Below event, the Market Info Day, is open to foundations, charitable funders and FGII guests.
When
Tuesday 22 October 2024
11am - 12:30pm AEDT (ACT, NSW, QLD)
10:30am - 12:00pm ACDT (SA)
10am - 11:30am AEST (QLD)
9:30am - 11:00am ACST (NT)
8am - 9:30am AWST (WA)
Online event only: Zoom link will be provided after registration
Aims
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- To present an overview and investment considerations of investment-ready organisations (open session)
- To obtain feedback from FGII members to shape future market information days and FGII (closed session)
Overview
The Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII), launched in 2023, is designed to support market-building initiatives for foundations and charitable funders interested in starting or currently undertaking impact investing.
The FGII plans to support market building through education and origination. The origination activities will primarily be delivered via the Market Information Days.
Do you know a Foundation or Charitable funder who would benefit from joining? Please help spread the word. Find out more about becoming a FGII member.
About Market Information Day
The Market Information Day on Tuesday 22 October will be held online.
This event is an opportunity to share impact investments in the market and invite discussion.
The Market Information Days are designed to educate attendees about the social impact investment landscape and opportunities from social impact funds, charities and social ventures. The event will focus on learning in a mutually supportive environment; newer investors learn from the questions posed by their more experienced peers, and those presenting can benefit from feedback on their ideas.
We will kick off the session with a Market Activity Update from Rebecca Parkinson - Investment Specialist and advisor, Development Finance Branch, Blended Finance and Investor Engagement Unit. She will talk about the Convergence Blended Finance workshop learnings: in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and FGII.
Structure (in AEDT; ACT/ NSW/ VIC)
11am (FGII members and non-members): Open session, all welcome
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- Open and welcome
- Speaker presentations
12:30pm: Event ends
Please note:
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- The open session will be recorded.
- Presenters will share their thoughts and views in conversation but will not offer any financial advice.
- A brief survey will be provided for completion at the end of each presentation.
Audience
Philanthropic funders, foundations and FGII guests are welcome to attend this event.
For questions about this event or FGII, please contact the FGII Program Director Michelle Di Fabio at fgii@philanthropy.org.au. Find out how to become a FGII member here.
If you wish to sign up as a Philanthropy Australia member, please reach out to membership@philanthropy.org.au.
Speakers
Rebecca Parkinson - Development Finance Advisor | Blended Finance and Investor Engagement Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Rebecca works with DFAT as an advisor to the Development Finance Branch's Blended Finance and Investor Engagement Unit. She supports the scale up of DFAT's impact investing activities across the Indo Pacific, and the mobilization of co-investment from aligned Australian investors.
Rebecca's own experience includes over 2 decades in private fixed income and equity markets, deploying impact oriented capital along the risk-return-impact spectrum designing alternative financial instruments and blended finance structures. Rebecca is passionate about effective impact investment strategies that advance financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, forest and landscape restoration, sustainable food production, and nutrition and food security.
Derek Walker – Managing Director, Kuti Co and Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation
Derek Walker is the Managing Director of both Ngopamuldi Aboriginal corporation and Kuti Co. He and his wife have 5 children and they currently reside in Murray Bridge. Derek is electrician by trade and studied agriculture at the Roseworthy Campus of Adelaide University.
For the last 30 years his professional life has revolved around a variety of roles at Raukkan and Murray Bridge. This includes community development, building and resource management, property management with a focus on providing opportunities for employment and training. This led to the development of Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation with the aim of alleviating disadvantage amongst the local aboriginal and broader community, providing community development services and employment and training opportunities.
Ngopamuldi enterprise developed includes Working on Country, Aboriginal learning on Country, Shared services, Labour hire, Kuti Co our Fishing Company, Building repair and maintenance and Yunta Walun a native flower project.
David Faulmann - Deputy Director, Programmatic Partnerships, Monash University
David has spent the past 16 years working at the intersect of industry, government, research, philanthropy and civil society to drive social and environmental impact in partnership with some of the world’s leading companies, NGO’s, multilateral institutions and donor programs through responsible and commercially oriented business models.
He has worked for a number of Australia’s largest and most beloved international development organisations as well as for Business for Development, an INGO inclusive business advisory startup which was eventually acquired by The Palladium Group.
Engaging across the spectrum of impact capital, in his current role, David connects Monash University’s portfolio of impact aligned startup and spinout companies with the impact investment market, accelerating the translation of research into commercially viable impact-driven ventures.
Dr Sarah Crowe - Founder and Director, OOXii Global Pty Ltd
Dr Sarah Crowe is an ophthalmologist, inventor, environmentalist and business executive. She grew up in Montreal and studied at universities in Canada and Scotland. As a Rhodes Scholar she received a DPhil in Molecular Biology from Oxford University. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Toronto and underwent Ophthalmology specialist training in Sydney. Over the past 25 years she has established a large private practice in Sydney, while raising 4 children. Improving the visual health of those in less fortunate circumstances has always been an ambition. While working in the Solomon Islands in 2017, she encountered the problem of uncorrected refractive error firsthand and was appalled at the prevalence of visual impairment due to lack of access to glasses. She has dedicated her life to helping solve this problem.
If you are interested you can hear more of the story on this recent podcast.
Roo Harris - General Partner and Co-owner, Scale investors
Roo Harris is co-owner of Scale Investors, an emerging fund manager that invests into women led startups. Roo found her path to investing on the road less traveled, leaving her legal career in Australia at Allens Arthur Robinson (now Allens Linklaters) to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ultimately Qatar, where she advised some of the world’s biggest investors, and spent three years working for the ruling family of Qatar.
Roo believes in ’conscious capital’ and a model of capitalism that is relational, human-centered, service oriented and sustainable for the planet. Her love of venture capital and its potential to drive positive change, led her to Scale Investors. Her mission there is to create top quartile returns for investors while making positive social and economic impact.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Roo is a dedicated advocate for the neurodivergent and disability communities, having held board positions with Aspergers Victoria and currently with Autistic Pride Day. She also sits on the EDI Advisory Committee of the Tech Council of Australia. She holds a BA/LLB and a Master's Degree in Commercial Law from The University of Melbourne. She is currently undertaking a second Master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
FGII chair
Ben Smith - Head, Impact Investing, Paul Ramsay Foundation
Ben is Head of Impact Investing at Paul Ramsay Foundation. Alongside his role at PRF, Ben is the Vice Chair, and Chair of the Investment Committee, for NatWest Social and Community Capital. Furthermore, he holds the position of Impact Investor in Residence at Centre for Social Impact Flinders University.
Prior to joining PRF, Ben was Head of Impact Investment at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – the UK’s largest impact investing foundation. Ben previously established UnLtd’s – the UK’s largest early-stage social enterprise supporter – social investment department and first funds. Other notable activities in the space include co-authoring the CFA UK’s Impact and Investing Certificate, co-Chairing the UK’s Social Impact Investors Group and holding Impact Finance lecturing positions at Cranfield University and University of Westminster.
Originally a management and strategy consultant, Ben is also a former Board Member of Birmingham Symphony Hall and Aston University.
FGII Steering Committee member
Adam Ognall - Executive Director, Engagement, Philanthropy Australia
Adam leads and drives Philanthropy Australia’s efforts to engage a larger and more diverse membership, inspire a new wave of giving and foster better approaches to giving across the philanthropic sector.
Prior to joining PA, he was Chief Executive of New Israel Fund UK, a charity that promotes democracy and equality in Israel and Palestine through making grants and providing capacity-building services to civil society groups. Before this he was Deputy CEO of UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF), the mission-driven peak body committed to growing responsible and sustainable finance, leading their member services and developing their impact investment workstream. Until moving to Melbourne in 2021, Adam was also the Board Chair of the award-winning The Bike Project, a charity that supports refugees.
FGII Program Director
Michelle Di Fabio - Program Director for the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII), Philanthropy Australia
Michelle leads the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII) at Philanthropy Australia. The FGII launched in 2023, is designed to support market-building initiatives for foundations and charitable funders interested in starting or currently undertaking impact investing.
Michelle is experienced in strategy, program delivery, education and impact investing. Michelle has held roles including Head of Strategy for Hostplus Superannuation, Relationship Manager for the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and is the Founder and Director of Strategic Global Advisory (SGA).
Michelle is passionate about education and collaboration, and a lecturer in Impact Investing (Sustainable Investment) at The University of Melbourne.
Michelle qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC and is an alumnus of The University of Melbourne, University of Manchester and Oxford University, where she was awarded a leadership scholarship to study the Social Impact Investing Programme at the SAID Business School. Michelle is a board member of Dodgeball Australia, National student body Financial Management Association of Australia (FMAA) and former Alumni Deputy Chair at The University of Melbourne.
Find out how to become a FGII member here.
Learn more about Philanthropy Australia membership.