the role energy access plays in the pathway out of poverty, and will explore clean energy-powered solutions that both increase income generation and climate resilience for vulnerable communities.
Speakers:
Amar Inamdar, Managing Director, KawiSafi Ventures (KSV)
Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder and CEO, Acumen
Jiwoo Choi, Chief of Strategic Initiatives, Acumen
Jonathan Cedar, CEO and Co-Founder, BioLite
Nidhi Pant, Co-Founder, S4S Technologies
Per Heggenes, CEO, The IKEA Foundation
Moderated by:
Sarah Bieber, Head of Energy Partnerships, Acumen
In this participatory session, participants will have an opportunity to understand the challenges associated with smallholder agriculture. Entrepreneurs from Acumen’s agriculture portfolio companies will provide examples of how their business models are having outsized impact, and where they are headed next. Participants will have a chance to consider opportunities to further strengthen the ecosystem of partners and collaborators necessary to create systems-level change for smallholder farmers. To close, Acumen will provide a sneak peek of its forward looking, 5 year strategy as it makes a push towards leveraging patient capital for agriculture systems building.
Speakers:
Elvia Gomez, Portfolio Manager, Acumen Latin America
Lindsay Wallace, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Impact, MEDA
Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati, Cofounder & President, Kheyti
Tamer El-Raghy, Managing Director, Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund
Tyler Youngblood, CEO, Azahar
Moderated by:
Chris Wayne, Associate Director, Investing in Agriculture, Acumen
In this session, we’ll learn how Acumen Fellows have applied the principles of Moral Leadership to build scalable solutions to poverty. We’ll start by hearing from three Fellows working in the fields of education, capacity development, financial inclusion and social justice, and then open the discussion to explore how Acumen Academy can continue to support the next generation of builders with the right tools, skills and community.
Speakers:
David Salas, Acumen Fellow, Founder, Somos CaPAZes
Uthara Narayanan, Acumen Fellow, Chief Changemaker, BuzzWomen
Wainright Acquoi, Foundry Member, Accelerator Participant, CEO, Tribe
Moderated by:
Bavidra Mohan, Leadership Director, Acumen Academy
Philanthropy & the Impact Investing Capital Spectrum, co-hosted by Acumen and Lebec Consulting, will explore how trust based philanthropy—funding that is patient, flexible, risk-tolerant, and anchored in equity and partnership —is uniquely positioned to catalyze social innovation, reverse the tides of inequality, and encourage more action from risk averse governments and financial markets. We’ll explore this topic from different angles and unpack the barriers that are holding back our full potential to redefine philanthropy as we know it.
Speakers:
Emily Green, Director of Private Wealth, Ellevest
Eve Rodsky, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space, Keynote Speaker, and Co-Founder of Philanthropy Advisory Group
Jen Fisher, Chief Well-Being Officer, Deloitte
Pete Yao, Chief Impact Officer, Thankyou
Yasmina Zaidman, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer, Acumen
Moderated by:
Alix Lebec, Founder & CEO of Lebec Consulting
In this report we share what we’ve learned in 20 years of investing Patient Capital: the challenges and successes of building and shaping markets for people who are low-income, the opportunities and limitations of using Patient Capital in a venture capital model, and the financial returns we expect.
