Current Role:
I’m CEO of the Impact Outfit and Chief Impact Advisor at Lineage Group
What was your first job?
As a check out chick at Fosseys in East St Kilda (which no longer exists!)
I learned the most important lessons about customer service and how to meet people where they are at, no matter who they are or where they have come from. These are lessons that I try to embody now with the work I do with organisations and families looking to do more impact. You have to be able to meet them wherever they are on their impact journeys.
When did you know you wanted to work in finance/business?
I’m not sure I ever did – it has evolved to me working in the finance and business sectors. The work we do at Impact Outfit sits at the intersection of organisations, family offices and foundations wanting to use capital and business as a force for good so naturally I find myself in those sectors.
When did you first discover the concept of Impact Investing?
When I went to work at Small Giants, the family office of Australian impact investing pioneers Danny Almagor and Berry Liberman. In a strategy role, I asked Danny to tell me about his PAF (private ancillary fund) and his investments with a view to understanding the money flows. He explained to me (and this was a major light bulb and life changing moment) that he and Berry don’t donate money through a PAF, that all their money is invested and donated with the same lens, an impact one. What a revelation! It became my own personal theory of change!
What’s one exciting development you and your team have in the pipeline?
There are so many. I’m a pretty excitable person…My amazing colleague Maddie Lucas and I are finally seeing the floodgates opening for businesses wanting to do and be better. Lots of organisations are trying to make sense of ESG frameworks with a view to moving their businesses along the continuum all the way to BCorp certification. I am also excited about next year’s Impact Investment Summit in Sydney. As the new Program Partners, Impact Outfit is excited to bring a fresh and exciting perspective to this venerable event – the largest in Australia for the impact investment community.
What was the most interesting impact deal (from any team across Asia/Pacific) in the past 12 months?
Be Well Co. The incredible team there have created a platform using scientifically-backed data and tools to embed robust mental health practices in workplaces. They are a commercial spin out of the South Australian Mental Health Research Institute (SAMHRI) and really are best practice for organisational wellbeing tools as well as systems change from treating mental illness to prioritising mental health. It’s a game changer.
Name one high impact company (globally) that investors should keep their eye on?
Kinneret Impact Ventures out of Israel. It is the first Israeli agritech and climate tech specialized VC fund established by the kibbutz movement (aka farming community) and is a collaboration with industry and academia. It targets emerging agritech, foodtech, watertech, and climatech startups. Look out for their Australian tour, they are visiting in October.
What’s your vision for impact investing in 5 years time?
That there is no “impact” investing. That all investing is undertaken with the same intentionality and considerations that the impact community employs and that the social and environmental impact of all investments are measured and reported on alongside the reporting of financial performance.