Reimagining Capital, Social and Emotional Learning, and Other Takeaways from the SOCAP20 Summit

When all of us from The Conscious Investor and Beyond Capital Fund set out to take part in this month’s SOCAP20 Virtual, this year's iteration of the global impact summit, we were filled with equal parts excitement, curiosity, and trepidation. We were eager to learn from the roster of experts in the fields of impact investing, philanthropy, non-profit, academics, entrepreneurship, and more. And yet, we wondered: Could this summit, which convened in-person in San Francisco last year, manage to create the same energy and connections virtually? After the first day, we saw that it could—and more.

In many ways, the challenges presented by the pandemic only fueled a greater sense of connection. More than 600 speakers and 10,000 participants took part in this year’s SOCAP summit. Kim Griffin, Brent Kessel, Jessica Droste Yagan, Jennifer Kenning, Daniel Epstein, and other friends with whom we’ve collaborated at The Conscious Investor, took the virtual stage and held fireside chats. We resonated with deep topics, from incorporating systems thinking and systems change into our daily work with Charly Kleissner, to re-energizing philanthropy and impact investing with Lisa Kleissner. There were key points made on leadership and innovative ideas presented around changing policy through civic engagement. People talked radical change, the future of work, racial equity, and resilience. Computer screens, times zones, and thousands of miles may have been between us, but this virtual event invited us to share ideas and build our networks in ways that made it feel like we were all in the same room. The energy was high and the learnings were clear.

We rounded up some of our greatest takeaways from the five-day virtual summit. Our thanks to the amazing SOCAP team for producing such a compelling global event.

Humanity Is First

Where can we create true equity and inclusion? What are the systemic impacts of investments? How can we create cultural and foundational change in a way that creates harmony? These were just a few of the topics broached during the Main Stain conversation: The System Isn’t Broken. On the panel sat Marcel Fukayama, Holly Gordon, Victoria Gathago, and Morgan Simon, who discussed how we can all rebuild our current systems in a way that puts humanity first. Holly Gordan began the conversation by pointing out the need for more storytelling combined with pathways to action. “Stories make you feel what’s unfair, what’s not right, and what’s not just,” said Gordon, chief impact officer at Participant Media. “And when you feel something, you’re more likely to do something about it.” Furthermore, Morgan Simon pointed out the possibilities of inclusion and diversity in investing. “We have to have a commitment to change,” said Simon, the founding partner of Candide. “What we’ve learned, as a firm that is largely women, people of color, queer people that is investing in these communities, is this is possible. There is absolutely no excuse. And in today’s market, I feel like you have to practically go out of your way to not have a diverse portfolio.”

Healing Communities

Wealth inequality is an egregious issue that continues to wreak havoc on a global scale. It is a conversation of human rights, cultural dignity, and reparation. In the fireside chat Economic Healing Through Return, Repair & Restoration, Regan Pritzker co-founder of Kataly Foundation, and Kat Taylor, philanthropist and Co-Founder and Board Chair Beneficial State Bank, discussed the ways in which we collectively and individually need to look at restructuring and reallocating sources of capital to help hurting communities heal. “How do we shift loan and philanthropic capital, but also equity capital?” asked Taylor, who continued by saying we need to give it back to the communities from whom it was stolen—to “give them the control and community ownership and engagement that they so richly deserve.” Pritzker pointed out how the current systems of capitalism are designed to exploit people for profits. “it doesn’t have to be that way,” she said, focusing on how it’s our responsibility to keep learning, keep pushing, keep taking agency to transform the system. In discussing the return of productive assets to harmed communities, Pritzker asked, “What is the role that you have to play in creating a more transformative agenda?”

Caring for Our Mental and Emotional Health

Across the US and globe, educators are grappling with the “new normal” of education. Some classes are held on zoom, others in-person but with greater distance. These changes bring with it unprecedented challenges. What are schools doing to adopt and better understand social and emotional learning for their students? And how are suppliers and thought leaders bringing new things to the market to embolden the educational ecosystem? Leaders from the educational system gathered to discuss the critical importance of putting social and emotional development at the forefront, and the investments needed to help school districts thrive. What was so interesting about this discussion is how it underscored the criticality of nurturing our ability to show empathy and create positive relationships—for both young students and matured adults. These are vital skills for a thriving world.  

To learn more about the discussions and events at SOCAP20, and to see what is in store for 2021, visit SOCAP Virtual.

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At The Conscious Investor, it is our goal to shed light on topics that we find interesting, inspirational, and educational. Therefore, this article is strictly for inspirational and informational purposes only. It is in no way intended to substitute for professional investment advice, professional financial advice, or general counsel. To the extent that an article features the insight, opinions, or advice of an expert or company, the expressed views are those of the cited person or company and do not necessarily represent The Conscious Investor and its employees or affiliates.