WHY WE EXIST
Women are leading across the impact investing sector in incredible ways; they are Managing Directors of Funds, CEOs of Development Finance Organizations, social enterprises, and accelerators, and hold a wide variety of key roles across the impact investing ecosystem. However, in order to achieve dramatically different results for our world, emerging women impact investing professionals and those seeking to transition to the sector need cutting-edge access to knowledge, networks, and leadership opportunities. Our network's intentional work seeks to empower emerging and current women leaders in impact investing to create a more sustainable and just economy.
A study from Bella Research Group and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found that firms owned by women and minorities manage a mere 1.3 percent of the investment industry’s $69 trillion in assets. Impact Investing and women's leadership offer a way forward to ensure we invest in transformative, restorative, and inclusive ways. Women impact investors are also increasingly seeking to deploy their personal assets in alignment with their values, a further opportunity for impact. As such, WIIN understands that there are four critical levers that we can emphasize for women in the impact investing ecosystem to maximize the potential of this moment:
- Facilitate career progression and transition for impact investing professionals
- Break down silos across investors to support existing goals or re-alignment of portfolios for impact
- Increase sphere of influence of our membership of impact investors
- Link to knowledge leading to wealth creation opportunities through direct investing