Programme

Shifting Capital to Shift Systems: What kind of investments and investors does it take to shift entire systems?

A growing network of system-shifting investors, funders and innovators are redesigning how investment supports people undertaking big collective transitions to create more sustainable, inclusive economies. We show how the ingredients of this nascent movement among investors is coming together in our paper for the conference “Pathways to a Preferable Future: Investing in System Innovation.”

System shifting investment involves blending public, private, philanthropic and community capital to power system wide transitions. We will hear from people trying to do this in practice from such as the Centre for Community Investment, on rebuilding thriving community economies in places that have suffered structural disadvantage and Commonland, on its efforts to regenerate landscapes, communities and economies. We will also be joined by some of the most impressive pioneers exploring the new roles and vehicles required to coordinate and fund collaborative, long term system shifting activity such as Erica Barbosa from social impact fund Second Muse and Adam Spence at the Social Venture Exchange. And we will close by looking into the future with those seeking to fund transformational change, including Dr. Johan Schot of the Deep Transitions research initiative and Steve Waddell, lead author of “An Investigation into Financing Transformation”.