Excellence in Impact Investing Recognised at the 2022 Australian Impact Investment Awards
Some of the most outstanding activities and leaders in Australia’s impact investment sector were honoured at the 2022 Australian Impact Investment Awards last night, an annual event by Social Impact Hub's Impact Investing Hub initiative and Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific.
The Impact Investing Hub is an inclusive Australian impact investment initiative that connects impact investors and advisors to education, community and investment opportunities to mobilise more capital for impact, democratise access to impact investments and collaboratively grow the Australian impact investment sector. Following the success of the beta platform, Impact Investing Hub is re-launching a new website and member network in 2023.
Keynote speaker for the evening was The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services. The Department of Social Services (DSS) are committed to recognising innovation and outstanding achievement in the sector, and have been an integral supporter of the awards to date. Minister Rishworth commented:
“We need new approaches and new models of public and private partnerships because government is not, and cannot, be the only source of ideas that can deliver and scale innovative community solutions. I'm proud to lead an organisation that embraces and supports impact investing as a key component of how government, business, the NFP and community sectors work together to create a better future for all Australians."
This year’s awards were judged by a panel of experts comprised of Zarmeen Pavri, Senior Advisor-Australia Country Head for GIIN; Jenna Farrell (Liang), Sector Advisor; formerly of Synergos & Philanthropy Australia; Chris Murdoch, Impact Investment Specialist and Founder of Pilgrim Advisors; Judi Drown, Director of Social Impact Investing at DSS and Andrew Tyndale, Chair at Payton Capital and Chief Investment and Assets Officer at Wesley Mission. Founder and CEO of the Social Impact Hub Jessica Mendoza-Roth said:
“We received a record number of nominations for the Awards this year. The calibre of applications was outstanding, reflective of the continued momentum within the impact investment space and the brilliant professionals committed to elevating the sector in Australia.”
The winners of the 2022 awards are:
Impact Asset Manager of the Year: Conscious Investment Management (CIM)
Impact Asset Owner of the Year: Joint winners were The Snow Foundation and Alberts.
Impact Market Builder of the Year: LendForGood
Impact Enterprise of the Year: Covidence
Individual Outstanding Achievement Award
There were four individuals who stood out to the judges going above and beyond, at times making personal or professional sacrifices to provide significant contributions to the impact investment ecosystem. These individuals, who were each presented with an Individual Outstanding Achievement Award, are Rosemary Addis AM, Founding Managing Partner, Mondiale Impact, Giles Gunesekera, CEO, Global Impact Initiative, Paul Ronalds, Founder & CEO, Save the Children Global Ventures and Alan Burrell, Managing Director, Mercy Ships Australia.
If you are interested in keeping abreast of developments in the impact investing space, including the 2023 awards and relaunch of the Impact Investing Hub, please reach out to Social Impact Hub's Head of Mobilising Capital Rob Haggett for details.
Press who would like to interview any of the award winners should contact Social Impact Hub’s Marketing and Events Manager Hannah Quill.
About the Impact Investment Awards Winners
Impact Asset Manager of the Year Conscious Investment Management (CIM) is an impact investment fund manager focused on investing in housing, renewables, and social impact bonds that earn a financial return alongside positive social and/or environmental benefit. CIM's model is to partner with not-for-profits and social enterprises, making investments to support business missions and end beneficiaries. This is CIM's 'Impact Partner' model, and is a unique way of combining ‘impact’ and ‘investment’.
Impact Asset Owner of the Year Winners
The Snow Foundation entered the impact investing market in 2015, and has built a diverse portfolio, including innovative financing in impact enterprises and bonds. Snow are rigorous in transparently reporting their portfolio, with investments supporting the improvement of specialist disability accommodation, mental health and biodiversity, to highlight just a few. They are also committed to supporting the growth of the impact investment sector through their philanthropy and sharing their expertise.
Alberts have been a pioneer in its early adoption of a total impact strategy across their investment activity, with Alberts' philanthropic arm the Tony Foundation adopting an impact 'lens' across its entire portfolio in 2018. The goal was to move the corpus to be 100% responsible, with impact investments aligned to the minimum requirement of "do no harm". Further, Alberts established an impact investment fund in 2021 to invest in early-stage startups in the fields of music and entertainment, mental health, environment and sustainability, and equality.
Impact Market Builder of the Year LendForGood is a blockchain-based crowd-lending platform linking impact capital, intermediaries and impact enterprises; allowing for easier access to affordable debt and addressing the missing middle capital gap. The platform reduces the barriers of entry for impact investment through building this three-sided marketplace that better connects these players, enabling the efficient transfer of capital to projects and creating a platform for both individuals and organisations to align their capital with their values.
Impact Enterprise of the Year Covidence is a NFP software tool helping researchers reduce the systematic review of scientific research to streamline knowledge-sharing for timely release. The workflow platform has made the construction of knowledge summaries within scientific research easier, reducing the average time spent in this process from one year to 1-3 months and has helped to speed the discovery of new treatments, life-saving solutions and healthcare decisions globally. The platform has vast applicability across social and environmental outcomes, recently supporting a major evidence review of the adoption of climate-resistant crops by small-scale farmers in low and middle-income countries.
Individual Outstanding Achievement Award Winners
Rosemary Addis AM, Founding Managing Partner, Mondiale Impact
As a Member of the Order of Australia, Rosemary is an outstanding impact sector leader who has been involved in various global and national initiatives. Rosemary’s 30+ year track record spans a global legal career and numerous impact roles including Social Innovation Strategist for the Australian Government, G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce and Founding Chair Impact Investing Australia. She has advised SDG Impact at the United Nations Development Programme, the OECD Social Impact Investing Initiative, the World Economic Forum Ideas to Practice, private markets clients from major banks to institutional investors, governments internationally and collaborated with Oxford University and Harvard Kennedy School.
Giles Gunesekera, CEO, Global Impact Initiative
A global leader advocating for investments supporting gender issues, Giles is the Founder and CEO of Global Impact Initiative (GII), an organisation creating investment opportunities that seek positive financial returns and positive societal and environmental impact. He is a strong advocate of the need for equitable rights of opportunity for women and girls, creating the world’s first, actively managed, impact investing strategy focused on gender inequality. Further, Giles holds numerous Volunteer Not-for-Profit Directorships ranging from International Aid, Human Rights, Disabilities, Education, Arts and Sports and is on Advisory Boards for the United Nations and the Securities and Investments Institute of Asia Pacific.
Paul Ronalds, Founder & CEO, Save the Children Global Ventures
A sector leader who expanded the traditional charity-based service model to impact investing opportunities. Paul is passionate about supporting children and communities, and understands the important role the impact investment ecosystem plays in helping the charity sector solve the Sustainable Development Goals and the core problems faced by children and communities, including inequitable access to education, health care and child protection. Paul is Founder and CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, a dedicated team within Save the Children working to unlock new funding and technologies to achieve Save the Children's mission. He has also been appointed as a Director on the Board of various not for profit organisations and start-ups.
Alan Burrell, Managing Director, Mercy Ships Australia
Alan is making way for a very efficient use of venture philanthropy and impact investment funds, and has continually been a leader and innovator in the space. Aside from voluntarily raising over a quarter of a billion $USD to build a full-scale hospital on a ship to send around Africa, Alan has also sent hundreds of thousands of units of PPE across the Asia-Pacific region throughout the Covid pandemic.