54 REAL-LEADERS.COM / WINTER 2022 REDUCED INEQUALITIES PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS LIFE ON LAND IROQUOIS VALLEY FARMLAND REIT An organic farmland finance company that supports independent farmers nationwide with access to land and operating capital through innovative leases, mortgages, and lines of credit. The company began in 2007 with a handful of investors financing the organic transition of one farm in Iroquois County, Illinois, and has grown with the support of over 650 mission-aligned investors financing a portfolio of approximately 30,000 acres across 17 states. They raise investor capital through REIT Equity Shares (private equity) and Soil Restoration Notes (private debt). By investing where traditional lenders will not, Iroquois Valley catalyzes a wide array of social and environmental impacts that are key for transitioning the planet to a more sustainable and regenerative state. IroquoisValley.com ECOENTERPRISES FUND Launched in 1998 as one of the first impact funds focused on the protection of biodiversity. The fund developed a unique approach: investing in community-based businesses that create value from biodiversity while concurrently addressing the needs of rural communities, a crucial component to building economic resilience and tackling the global climate crisis. “The whole concept of investing in these types of business emerged because of a need for sustainable management of businesses located in precious ecosystems, especially where local and Indigenous communities, as well as women, are leading the way,” explains CEO Tammy Newmark. This strategy has delivered impressive results, sustaining more than 11,000 jobs, benefiting 400,000 members of local communities, and protecting over 11 million acres of land. EcoEnterprisesfund.com THE SOUTHERN RECONSTRUCTION FUND EMERGING IMPACT FUND MANAGER Envisions thriving southern US communities defined by (W)Health — improved quality of life, duration of life, and resilience of life. Its investment approach, Restorative Capital, is embodied in FundONE and rooted in an understanding of the United States' racialized history and a belief in ownership and building together. FundONE is designed to accelerate place-based community change across the South and to reorganize capital markets to accelerate equitable outcomes by accelerating the flow of investments, radically reimagining markets, and partnering with place-based anchors and organizations. SouthernReconstructionFund.org WORKING CAPITAL FOR COMMUNITY NEEDS EMERGING IMPACT FUND MANAGER In 1991, a handful of investors launched WCCN — one of the first of its kind — which aimed to support poor households in Nicaragua that were reeling from the effects of the civil war. Over the decades, it has grown and diversified thanks to over 6,700 investors, donors, and partners across the US. Today, more than 500 investors and donors are key to WCCN’s mission. “Throughout the 1980s, much of our focus was on anti-war activities and relief,” says board member Sheldon Rampton. “We raised money and medical supplies and sent them to health clinics, and we supplied orphanages, and we provided hurricane relief. And then the war ended in 1990, and WCCN asked ourselves, 'What relationship should we have with Nicaragua now?' We decided we wanted to work on economic development." wccn.org SYLVIA WISNIWSKI, MANAGING DIRECTOR Harnesses the power of finance to make a positive difference for investors, people, and the planet. Invests in emerging markets to address the world’s environmental and social challenges while delivering sustainable long-term returns. Over 12 years, it has made a difference in over 30 countries on five continents with more than EUR 6 billion of impact capital mobilized. Globally, its impact funds invest public and private capital in combating climate change, conserving biodiversity, advancing renewable energy, fostering entrepreneurship, and expanding financial inclusion — ultimately contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In many cases, Finance in Motion complements the investment with capacity building through its technical assistance programs. Hand in hand, finance and expertise empower local partners and stakeholders to implement solutions to some of the greatest challenges we face today. Investment teams are based in regional hubs in the countries where it invests, and its insights and networks allow it to understand local requirements and engage and identify new developments in real-time. “As a pure impact asset manager, we are not only providing professional asset management with credible impact but see ourselves as a disruptive force in the fund industry,” says Sylvia Wisniwski, managing director. “We aim to change the business model from a risk-return asset strategy to a three-dimensional approach, investing capital with purpose.” Finance-in-Motion.com FINANCE IN MOTION INNOVATIVE IMPACT FUND MANAGERS 2022 IN COLLABORATION WITH
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY3Mjcw