IIX Impact Institute: Join the Movement!
Over the years, impact investing has grown beyond entrepreneurs and investors, attracting an increasingly diverse array of stakeholders looking to play a catalytic role in the movement. However, a knowledge gap in the space leaves many existing and potential stakeholders unaware of how to play an effective role. While some universities and organizations are attempting to address this knowledge gap, none have devised a structured approach that converts the field practice and knowledge into effective learning — until now. Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) established the IIX Impact Institute (IIXII) to equip mid-career professionals interested in the impact investing space with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to jump onboard.
IIXII is a 14-week program that combines weekly live webinars and an on-site immersion week in Singapore to inform and empower participants in the impact investment space. The course is instructed by five world-class academics and practitioners who cover an interdisciplinary spectrum of topics in order to best educate participants on what is needed to grow the ecosystem — Professor Alex Nicholls from Oxford University shares the UK’s experience in fostering impact investment through policy; Antony Bugg-Levine, who coined the term ‘impact investing’, CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, explores how the non-profit sector can be involved in the impact investing space; Edward Hartman, co-founder of LegalZoom and a lecturer with the Law Faculty at Stanford and Yale University, discusses the effective legal structures and pricing mechanisms necessary to grow and attract impact investment; IIX’s very own Durreen Shahnaz (former professor at the National University of Singapore) and Robert Kraybill (former professor at Singapore Management University), Founder and Managing Director of IIX respectively, share their expertise on key trends in impact investing and practical insight on impact assessment, raising capital, and innovative finance.
The inaugural IIXII cohort, which graduated on December 8th, was a testament to the diversity of stakeholders eager to sharpen their expertise in this rapidly growing field. Consisting of 12 highly experienced individuals from 12 countries across four continents, the group included representatives from donor agencies, foundations, INGOs, banks, corporates and also social entrepreneurs. Over the course of the program, participants not only gained a wealth of theoretical and practical knowledge, but consistently engaged in interactive discussions with one another and our expert team.
The immersion week, which is highly valued by the participants, makes the IIXII a unique, holistic experience that goes beyond any online course available by combining academics with real-world application. It features a collaborative group project, networking event and field visits to impact enterprises such as Dignity Kitchen, Singapore’s first hawker training school for disabled and disadvantaged people, and Feed Our Loved Ones Farm, a family-run farm in Malaysia on a mission to feed the world nutritionally power packed, super organic vegetables.
Deepali Khanna from Rockefeller Foundation reflects that IIXII was “a great learning experience which has significantly enhanced my understanding of the impact investing world. The 14-week journey with the best team of professors, and with rich academic and field experience has given me the confidence to apply the learning to my work.”
Adam Searle from Oxford University expands, “I would recommend this course as crucial to any individual striving to lead in the impact investment space. The course challenged my preconceptions and previously gained knowledge on the sector, and encouraged me to think critically about how we achieve maximum impact. IIXII allowed me to learn about the space from multiple perspectives (e.g. from an enterprise, from an investor, from an intermediary point of view).”
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Moreover, during the immersion, participants were also given the invaluable opportunity to present their group projects — which explored topics such as the creation of an impact investment fund for aboriginally controlled health services, the potential for impact enterprise to promote and support sustainable small-scale farming in Asia, and the development of a social capital market in Africa — to a room of investors and industry experts at the Impact Investor Trailblazer Showcase in Singapore.
Anusha Answani from Head Foundation says, “I was so glad to be part of this inaugural program and learn directly from experts — better than any book on the topic could ever be! The learning was practical and directly applicable.”
To be part of the upcoming Spring 2017 IIXII class, complete your online application today!
Apply now for the Spring 2017 Program!
Jocelyn Matyas
Luke Wilson
Winter Associates, Advocacy and Business Development
Originally published at impactquarterly.asiaiix.com on December 20, 2016.
