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Transforming Finance for Racial Equity with Betty Francisco
Transforming Finance for Racial Equity with Betty Francisco
Conventional financial systems have long perpetuated barriers for communities of color, stifling economic opportunity and deepening inequities. In this illuminating Luminarias Series webinar, Impact Entrepreneur’s Laurie Lane-Zucker welcomes Betty Francisco, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative (BII), to discuss how her organization is revolutionizing finance by championing integrated capital approaches that blend grants, debt, and equity to empower underinvested entrepreneurs and build community wealth. With over $15 million deployed since 2013, BII has become a trailblazer in advancing racial and economic justice through innovative investment models and community-first strategies.
Join us for a dynamic conversation exploring the systemic challenges driving economic disparities and the bold solutions BII is pioneering to address them. Topics will include how BII supports emerging fund managers, strategies for deploying catalytic capital, and the role of community-led investment in creating sustainable, inclusive economies. This is a unique opportunity to engage with a leading voice in impact investing and learn how finance can be transformed into a tool for justice and equity.
Betty Francisco
Betty Francisco is a seasoned business executive with over 25 years of experience spanning corporate law, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. She is a proven leader adept at advising high-growth startups, nonprofits, and established enterprises in business strategy, legal compliance, risk management, development, operations, and human resources. Betty is currently the CEO of Boston Impact Initiative (BII), an impact investment fund and emerging CDFI that invests in diverse social enterprises and community-governed real estate to close the racial wealth divide in New England. She oversees BII’s two funds with $15M in assets and its impact investing education programs for emerging fund managers. Known for strategic vision and hands-on leadership, Betty brings expertise in negotiating complex deals, forging strategic partnerships, and driving organizational growth. She is a recognized innovator in impact investing, entrepreneurship and community leadership, committed to advancing economic and social justice through strategic investments and collaborative initiatives.
Laurie Lane-Zucker
Laurie Lane-Zucker is Founder and CEO of Impact Entrepreneur, PBC, an impact economy business that hosts the Impact Entrepreneur Network — a large, global network of “systems-minded” entrepreneurs, investors, and scholars of social and environmental innovation — and editor and publisher of Impact Entrepreneur, a digital magazine covering the emerging Impact Economy. For over 30 years, Laurie has been a “pioneer” (Forbes) and recognized leader in sustainability, social enterprise, and impact investing. Laurie was the founding Executive Director of the international environmental organization, Orion Society, which publishes the celebrated Orion Magazine, as well as the founder of a global sustainability think-tank, the Triad Institute, and Hotfrog, a Founding B Corporation, GIIRS Pioneer Company, and the first company ever to complete an equity transaction on an impact investment exchange. Laurie is the bestselling and multiple award-winning publisher and editor of books and magazines on sustainability and social impact — having worked with such acclaimed authors as Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest Williams, and David James Duncan — and the author of numerous articles on entrepreneurship and impact investing. Laurie is contributing author to the recently published academic textbook from World Scientific, Sustainability: Business and Investment Implications (2023).
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM EST -
Innovative Finance Solutions for Humanitarian Action
The global humanitarian sector is undergoing a significant transformation. The recent closure of USAID, once the world’s largest donor, has underscored the limitations of relying solely on traditional funding sources to address pressing global challenges such as the climate crisis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).In response to this evolving landscape, KOIS, an international impact finance firm, and MzN International, a global social enterprise supporting humanitarian organizations, have partnered to launch Human Planet. This global impact accelerator was announced during the Humanitarian Finance Summit in London on February 14th and aims to bridge the funding gap by connecting private capital with high-impact humanitarian and climate initiatives.As part of this initiative, AidEx is hosting this webinar on Thursday 20th March at 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET / 10:00 EDT, in partnership with KOIS and MzN International, to explore how NGOs can tap into innovative finance solutions to secure sustainable funding and scale their impact.The webinar will:-
Introduce Human Planet: Explaining how the accelerator helps NGOs become investment-ready and secure private capital
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Explore Innovative Finance Solutions: Presenting concrete examples of blended finance, impact funds, result-based financing, impact bonds, and other alternative funding mechanisms
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Showcase successful case studies: Highlighting real-world examples of NGOs and social enterprises that have successfully leveraged innovative finance to scale their impact
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Provide actionable guidance: Equipping organisations with practical insights on structuring financing, attracting investors, and navigating the impact investment landscape
Speakers include:-
Benoit Renard, Co-Founder & CEO, Tiko
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Audrey Selian, Director, Artha Impact
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Christian Meyer zu Natrup, Managing Director, MzN International
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Hayley Kornblum, Project Manager, IKEA Foundation
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Florian Kemmerich, Managing Partner, KOIS
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