2026 Agenda

Table Topic 1: What Investment Managers Need to Know About Sustainability Regulation in 2026

Trysha Daskam-Smith, Managing Director | Head of Sustainability Risk & Strategy, Silver Regulatory Associates

Join us for a practical discussion on the sustainability regulations that are influencing fund strategy and disclosure in 2026 and beyond. We will examine the proposed changes to SFDR and what they mean for fund formation, fund classification and disclosure obligations. This conversation will also cover the UK anti-greenwashing rule and its implications for marketing language, fund naming and the substantiation investors expect behind sustainability claims. We will also review key updates in the United States and share our expectations for 2027, including how managers address sustainability disclosures when exposed to multiple regulatory regimes and varying investor pressures. Participants are encouraged to bring questions on how changing sustainability regulations may affect their reporting practices, and will leave with a clearer view of where to focus their attention over the next 18 months.

Table Topic 2: The Impact of Collaborative Stewardship

Charles Buck, CEO, United Church Funds

As asset allocators seek to invest in alignment with their mandates and long-term objectives, collaborating with fellow investors can amplify stewardship efforts, enhance engagement outcomes, and encourage companies to adopt stronger, more sustainable business practices. We’ll explore both the opportunities and complexities of collaborative stewardship, including how investors can build alignment around shared priorities, navigate practical and regulatory considerations, and increase their collective influence while upholding their fiduciary responsibilities.

Table Topic 3: Envisioning the Future of Impact Investing

Jennifer Katz, Director, Investments and Head of Mission-Aligned Investing, Doris Duke Foundation
Chex Yu, Head of Research & Americas Client Solutions; Sustainability & Impact Client Solutions, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

This discussion will explore the trajectory of the impact investing field and imagine what the opportunity set might look like in 10 years.

Table Topic 4: Financing a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition

Dan Alterbaum, Partner, Gibson Dunn
Sarah Bieber, Director of Climate Strategy, Acumen

The energy transition is accelerating, but the benefits of clean energy are not yet reaching everyone equally. For low-income and climate-vulnerable communities, access to affordable, reliable energy can be both a pathway out of poverty and a critical source of climate resilience. This discussion will explore how we can mobilise the capital, innovation and partnerships needed to deliver a more inclusive energy transition. Drawing on Acumen’s experience investing in clean-energy enterprises in emerging markets, the conversation will examine the role of catalytic and private capital, the barriers facing entrepreneurs serving underserved markets, and what it will take to scale solutions that simultaneously advance climate goals, energy access and economic opportunity

Table Topic 5: Powering Growth: Financing Sustainable Energy Solutions at Scale

Meghan Pasricha, Partner, Credit and Capital Solutions, Galvanize Climate

How do we scale energy, power, and infrastructure companies for a sustainable future? There is a growing need for flexible capital solutions that can bridge financing gaps and support the growth of capital-intensive businesses to meet rising power demand. We will explore the need for expansion capital across energy efficiency, next-generation manufacturing, electrification, storage, grid modernization, and resilience. Drawing on Galvanize’s experience providing bespoke capital solutions, we will examine how credit and capital solutions can serve as the bridge between equity sponsors and traditional financing to create value and accelerate DPI. Participants will share insights into the evolving capital landscape, the financing needs of growth-stage energy companies, and the role of investors in scaling solutions driving the energy transition.

Julia Mattox, Director, Capricorn Investment Group
Anju Suresh, CFA, Vice President, Portfolio Manager & Impact Investing Specialist, Glenmede Endowment & Foundation Management

As the mission-aligned investing landscape continues to evolve, allocators are reassessing where capital can have the greatest influence. Join a discussion on emerging themes shaping the field, lessons learned from implementation, and how investors are approaching mission alignment, portfolio resilience, and long-term impact in today’s environment. We’ll explore what’s working, where challenges remain, and where investors see the greatest opportunities ahead.

Julia Lapitskaya, Partner, Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance, Gibson Dunn
Katie Twomey, SVP, Finance & Operations, Illumen Capital

For many impact investors, advancing equity remains central to the investment thesis. At the same time, growing legal and political scrutiny of DEI and ESG is forcing GPs and LPs to rethink how they pursue, measure, and communicate equity-focused strategies.

At Illumen Capital, we believe narrow sourcing networks, a limited investable landscape, and skewed diligence can lead to missed opportunities and suboptimal financial performance. By reducing bias in how investments are discovered, (sourced), evaluated, and allocated, investors may uncover overlooked opportunities, build more diversified portfolios, and (potentially) enhance returns.

At Gibson Dunn, we assist clients on many investment issues amid the ever changing landscape.  The focus includes securities law, ESG issues, sustainability and corporate responsibility matters as well as corporate governance best practices.

This lively discussion will explore how investors can pursue equity objectives while navigating today’s evolving legal landscape, including how bias influences investment decision-making, how portfolios can be constructed to seek both impact and performance, and how investors can measure and communicate outcomes in an increasingly complex environment.

Topics include:

• How bias can affect sourcing, diligence, and investment outcomes
• Expanding the investable universe to uncover differentiated opportunities
• Constructing portfolios that seek both alpha and equity outcomes
• Measuring and reporting equity-related outcome
• Navigating the evolving legal landscape for DEI and ESG as well as corporate governance best practices
• Communicating impact commitments in a polarized environment

Table Topic 8: Skip the Macro Talk: Let’s Talk About the Solutions Powering the AI Buildout, Responsibly

Natalia Costa i Coromina, Impact Lead, Energy Impact Partners

The AI buildout is accelerating demand for power at a scale and speed the grid has never had to absorb, and how we meet that demand will shape the energy transition for decades to come. At the center of this challenge is a real tension: the pressure to move fast enough to capture this moment without losing sight of communities and climate progress.

Drawing on EIP’s portfolio, we’ll get specific about the companies supporting this buildout, across both hardware and software, and the difficult questions beneath the surface, including rebound effects, goal setting, the challenge of measuring positive impact, and what all of this means going forward

Table Topic 9: Child Safety Online: The Investor’s Role in a Digital World

Bhakti Mirchandani, Managing Director, Responsible Investments, Trinity Church NYC

As children spend increasing amounts of time online, concerns around exposure to harmful content, addictive platform design, cyberbullying, and data privacy are becoming more prominent. Investors are increasingly engaging with technology and social media companies to encourage stronger governance, greater transparency, and more effective safeguards for young users. This discussion will explore the risks and opportunities associated with child safety online, the role investors can play through stewardship and engagement, and how companies are responding to growing public, regulatory, and stakeholder expectations. Participants will be encouraged to share perspectives on how capital can help drive a safer digital environment for children.

The conversation will also examine emerging questions around AI safety, including how investors can engage with companies to promote the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies that increasingly shape online experiences, trust, and wellbeing across the digital ecosystem.

Table Topic 10: Impact Funds: Fund Formation and Negotiation with DFIs

Phil Stachnik, Associate, Gibson Dunn
Kate Timmerman, Partner, Gibson Dunn

Join us and explore the strategic considerations in forming impact funds, with a focus on navigating negotiations with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). We will share insights on aligning fund structures with DFI mandates, building out robust ESG protocols, managing relationships with impact advisors and leveraging DFI capital to catalyze private investment. The session aims to uncover best practices for building scalable, mission-driven funds that meet both financial and developmental goals.