Deb Shepherd & Jamie Newth - Why does impact investing matter?

Many of the world’s social and environmental problems have defied decades of traditional attempts to eliminate them. Fortunately, there is renewed hope from a new movement of investors who are looking to align their investment capital with their heart for positive change. These ‘impact investors’ invest for social or environmental impact alongside financial returns. Can impact investors lead the way towards an economy that is inclusive and sustainable?

Dr Deb Shepherd and Dr Jamie Newth will explain how we can move beyond the hype to real action and tangible impact as investors (large and small).

Dr Deb Shepherd is a part-time Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School. Her research and teaching focuses on social entrepreneurship and innovation, the entrepreneurial mindset, and SMEs and family businesses. Deb is involved in the student-led entrepreneurial initiative Velocity.  Outside of the university she is a founding facilitator of the ICEHOUSE owner manager programme, a director of Soul Capital, Biocell and Resero and holds a Small Business Advisory role with government.

Jamie is currently a lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School, founder of impact investment firm Soul Capital, and a member of the National Advisory Board for Impact Investment. His research focuses on social innovation and entrepreneurship and impact investing and his teaching on experiential learning for start-up entrepreneurship.