Summary of the Event
The event kicked off at 7am GMT with a morning yoga video performed by Adriene.The Virtual Symposium hosted over 25 renowned sustainability leaders, environmentalists, researchers, specialists on health, botanic conservation, resource management sustainable agriculture and building from around the world. Speaker such as Jeffrey Sachs, Adenike Akinsemolu, Marc Rosen, amongst others share their insights on our path towards sustainable development.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Eva Andriyash is the CEO, Co-founder, BoD at IxD Capital; Founder at POSITIVE DIALOGUE Management Company; Co-Founder, BoD at Impact Investors Association.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Byron E. Price, Ph.D. is a professor of public administration and the former Dean of the School of Business at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York in Brooklyn.
Q & A (SELECTED)
Byron Price: What is the role of investors in supporting Impact entrepreneurship and how does entrepreneurship facilitate sustainable development?
Answer: You know investors have to invest in a profitable ventures and enterprises, so we have to adhere to high rate of returns. Another concept of impact investing that actually facilitate the whole process of shifting to sustainable development because sustainable development is a very global concept that means we can actually create, lead the road up to us to the next generation with at least the same parameter. The next generation could live with the same conditions we lived in, so investors need to take into accounts the fact that don’t have planet B, from one point of view we talk about philosophy of investing, mindset, it’s not only about returns. Traditional investors should look at impact investing and supporting projects.
Byron Price: What role can colleges play to get students more involved in impact investment or do impact investment companies try to get colleges involved in impact investment?
Answer: Colleges can be seen as evangelist of that transition to a zero carbon economy. They mind introduce some innovative approaches to educational system and in their subjects. But at the same time, the practice is what makes it perfect. So, I think colleges should connect with the social enterprise and organize activities that would entail the communication between the students and the founder of the social enterprises of sustainable projects, so they could really understand what it means to be an entrepreneur and find the bridge between theory and practice.
Byron Price: In an age of sustainable development, what is the correlation between impact entrepreneurship and green entrepreneurship?
Answer: Impact Entrepreneurship is a broad concept, it actually includes green entrepreneurship because, Green Entrepreneurship is where we talk about businesses that operate in the green sector that minimizes carbon footprint, at maximum they produce green product, services and green processes. But impact entrepreneurship in overall is the entrepreneurship that entails making a contribution to achieving one or several of the 17 sustainable development goals. We can talk about increasing income, gender equality and fostering innovations. This is a broader concept I must say.
Quotes
“Colleges can be seen as evangelist of that transition to a zero carbon economy. ”
“impact entrepreneurship in overall is the entrepreneurship that entails making a contribution to achieving one or several of the 17 sustainable development goals.”
FURTHER READING
Jessica Jones. (2019).The Demand Side of Impact Investing. Elevating the perspectives of local entrepreneurs in the impact sector. Oxfam research backgrounder.
Höchstädter, A., & Scheck, B. (2015). What's in a Name: An Analysis of Impact Investing Understandings by Academics and Practitioners. Journal of Business Ethics, 132(2), 449-475. Retrieved June 17, 2020.