These investors and entrepreneurs are channelling the power of money toward underserved communities and innovative solutions
These investment leaders from Asia’s Most Influential list are making money more meaningful by channelling its power toward underserved communities and innovative solutions. By embedding positive social and environmental impact in investment, they’re making it more democratic and socially responsible. The net effect—apart from returns—is a financial system that results in better lives and brighter futures.
Durreen Shahnaz, Singapore
Professor Durreen Shahnaz founded Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) to harness the power of the financial system toward nurturing businesses that value women, underserved communities and the environment. Now, IIX helps impact enterprises scale up to achieve its big-picture goal of a billion sustainable livelihoods by 2030.
It recently announced Meraki Agro, the sustainable agriculture business from Indonesia, as the winner of its Impact Partners PitchFest 2022 in the APAC region. Impact Partners, one of IIX’s three investment platforms, awards over US$100,000 in capital to, as Shahnaz describes, “enterprises who aim to generate positive social or environmental impact in their communities”. IIX also offers Impact Exchange, the world’s first social stock exchange, and Impact Accelerator, which is designed to support early-stage social enterprises in South and Southeast Asia.
