Previous Speakers

Caroline Abramo

CEO and Founder
Pana LCE
  • 25 years of experience in commodities, infrastructure, and investments
  • Highest level of leadership in commodities and capital markets on the sell side at Bankers Trust/ Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, and BNP Paribas
  • Founder and CEO of Pana Advisory working with Carlyle to arrange private equity and debt financing for the earliest “green companies”
  • Former portfolio manager of Lazard’s Real Assets and Commodities Funds and pioneer of the earliest impact metrics
  • Equity owner of Kimura Capital, a private sustainable trade finance syndication platform
  • Guided her clients through the tech crash of 2000, the banking crisis of 2008/2011, and COVID

Myriam Ahmed

Executive Director, Global Sustainability Office
Morgan Stanley

Myriam is an Executive Director in Morgan Stanley’s Global Sustainability Office where she works across the firm to support the development of sustainable finance products and solutions. Prior to working at Morgan Stanley Myriam held various capital markets positions in London and New York at Credit Agricole, Natixis and Prodigy Finance. She also spent time at impact investing fund Bridges Fund Management and at the European DFI, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Myriam holds an MA from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from INSEAD.

Daniel Alterbaum

Partner Gibson Dunn
Daniel Alterbaum is a partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups, where he represents buyers, sellers, and investors in a wide variety of transactions in the private equity, fintech, renewable energy, and infrastructure sectors. His experience includes leveraged buyouts, negotiated sales of private companies, carve-out sales and spinoffs of subsidiaries, and cross-border asset sales. He also represents issuers and investment funds in connection with venture capital, growth equity, and structured preferred equity investments.

Drianne Benner, CFA,

Senior Managing Director Appomattox
Drianne Benner, CFA, Senior Managing Director, serves on the Appomattox investment committee and is responsible for the firm’s business development and client service. She has over 30 years’ experience in investment and business management, marketing, and client communications. Prior to joining Appomattox in 2010, she was Global Marketing Director at Cadogan Management, overseeing firm-wide marketing and client communications for institutional and family office clients. Prior to joining Cadogan, she spent ten years as a Managing Director at U.S. Trust Company, focused on investment communications. Drianne previously served in institutional and consultant relations roles at Paribas Asset Management, for some of the largest U.S. pension funds, and she managed portfolios in an enhanced quantitative strategy. Drianne is Treasurer of the New York City Audubon Society, serves on the board of the Climate Positive Investing firm Etho Capital. Previously, Drianne was chair of the American Friends Service Committee’s Investment Committee, held a leadership role at High Water Women’s Investing with Impact symposium for 10 years, and was a board and executive committee member of the CFA Society New York. Drianne earned a BA from Pennsylvania State University and attended graduate studies in regional planning for international development at Cornell University.

Essma Bengabsia

Senior Social Investments Analyst
The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Essma Bengabsia is a Senior Investment Analyst in Social Investments at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In her role, Ms. Bengabsia manages the Foundation’s impact investment portfolio for which Casey has allocated 4% of its endowment to projects that achieve financial returns — as well as social benefits — to build a brighter future for children, families and communities in the United States.

Ms. Bengabsia serves on the board and investment committee of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, where she advances the endowment’s mission-aligned investment, shareholder engagement, and field-building activities. She chairs the investment committee of the American Muslim Community Foundation, where she focuses on the intersection of Islamic values, environmental and social stewardship, and impact investment.

Ms. Bengabsia completed her Master of Public Administration in social impact, innovation, and investment at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. She completed her Bachelor of Science in finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Afsaneh Beschloss

Founder and CEO
RockCreek

Afsaneh Beschloss is an economist and founder and CEO of RockCreek, one of the world’s largest women-owned investment firms. Previously, she was Managing Director and partner at the Carlyle Group. As the World Bank’s Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer, she led the Bank’s investments, balance sheet management, ratings, borrowings, and innovations in financial products. Prior to this, she led the World Bank’s investments and policy work for renewable energy, power, and infrastructure, as well as pioneering investments in wind and solar energy. Previously, she worked in corporate finance at JP Morgan. Afsaneh has advised governments, central banks, and regulatory agencies on financial policy and energy policy. She serves on the board of trustees of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Rockefeller Foundation, where she chairs the Investment Committee, the Bretton Woods Committee, where she co-chairs the Future of Finance Working Group, Georgetown University, and chairs the PBS Foundation. She was recognized by Carnegie Corporation in their “Great Immigrants, Great Americans 2020” list, received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award and the Institutional Investor Lifetime Achievement Award, and been listed among the “Most Powerful Women in Banking” by American Banker. She is the co-author of The Economics of Natural Gas (Oxford University Press) and author of numerous journal articles on innovations in finance, energy economics, and renewable energy investing. Afsaneh holds an MPhil (Honors) in Economics from the University of Oxford, where she taught international trade and economic development.

Courtney Birnbaum

Director of Sustainability
Corbin Capital Partners

Courtney serves as the Director of Sustainability at Corbin Capital Partners, a New York-based majority women-owned independent alternative asset management firm that specializes in multi-strategy and opportunistic credit investing. Corbin has experience creating and managing differentiated commingled and bespoke portfolios for investors globally. As of July 1, 2025, Corbin has $9.6 billion in assets under management. Courtney leads Corbin’s sustainability integration and investing programs. She is a member of Corbin’s Multi-Strategy Investment Committee and the Credit Investment Committee. Previously, Courtney was a senior advisor and portfolio manager at several family offices and the Director of Marketable Investments for the Bowdoin College endowment. Before joining Bowdoin, Courtney worked at Goldman Sachs as a Vice President in the Alternative Investments and Manager Selection group (AIMS) where she was responsible for manager selection and seeding within hedge funds. Prior to Goldman, she was a director at Sterling Stamos, a multi-family office. Courtney began her career in Investment Banking at Merrill Lynch and Rothschild. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Loren Blackford

Senior Advisor
Sierra Club

Loren is a Senior Advisor at the Sierra Club, having previously served as President, Interim Executive Director, and Treasurer, as well as Chair of the Sierra Club Foundation Board and Investment Committee. She has worked on community development and sustainability at the local, national and international levels. This included serving as an advisor to a coalition of foundations, financial institutions and HUD (Living Cities) as they mobilized resources and support for green jobs, transportation-oriented development and healthy, sustainable affordable housing. As Program Director with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation she helped leverage public and private resources and technical assistance to revitalize local communities. She also worked on international environment and development negotiations with the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service and the Quaker UN Office and published a book chapter on the key role of civil society. Loren serves on the boards of ioby, More Perfect Union and Rachel’s Action Network and the advisory councils of Ceres and Clean Energy for America. She is also an active member of Confluence Philanthropy and the Clean Tech Leaders Roundtable. Loren holds a Masters degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelors from Oberlin College.

Emily Chien

Fellow (Sustainability and Climate)
Harvard University

Emily Chien is currently a Fellow at Harvard University, specializing in Sustainability and Climate Finance. Her focus within the Harvard and MIT communities is on new climate alliances, businesses and markets and unlocking financing to help us scale with speed and impact. Previously, she led IBM Global Climate Offerings and Climate Tech Partnerships advising C-suite clients on climate risk, adaptation, decarbonization and reporting disclosure pathways. Passionate about accelerating climate action, she co-founded and co-chairs the 100 Women in Finance ESG C-Suite Peer Advisory Group. Emily brings a multi-faceted lens to climate finance and impactful, measurable solutions. She draws on 20+ years in leadership roles spanning lending, banking, investments and insurance at JP Morgan Chase, Fidelity Investments, Prudential Financial and American Express, driving transformative AI solutions for IBM’s top financial services clients, combined with training as a CPA and auditor. Her thought leadership is recognized in a US Patent for capabilities now used by Amazon.com, several research publications with Harvard Business School in financial innovation and a 2021 Fellowship with the World Economic Forum’s Responsible Use of Technology/AI program where she dedicated energies to advancing AI trust, transparency and adoption worldwide. Emily is a member of the Economic Club of New York, 100 Women in Finance, Women’s Bond Club and CHIEF women’s executive network. She serves as Board Director and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee for the Southampton Fresh Air Home and is an avid mentor for diverse talent and start-ups. She holds a B.S., Accountancy and M.A.S., Accountancy, MIS and AI from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Matthew Christ

Portfolio Manager
Ninety One

Matt Christ is a portfolio manager in the Fixed Income team at Ninety One responsible for supporting the growth of the existing Emerging Markets Corporate effort and building the team’s illiquid, private and special situations credit expertise with a strong focus on the decarbonization of emerging markets. Given that over half of current emissions are in emerging markets and the sizable funding gap required to reach Net Zero, there is an addressable and largely untapped market which Matt spends much of his time on. He leads the debt financing efforts to help reduce the carbon profiles of today’s high emitters and to develop new infrastructure and technologies for credible transition paths, creating meaningful impact for real-world carbon reduction. Prior to joining Ninety One, Matt worked for Gramercy Funds Management as a portfolio manager focusing on opportunistic emerging market credit. Before this he was a portfolio manager at BlackRock responsible for the fixed income portfolios of insurance clients.

Chris Creed

Managing Partner and Chair of the investment Committee Galvanize
Chris has over two decades of experience in investment management, public-private partnerships, and innovative financing solutions for high-impact energy and infrastructure projects. Most recently, Chris served as the Chief Investment Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO), with over $300 billion in lending authority. He led efforts in financing emerging, first-of-a-kind energy technologies, companies, and projects to support America’s transition to a sustainable energy future. Prior to the DOE, Chris spent over 20 years at Goldman Sachs, as a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, overseeing more than $75 billion in credit assets across mutual funds and separate accounts at GSAM. His leadership in the financial markets has positioned him as a recognized expert in managing complex portfolios and innovative financing strategies. Chris graduated from Brown University with an Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics – Economics.

Michaela Edwards

Partner
Capricorn Investment Group

Michaela Edwards is a Partner at Capricorn Investment Group, one of the largest mission-aligned investment firms in the world. Prior to joining Capricorn in 2019, she spent nine years as a Senior Portfolio Manager with Norges Bank Investment Management, the sovereign wealth fund of Norway, where she lead the external global environmental portfolio. Before joining Norges, Michaela worked as a research analyst for Russell Investments in London and New York. She started her career on the trading desk of DNB in Oslo. She is a graduate of Cass Business School in London and Oslo University College. She is a CFA charter holder.

Stacey Faella

Board Member Sierra Club Foundation
Stacey Faella works to advance a more just and sustainable world through leadership in philanthropy and impact investing. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, she has created and contributed to initiatives spanning gender and racial equity, food systems transformation, inclusive economic development, biodiversity and climate change, and democracy. Stacey is the Executive Director of the Woodcock Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s commitment to aligning its endowment with its mission, and oversees its catalytic capital asset allocation focused on impact-first investments. She serves on the boards of the Sierra Club Foundation, Spark Microgrants, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Stacey holds a BA from Wake Forest University and an MPA from New York University.

Karina Funk, CFA

Partner, Co-Portfolio Manager and Chair of Sustainable Investing Brown Advisory
Karina is a partner and co-portfolio manager of the Brown Advisory US Large-Cap Sustainable Growth strategy (LCSG) and chair of sustainable investing. Karina joined Brown Advisory in 2009 and has extensive investment experience spanning early-stage ventures to debt and public equities. Karina is a respected leader in the investment community having been profiled in many leading financial publications, including Barron’s inaugural list of 100 Most Influential Women in Finance. She and co-portfolio manager David Powell have developed a distinctive fundamental research methodology focused on finding companies at the intersection of positive fundamental and sustainable business drivers. Karina was previously an equity research analyst for Winslow Management Co, a principal at Charles River Ventures, and an investment manager at the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. Education: École Polytechnique, France, Post-Graduate Diploma (1998) MIT, MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering (1997) MIT, MS in Technology & Policy (1997) Purdue University, BS in Chemical Engineering (1994).

Sarah Gelfand

Managing Director
BlueMark

Sarah Gelfand is one of the impact investing market’s early pioneers. She was a founding Director at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), where she led development of the industry’s leading system for measuring and managing impact (IRIS+). As Managing Director of BlueMark, Sarah co-leads business strategy, business and product development, and supports the firm’s engagement with various market-building and standard-setting initiatives. Sarah previously served as Vice President of Social Impact Programs at Fidelity Charitable, where she launched several new impact investing offerings for retail clients and led a grant-making initiative for the Board of Trustees. She also developed and ran a specialty business unit focused on providing philanthropic consulting services to clients. Ms. Gelfand also previously held roles at Duke University where she oversaw strategy and operations for an accelerator program that produced research and provided consulting services to a global network of 50 nonprofit and for-profit healthcare-focused social enterprises. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and her Master of Science in Statistics from the University of Washington.

Caroline Gillespie Greer

Managing Director Commonfund OCIO
Caroline Greer is a member of the Commonfund OCIO Investment team and is primarily responsible for diverse and impact manager investments across asset classes. Caroline currently serves as a member of the Commonfund Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and Commonfund OCIO’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining Commonfund, she served as a Partner and Principal for Contego Capital Management, LLC, specializing in customized funds of hedge funds. She was responsible for sourcing, evaluating and monitoring hedge fund managers across a full range of strategies. Prior to joining Contego, Caroline was a Senior Vice President for Oppenheimer and Co. where she co-managed their funds of hedge funds program and monitored Oppenheimer’s private equity fund. Caroline began her career at Montrose Advisors, a boutique financial advisor specializing in managing customized funds of hedge funds and private equity and venture capital portfolios. In 2015, Caroline was named one of the 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds globally by The Hedge Fund Journal. Caroline received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and an M.A. and M.Phil. from Columbia University of New York.

Lisa Hall

Impact Chair
Apollo Global Management

Lisa Hall is a recognized expert on community development finance and impact investing, an approach to investing that incorporates social and environmental factors. She has dedicated her 25-year career to economic justice, social impact, and community investing.

Ms. Hall currently serves as Impact Chair at Apollo Global Management where she is part of the leadership team for the firm’s private equity impact platform and has responsibility for the impact management elements of the strategy. Prior to joining Apollo, Ms. Hall was a Professor of Practice and a Fellow at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, where she led research focused on creating a more inclusive economy. She previously served as a Managing Director at Anthos Fund & Asset Management (“AFAM”), where she launched and oversaw the firm’s impact investing portfolio. Prior to AFAM, Ms. Hall was President and CEO of Calvert Impact Capital.

Ms. Hall covered community development policy issues as a Senior Policy Advisor for the National Economic Council and has diverse civic leadership and non-profit board experience. Ms. Hall currently serves on the boards of Community Development Trust, National Resources Defense Council and Habitat for Humanity International. She was also recently an independent member of the Investment Committee of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, which has committed to 100% mission alignment of their portfolio. She is a graduate of The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is co-editor of the soon to be released book entitled Investing for Social Impact, Economic Justice and Racial Equity, published by the American Bar Association. Lisa is a native of Baltimore, MD and currently residesin Washington, DC.

Barbara Handelin, PhD

CEO
The 90/10 Institute

Dr. Handelin is currently cofounder of a nonprofit think tank, The 90 / 10 Institute. Our mission is to seed a new public benefit industry based on rethinking how the biotech/pharma industry can produce far more products that deliver maximum health at costs that are accessible to all patients and fit in a sustainable healthcare economy. Previously, she was the cofounder and CEO of Audacity Therapeutics, a public benefit (B Corp) pharmaceutical company and BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing new therapies forward for rare genetic diseases. She is a veteran entrepreneur and molecular medical geneticist who has pioneered the responsible application of genetics and molecular innovation to clinical medicine over a 35 year career. In 1987 Dr. Handelin established one of the first commercial DNA testing laboratories at Integrated Genetics (later Genzyme Genetics). After co-founding a gene therapy company in 1995 (Genovo), Dr. Handelin began her own consulting services to venture capital investors, start ups, biomedical universities, biotechnology, diagnostics, genomics, pharmacogenomics and bioinformatics companies. She also founded a biosimulation company, Kenna Technologies, where she has served as CEO until its acquisition by DNA Print Genomics in October 2005. In 2010 she co-founded BioPontis Alliance, a novel Fund designed to bridge the gap between academic science and the product pipelines of the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries. Dr. Handelin served 3 years on the board of RedPath Integrated Pathology, Inc. and on advisory boards of several genomics companies (e.g. EXACT Sciences). She served 10 years as a board member of the IRB education nonprofit organization Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R), as well as on a variety of federal committees and advisory panels on ethics in genetic testing, including the Secretary’s Advisory Panel on Genetics, Health and Society. Dr. Handelin took her Ph.D. at the Oregon Health Sciences University with thesis work completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has authored journal publications in human genetics, bioethics for industry and genetics education. Dr. Handelin holds a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the University of Delaware.

Mikayla Hart

Partner, Chief Sustainability Officer
Congruence Capital

Mikayla Hart launched Congruence Capital in Oct 2023 with an aim to redefine impact investing in public markets through an influence investing approach, collaboratively partnering with management teams of small-cap public companies to create shareholder value via operational and strategic improvements designed to simultaneously improve profitability and deliver measurable social and environmental impact. Through this process, the fund aims to demonstrate the congruence between sustainability and financial returns.

Mikayla’s career has focused at the intersection of corporate sustainability consulting and finance. Prior to Congruence, Mikayla was a Managing Director in Accenture’s Strategy Consulting group, where she led the Sustainability Strategy practice in North America, spearheading numerous projects that improve a company’s sustainability strategy while simultaneously optimizing long-term profitability. Mikayla has published various reports on sustainability and value creation in partnership with organizations such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, and was recognized as a top global female executive by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Mikayla began her career with foundations in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. She has executive certificates from Yale University and INSEAD, an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, and a BBA from the University of Hawaii in Finance and International Business. Originally from Hawai’i, Mikayla is an outdoor enthusiast and a mother.

Jin Hee Kim

Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Jin Hee is a finance partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She has extensive experience advising sponsors, borrowers, arrangers, agents and lenders, including private credit providers on complex U.S. and international financing transactions. Jin Hee’s experience spans various sectors, including renewables, biotech, fintech, manufacturing, telecommunications, media and financial services and various forms of financing, including acquisition financings, “hybrid” cash flow/revenue and asset based structured financings, unitranche and mezzanine financings and royalty monetization transactions. Jin Hee is recognized in Chambers Global and Chambers USA (New York) for her work in Banking and Finance. Clients have described Jin Hee in The Legal 500 as “a trusted advisor…[who] properly advises in structuring complicated syndicated lending transactions” and “an excellent resource for market information [who] has been able to guide our thinking in terms of different potential financing options.”

Deborah Jackson

Founder & CEO
Plum Alley

Investor, entrepreneur, tech enthusiast Former Goldman, Forbes 50 over 50 women-investing

Dr. Lucas Joppa

Chief Sustainability Officer & Senior Managing Director
Haveli Investments

Dr. Lucas Joppa is Senior Managing Director and Chief Sustainability Officer at Haveli, a technology focused. private equity firm. Previously, Dr. Joppa was Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Scientist, and then first Chief Environmental Officer, leading the development and execution of the company’s sustainability strategy across its worldwide business including Microsoft’s historic carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste sustainability commitments, as well as the establishment of their AI for Earth initiative and development of their Planetary Computer platform. With a combined background in both environmental science and data science, Dr. Joppa is committed to using the power of technology to advance a growing movement to address the world’s sustainability needs.

Recognized by Fortune magazine in its “40 Under 40” list, Dr. Joppa is a uniquely accredited voice for sustainability in the tech industry. He has been recognized as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers and serves on the boards of organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability around the world.

Dr. Joppa remains an active scientist, speaking frequently on issues related to artificial intelligence, environmental science, and sustainability. Along with his Ph.D., Dr. Joppa holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin and is a former Peace Corps volunteer to Malawi.

Beata Kirr

Chief Impact Officer
The Copia Group

Beata Kirr is a Managing Director and the Chief Impact Officer at The Copia Group, a lower middle market private credit firm, which provides customized lending solutions, primarily to women and ethnically diverse- owned businesses, in pursuit of shrinking the wealth gap. Beata is a voting member of the Investment Committee and is responsible for the impact framework and measurement process, in addition to thought leadership and fundraising responsibilities. Prior to Copia, Beata was the Co-CIO of Bernstein Private Wealth, overseeing $100bn, with responsibility for strategic asset allocation, manager selection, product evolution and communication for all investments. In that role, Beata oversaw the creation and allocation to all purpose- driven strategies, a $7bn suite. Beata also created the Women & Wealth Institute at Bernstein, hosting the Women & Wealth podcast and creating content around women’s financial engagement. She also frequently provided market commentary to Bloomberg, WSJ, Chicago Tribune & NPR. Beata is an Investment Committee member at The Poetry Foundation and Temple Sukkat Sholom, Wilmette and recently joined the Board of Directors for Macquarie Asset Management.

Lenna Koszarny

Founding Partner and CEO
Horizon Capital

Lenna Koszarny Founding Partner and CEO, Investment Committee Member Lenna Koszarny is Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Capital, the leading private equity firm in Ukraine with $1.4 billion in assets under management, backed by over 40 institutional investors with a capital base exceeding $630 billion. Under her leadership, Horizon Capital raised the first and largest fund for Ukraine since the full-fledged invasion, Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV (HCGF IV), exceeding their target and raising $254m in April 2023 at a signing ceremony held in Kyiv, Ukraine at the Presidential Administration with the participation of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. HCGF IV is the first 2X Flagship Fund in Central and Eastern Europe promoting gender-smart investing, 1 of circa 10 in total, and 1 of only 2 globally led by a female Founding Partner & CEO.

In May 2023, Ms. Koszarny was named one of Ukraine’s «Top 50 Women Leaders Leading Ukraine to Victory» by Forbes Ukraine. In February 2022, Horizon Capital was honored as 2021 Firm of the Year for Central and Eastern Europe by Private Equity International, and in July 2022, Ms. Koszarny was recognized in Private Equity International’s 2022 Women of Influence in Private Markets list, 1 of 10 women selected in the private equity category. Ms. Koszarny is also Executive Vice-President of Western NIS Enterprise Fund, a $285 million US-government backed fund; Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine representing 600 members with over $50 billion invested in Ukraine; and a Board Member and Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress, representing over 20 million Ukrainians worldwide. She is also a member of the Board of the Ukrainian Startup Fund launched by the Government of Ukraine; and, served as the first Vice-Chair of the Advisory Council of Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.

On August 24, 2020, the 29th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Ms. Koszarny with an Order of Merit for Service to Ukraine, third level, for her significant contribution to the country’s economy and investment climate. She is also a recipient of a Presidential Commemorative Medal on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Independence. Under Ms. Koszarny’s leadership, Horizon Capital is committed to promoting gender equality in the alternative assets industry, and inspiring greater investment sector engagement by women. In July 2020, she was named as #2 Emerging Europe’s Female Business Leader 2020 by UK-headquartered online publication Emerging-Europe.com, whose independent insight is relied upon by more than two million people. She is a Member of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN), bringing together 600+ senior women leaders in private equity with over $3 trillion AUM, and was named Empowerment Ambassador of the SheExports Platform launched by Ukraine’s Export Promotion Office. She is also a Member of the all-female Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee, promoting Ukraine alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ms. Koszarny is a CPA and a 1991 HBA graduate of the Ivey Business School in Canada. She is Canadian of Ukrainian descent and has lived and worked in Ukraine for 30 years.

Jason Lamin

Founder & CEO
Lenox Park Solutions, Inc.

Jason is Founder and CEO of Lenox Park Solutions, Inc. (“Lenox Park”). He started the company as a Consulting and Advisory company in 2009, and has overseen its transition into a leading Financial Technology firm that provides collaborative software, data aggregation tools and analytics geared toward fair and democratized access to opportunities. The firm’s clients include some of the largest institutions in the world, with some of the largest and most notable Pension Funds, Foundations and Endowments. In the Asset Management industry and Corporate America, Jason has been a champion for greater inclusion and intentionality in creating visibility for women, people of color and other underrepresented groups. Before co-founding Lenox Park, Jason launched his career in Merrill Lynch’s Investment Banking division, focusing on Financial Institutions M&A transactions. Jason spent his career at Merrill Lynch working in their New York and London offices covering some of the firm’s most valuable institutional client relationships across product areas.

Jason serves as Independent Director on U.S.-based Harding Loevner Funds’ Board, an Advisory Board member of Tikehau Capital basedin Paris, France, a Board and Investment Committee member of the Josiah Macey Jr. Foundation and on the Investment Committees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Venture Capital firm, Alpha Impact 8.

Jason graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Economics in 1998. He remains active at his alma mater, where he has served on the Boards for the Department of Economics, and the Department of Black Studies, African & African Diaspora Studies. In 2017, Jason had the honor of delivering the Commencement Address to College of Liberal Arts graduates, where he spoke about the importance of inclusive and diverse cultures. In 2020, Jason was honored to receive the College of Liberal Arts’ highest award given to University of Texas Alumni, Pro Bene Meritis Distinguished Alumni Award.

Jason has been an active Private Sector Delegate of the United Nations, working with various groups within the Global Compact since 2009, including Co-Chair of SDG Antibribery & Anticorruption Working Group, Office of Special Advisors on Africa & Office of the President of the U.N. General Assembly. Among many speaking engagements at the U.N., Jason has had the privilege of addressing the General Assembly, Diplomats and Heads of State on innovative technologies that reduce bias and have potential to increase flows of investment capital into Africa, and how to move the needle on the SDGs with greater Stakeholder collaboration. In 2008, Jason founded Nyawa Funding Group, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve living standards in Sierra Leone, the country where Jason was born and lived until the age of 13.

Julia Lapitskaya

Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Julia Lapitskaya is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group and co-chair of the ESG: Risk, Litigation and Reporting Practice Group. Julia’s practice focuses on SEC, NYSE/Nasdaq and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 compliance, securities and corporate governance disclosure issues, board and committee matters, corporate governance best practices, state corporate laws, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, SEC regulations, investor engagement and shareholder activism matters, proxy and annual meeting matters, sustainability and corporate responsibility matters, and executive compensation disclosure issues, including as part of initial public offerings and spin-off transactions.

Paula Luff

Director of ESG Research and Engagement
DSC Meridian Capital

Paula is the Director of ESG Research and Engagement at DSC Meridian Capital where she is responsible for integrating ESG within the investment process and leading DSC Meridian’s engagement with portfolio companies on ESG matters. Prior to joining DSC, she served as Director of Sustainability and Impact for Inherent Group, an ESG-focused investment manager. Prior to joining Inherent Group, Paula was Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Hess Corporation where she established and led the global social responsibility function for the company and integrated key ESG issues into operations and enterprise risk. She also led engagement efforts on a range of sustainability issues with host governments, NGOs, investors and other external stakeholders. Prior to joining Hess, Paula was Senior Director of Strategic Health Partnerships for Pfizer Inc where she set global access to medicines strategy and led the design and implementation of global health programs and policies for the company and its foundation. She also represented Pfizer on social impact and global health issues with investors, the media, public officials, bi-lateral and multi-lateral organizations, NGOs, and other external stakeholders.

Paula holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and master’s degrees from New York University and the New School University. Paula serves as a director of Malk Partners, a private professional services firm. She is co-chair of the Audit Committee of the Access to Nutrition Foundation. Paula also is a member of the University of Wisconsin International Division’s Advisory Board and is an Advisor to the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Paula was a member of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Leaders Forum and served on the Executive Pay Principles Working Group. She also served on the Executive Council for Development and as a Senior Associate with the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Brooke Masters

US Financial Editor
Financial Times

Brooke Masters is US Financial Editor and an Associate Editor at the Financial Times. She leads the news team covering the American financial sector and writes a column on global business for the opinion section. She joined the FT in 2006 from the Washington Post and has run both the opinion section and the companies section. Over the course of her career, she has covered politics, criminal justice, education, financial services, regulation and white-collar crime.

Julia Mattox

Director Capricorn Investment Group
Julia Mattox is a Director at Capricorn. She joined the firm in 2020. Prior to Capricorn, Julia worked in portfolio management and client solutions for PAAMCO Prisma, an alternative investment management firm, where she worked on custom hedge fund portfolios for institutional clients. Julia received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

Sari J. Mayer, CAIA

Director of Marketing and Investor Relations Global Credit Advisers, LLC
Sari J. Mayer, CAIA, is Director of Marketing and Investor Relations at Global Credit Advisers, LLC (“GCA”), an investment advisor specializing in research, trading, and portfolio management in primarily high yield and distressed corporate credit. Prior to joining GCA, Sari was Director of Marketing at Boone Capital, manager of an event driven hedge fund. Before entering the investment advisory space, she was a sell-side Latin America Telecommunications equity analyst at Salomon Smith Barney for which she received several industry awards including high rankings as determined by Institutional Investor and was the Latin America telecommunications investment banking Director at Credit Suisse in New York. Sari earned her BA cum laude in Mathematics and Spanish from Amherst College, and received her MBA in International Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and was selected to and participated in the International Management Program at ESADE in Barcelona, Spain. Sari is a member Emerita of the Horace Mann School Alumni Council, a founding member of the Alumnae Council of New York University Stern School of Business, and an active member of 100 Women in Finance. Sari lives in New York City with her husband and three daughters.

Laura McGee

CEO & Co-founder Diversio
Laura McGee is the founder and CEO of Diversio, a Toronto-based technology company that uses AI to enhance organizational culture. She holds degrees from Western University and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Before founding Diversio in 2018, Laura worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. She serves on several boards, including ArcTern Ventures and Global Citizen, and is a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Trilateral Commission. Diversio’s innovative platform uses AI and data analytics to enhance workplace well-being and support employee mental health. Diversio has been distinguished as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025, building upon its previous accolades, which include being a finalist in the World Changing Ideas in AI and Data for both 2021 and 2022, as well as a recipient of the 2020 World Summit Award.

Monica Medina

President and CEO Wildlife Conservation Society
Monica P. Medina joined the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on June 1, 2023, as President and CEO. She oversees WCS in New York City and across the world in its mission to save wildlife and wild places. She has had a distinguished career in advancing conservation, science, and environmental policy on behalf of people and wildlife working at the highest levels of government, international diplomacy and in nonprofits, and academia. Just prior to WCS, Ms. Medina worked in the U.S. Department of State as the first U.S. Diplomat Designated to Advocate for Global Biodiversity and served as U.S. Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. At the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Medina was pivotal to the Biden Administration’s adoption of the 30×30 goal—the protection of at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030. Further, Medina was a leading negotiator for the U.S. behind the adoption of the historic United Nations agreement to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. In the private sector, Ms. Medina served as the Senior Director for Ocean Policy at the National Geographic Society, and as the ocean lead at the Walton Family Foundation. She was also Co-Founder and Publisher of Our Daily Planet, an e-newsletter on conservation and the environment. Ms. Medina attended college on an Army R.O.T.C. scholarship and began her career on active duty in the Army General Counsel’s Office. She received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Army Meritorious Service Medal. She has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Blair Miller

Senior Advisor
Two Sigma Impact

Blair Miller has spent her career using business to address pressing social challenges with a focus on talent, access, and inclusion. Currently, she is a venture and private equity investor focused on the human side of the future of work. In this capacity she works with Two Sigma Impact, a private equity firm focused on workforce impact. Throughout her career, Blair has held key positions such as co-founder of Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital, an emerging markets sustainable investment fund, Vice President at the family office of businessman Ray Chambers and she began her career at Acumen, a global impact investment fund. She has also advised leading organizations such as Andela, McKinsey’s Generation Initiative, Reservoir Capital, Rockefeller Foundation, and Roundtable Investment Partners. Blair served as a Senior Fellow at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs for six years where she taught a course called “Aligning Profit and Purpose”. She is a long-serving trustee of The Africa Center, a multidisciplinary institution that serves as a gateway to contemporary Africa.

Blair holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and BA in English Literature from the University of Virginia. Her most recent op-eds address reframing the career track, building purpose resilient companies and restructuring professional pathways for the future of work.

Bhakti Mirchandani

Managing Director, Responsible Investing
Trinity Church Wall Street

Bhakti Mirchandani is Managing Director, Responsible Investing at Trinity Church Wall Street, a thriving Episcopal congregation in lower Manhattan. Mirchandani is also a contributing writer at the Milken Institute and Forbes.com; teaches an award-winning impact finance class that she pioneered in Columbia University’s Masters in Sustainability Management Program, as well as an impact investing course in Columbia Business School’s Executive Education Program; is a co-founder and steering committee member of Institutional Allocators for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; serves as an independent director of Live Oak Crestview Climate Acquisition Corp.; and is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Mirchandani was managing director at FCLTGlobal, ESG advisor to Corbin Capital, an investment management strategist at One William Street Capital Management and Lehman Brothers, and a sustainable finance banker at Barclays Capital and Unitus Capital. She also spent 10 years pioneering microinsurance, microfinance securitization, and micropension. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, the Financial Times, Institutional Investor, CNBC, and at the G-20, Davos, and at the US House of Representatives. She holds a BA, MBA, and MPA from Harvard University and received the Dean’s Award from Harvard Business School. Most importantly, she is a proud mother of a spirited 5-year-old (#girlmom).

Annette L. Nazareth

Chair
Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market

Annette L. Nazareth serves as the Chair of the Integrity Counsel for the Voluntary Carbon Market (Integrity Council), an independent governance body that evolved from the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM), where she served as Operating Lead. Annette has devoted significant attention to virtually all aspects of the body’s workstreams, and has represented the Integrity Council in venues across the globe. Annette has decades of experience in financial services regulation and corporate governance. She currently serves as Senior Counsel at the global law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, having previously served as a Partner of the firm and the head of the Washington DC office. Annette also led the firm’s Trading and Markets practice within the Financial Institutions Group. She was a key player in U.S. financial services regulation for nearly a decade, most notably as a Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as the SEC’s Director of the Division of Trading and Markets.

Gloria Nelund

Chairman and CEO
TriLinc Global

Gloria Nelund – CEO and Founder TriLinc Global Gloria Nelund co-founded TriLinc Global after a rewarding career as one of the most successful and visible executives in the international asset management industry. She is responsible for leading the Company’s high-level strategy and directing its growth since its founding in 2008. Gloria brings to TriLinc Global more than 30 years of experience in executive management of multi-billion-dollar financial institutions, as well as deep expertise in the creation, sales and distribution of investment products. Gloria has been a pioneer in the development of social impact products. She was instrumental in making Deutsche Bank a leading institutional supporter of microcredit, creating multiple programs to help Private Wealth Management clients learn about and invest in the sector. Gloria also served on the Board of the Deutsche Bank Americas Community Development Group, with responsibility for providing loans, investments and grants to targeted organizations throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Gloria is a life-long supporter of development-oriented philanthropic causes. She has volunteered as a teacher of at-risk youth in the Los Angeles Unified School District and the YMCA of Los Angeles. Gloria currently sits on the board of multiple not-for-profit organizations and actively supports entrepreneurship research and education. She is an active speaker and guest lecturer on Impact Investing at conferences and several top business schools, including Columbia, Georgetown, Wheaton, Kellogg, Stanford and MIT.

Michelle Noyes

Head of Americas The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Michelle Noyes, Managing Director, Head of Americas, AIMA Michelle Noyes joined AIMA in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer of AIMA’s New York office, and became the Association’s Head of Americas in 2017. Previously, she was Head of International Sales and Investor Relations for BRZ Investimentos, one of the largest independent asset managers in Brazil. While in Sao Paulo, she also served as the Brazil representative for AIMA and established the AIMA Brazil network. Michelle began her career in hedge funds as General Manager for a global conference organizer, where she launched and managed a portfolio of successful asset management and investment events. Michelle holds a B.A. and M.A. from New York University and is a CAIA Charterholder.

Masrura Oishi

Manager Global Impact Investing Network
Masrura Oishi is a Manager, IRIS+ Impact Frameworks Development, at the Impact Measurement and Management team at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). Previously she worked as Manager, Innovation Ecosystem and Partnerships at BRAC Social Innovation Lab focusing on technology adaptation in challenging contexts. She completed her Masters degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, focusing on Business for Social Impact and International Organizations. Her capstone research focused on impact measurement practices in edtech investing in Kenya. Oishi is also the Founder of Baak, a mentorship network for adolescent girls in Bangladesh. She spent last summer at the MIT D Lab, supporting in research for Problem Framing Toolkit for social entrepreneurs in Kenya and India. Oishi designed and led BRAC’s first social business incubator offering seed funding for employee led solutions, bracX. She also managed cross country partnerships, launched BRAC’s inaugural Social Innovation Fellowship and organized BRAC’s flagship international conference ‘Frugal Innovation Forum’. Prior to joining BRAC in 2016, she worked in research consulting and social enterprise incubation, specializing on behavioral change and strategy. She has consulted multiple startups in their early stages. Her research on ‘Investment Readiness of the startups in Dhaka’ won the best paper award at the 13th Asian Business Research Conference. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from North South University. Oishi is an Advisor at Alokito Hridoy Foundation, an award-winning social enterprise aiming to transform classroom experience in underprivileged primary schools in Bangladesh. She was a Global Talent at UNLEASH 2018 under the SDG-4 track. Her eccentric career choices also took her to journalism, hosting radio shows and teaching high-schoolers to senior citizens.

Angela Outlaw-Matheny

Director of Diverse Manager Equity Crewcial Partners
Being born the year Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, recognizing this significant inflection point, her childhood community, and educational experiences, coupled with the absence of a mentor, led her to the investment field where DE&I is at the core of the firm’s investment philosophy. For seven years, Angela has led the investment team’s diverse manager sourcing efforts at Crewcial Partners ensuring exposure to the diverse manager marketplace and internal processes are efficient while overseeing the firm’s manager selection process. Her work builds on a premise where the firm acknowledges that historical industry wide systematic barriers exist but are managed and/or nonexistent at Crewcial to ensure best ideas are constructed into portfolios. Valuing human capital, diverse talent acquisition and building a training and development program is another area of expertise. Angela also drives the firm’s manager feedback loop while monitoring protocol to ensure the internal vetting process for women and diverse asset managers is fair and inclusive. With great fortitude, Angela facilitates the constant communication between Crewcial, DE&I focused networks, and diverse fund managers. With no finish line in sight, the firm continues to build a robust pipeline of what it believes is a largely under-followed segment of the asset manager community due to the abundance of talent they have identified.

Morgan Peterson

Senior Analyst impact Capital Managers
Morgan Peterson joined the Impact Capital Managers (ICM) team as an Analyst in August 2021. At ICM, Morgan supports the program development for the organization’s network of 115+ private capital impact funds seeking market-rate returns and measurable social impact. Previously, Morgan interned at Gladstone Place Partners, a financial communications firm in NYC, where she advised corporate clients on strategic communication strategies. Morgan also worked as a Program and Research Assistant at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security, supporting the work of Former US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer. Morgan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Justice & Peace Studies.

Jennifer Pryce

CEO Calvert Impact
Jennifer Pryce, President and CEO, Calvert Impact Jennifer Pryce is President and CEO of Calvert Impact, a global impact investment firm that works to create, expand and transform markets to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Over the past decade, Jenn has shaped the strategic direction of Calvert Impact to focus on innovation, sustainability, and scale. Under her leadership the organization has launched several new products and programs, tripled the size of its flagship product, and expanded focus on climate solutions. Jenn began her career in the Peace Corps before working for NeubergerBerman, the investment banking team in Morgan Stanley’s London office, and Nonprofit Finance Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution. Jenn studied engineering at Union College and holds an MBA from Columbia University. She is a board member of UNICEF USA Impact Fund for Children and a member of the Advisory Board of Greenwheel and the Operating Principles for Impact Management. She also serves as a lecturer at Oxford Saïd School of Business and was named to the 2024 Forbes 50 over 50 list.

Keren G. Raz

Head of Impact and ESG – Global PE APG
Keren G. Raz is a Senior RI Manager-Global Lead of ESG and Impact in the Global Private Equity Group at APG Asset Management. Prior to APG, Keren helped develop and implement Apollo Global Management’s ESG program and advised other private equity firms on ESG as a Senior ESG Advisor at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. She has also served as Global Head of Environmental and Social Risk Management at Morgan Stanley, overseeing the Firm’s management of environmental and social risks including climate change and human rights. Ms. Raz received her J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law and a certificate through Columbia University’s inaugural Sustainable Investing Certificate program. Ms. Raz graduated summa cum laude with honors from the University of Arizona, with a B.A. in English and Political Science and minors in Chinese and Spanish.

Valerie Red-Horse Mohl

Deputy Chief Investment Officer – Responsible Investing NYC Comptroller’s Office Bureau of Asset Management
As the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for Responsible Investing and Head of the Economically Targeted Investments Portfolio, Valerie Red-Horse Mohl oversees investments for the five New York City retirement systems. In this role she focuses on diverse managers, emerging managers, ESG, climate and place based economically targeted investing programs. Valerie is of Native American Cherokee heritage and has over 40 years of experience in financial services, having started her career working for Michael Milken and John Kissick in the High Yield Bond and Corporate Finance Departments at Drexel Burnham Lambert. She then founded the first Native American owned investment bank and RIA on Wall Street where she raised, structured, and managed billions of dollars of capital for tribal nations. In asset management she focuses on financial returns alongside positive impactful outcomes. She holds ten FINRA registrations and recently served via appointment by Secretary Janet Yellen on the U.S. Treasury Advisory Committee for Racial Equity. As an entrepreneur she founded both Red-Horse Financial Group and Red-Horse Native Productions. She is a part-time department Board Member and Lecturer at Stanford University. Previously she was a Co-Founder/Partner of Known Holdings, Executive Director of Social Venture Network and the CFO/CIO of the East Bay Community Foundation. She is active in her church and has been married to her college sweetheart for 43 years; they have three children and two grandchildren.

Imogen Rose-Smith

Partner Confluence Partners
Imogen Rose-Smith is a Partmer at Confluence Partners, a communications and strategic consulting firm which advises businesses at the intersection of impact and finance. She is also the Research Director for AIF Global, an alternative investment think tank for institutional asset owners. Imogen writes a regular column on institutional asset management for Impact Alpha, the leading impact investment industry publication, and serves as an impact investment consultant to a family foundation. An award-winning journalist, Imogen has over 20 years’ experience covering institutional asset management mostly as a Senior Writer with Institutional Investor magazine. Imogen was a 2017 – 2019 fellow of the Office of the Chief Investment Officer, University of California Regents, where she oversaw ESG and sustainable investing for the $160 billion investment office. Imogen has been named a Global Impact Leader by the Sorenson Impact Institute. Imogen served on the inaugural Advisory Board of Girls Who Invest, a not-for-profit focused on increasing the number of women in investment management roles. She was co-chair of the content planning committee for High Water Women’s annual Impact Investment Symposium. She is a co-founder of the Maui ESG Investment Project, an initiative to bring sustainable investment capital into Maui and diversify the Hawaii economy. From 2012 to 2014 Imogen worked as a consultant to the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights on its Compass conference program, a high-level conference aimed at engaging asset owners in issues relating to ESG. Imogen has an MA in American Studies from Columbia University and a BA from the University of East Anglia, England. She lives in Orient, NY.

Betty Salanic

CEO & Podcast Host Accelerate Investors
Betty Salanic is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Accelerate Investors and the host of the CIO Conversations Podcast. Accelerate Investors creates educational content, builds strategic partnerships with allocators, and brings together high-quality peer engagement opportunities. Additionally, on the podcast, she interviews leading chief investment officers of endowments, foundations, and pensions on their backgrounds, investment portfolios, and global outlook. Formerly, Betty conducted research and due diligence on multi-million dollar private equity and venture capital investments for Rice University’s $6.5 billion endowment. Previously, she was at an impact investment fund, Root Capital, in investor relations – raising capital from foundations, government agencies, and socially responsible investors. Betty began her career as an analyst at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in New York. Betty graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Finance and a BS in Corporate Communication. In addition, she studied abroad in Milan at Bocconi University and in Hong Kong at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she studied international economics and finance, and emerging markets, respectively. Betty serves on The University of Texas at Austin Diversity & Community Engagement Advisory Council and the Financial Advisory Committee for the New York Junior League, one of the oldest non-profit organizations in New York City. Previously, she served on the NYC Comptroller’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth through Diversity and Inclusion. She also served on The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business BBA Advisory Board for six years and founded Women of McCombs. Betty is fluent in Spanish and enjoys swimming, reading, and hiking.

Debra D. Schwartz

Managing Director, Impact Investments John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Debra D. Schwartz is Managing Director for Impact Investments at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a private, global philanthropy with assets totalling approximately $8 billion. For 40 years, MacArthur has made catalytic impact investments that advance equity, inclusion, and sustainability, committing $750+ million to private debt, equity and guarantees. Collectively, these investments have helped strengthen and expand affordable housing, community development, climate solutions, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and social innovation. Through complementary grantmaking, Debra and her team fund networks, research projects and other resources that support and strengthen the impact investing field globally. Before joining MacArthur in 1995, Debra was the CFO for a nonprofit child welfare agency in Chicago and an investment banker at John Nuveen & Co. She is a frequent public speaker and guest lecturer at leading universities, including the University of Chicago, where she previously taught as an adjunct professor. Currently, Debra serves as Treasurer for the International Women’s Forum–Chicago Chapter and is a member of the board of directors for the Mission Investors Exchange. Her past appointments include the US Treasury Department Community Development Advisory Board and the board of directors for the Yale Club of Chicago Scholarship Foundation. Debra holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA degree from Yale University, summa cum laude.

Lisa Sebasta

Founder Sitari Capital
As Founder of Sitari Capital, Lisa works with investors to evaluate and manage impactful, direct investments in private companies that align with their values. She was previously a Managing Partner at Fresh Source Capital, LLC, and a General Partner in Fresh Source Capital Fund 1, which focuses on the sustainable food and agriculture sector. Previously Lisa spent 15 years as an equity analyst and portfolio manager for boutique investment firms in Boston. Lisa has served as an advisor and/or board director for several food and agriculture organizations, including Atlantic Sea Farms, Farmers To You, Big Picture Beef, and Boston Public Market. Lisa holds an undergraduate degree from Holy Cross and earned her Masters at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is a CFA® Charterholder and member of the Boston Security Analysts Society.

Andrew Siwo

Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions New York State Common Retirement Fund
Andrew Siwo is the Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions at the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He is charged with providing leadership and oversight of sustainable investment efforts across the Fund’s $272 billion portfolio. Previously, Siwo was an Investment Director and Head of Mission-Related Investments at Crewcial Partners, an investment consultancy to over 150 leading foundations and endowments. Prior to joining Crewcial Partners, Siwo was a manager at the Global Impact Investing Networking (GIIN). In his capacity there, he was responsible for the operation, sourcing, and development of ImpactBase, the largest platform of impact investment funds globally, which he grew by north of $10 billion and approved more than 100 prospective impact funds targeting a financial return as well as social/environmental benefits. He also educated and fostered institutional investors seeking exposure to sustainable investments. Prior to joining the GIIN, Siwo spent five years in the investment banking division at JP Morgan—most recently in the Global Special Opportunities Group, a $3 billion proprietary portfolio of principal investments in private equity, debt, mezzanine, infrastructure, and real estate. He also held roles on the Rates Desk and executed fixed income financing transactions as well as the Securitized Products Group where he valued collateralized mortgage obligations. Before JP Morgan, Siwo was a member of the Corporate Finance and Real Estate Strategy Group at Victoria’s Secret where he oversaw capital budgeting. He began his career at E*TRADE Financial where he managed a team of investment representatives serving active traders and high net-worth investors. His investment articles have been printed in various industry publications. Siwo completed an MPA in Finance and Fiscal Policy at Cornell University and holds a BA in Accounting from Morehouse College. He has held FINRA Series 7, 63, and 24 licenses. He teaches an ESG course at The Wagner Graduate of Public Service at NYU where he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service. Siwo also serves on the Board of New York Professional Advisors to Community Entrepreneurs (NYPACE) and United World Schools (UWS).

Anna K. Snider, CAIA®

Head of Investment Manger Selection (Due Diligence) Chief Investment Office (CIO), Bank of America Corporation
Anna Snider is a Managing Director and Head of Investment Manger Selection (Due Diligence) for the Chief Investment Office (CIO) within Bank of America Corporation. In this role, she leads the Due Diligence team and is responsible for manager research and implementation guidance for both traditional and alternative asset classes supporting Bank of America Private Bank, Merrill and Bank of America Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions. She is a voting member of the Global Wealth & Investment Management Investment Strategy Committee (GWIM ISC), which sets asset allocation guidance. Anna also co-leads the Sustainable and Impact investing initiative for the wealth management businesses, focusing on investment solutions research and development, thought leadership, and measurement. Previously, Anna was part of the Alternative Investments group where she advised on hedge fund and private assets portfolio construction and led research for multi-manager alternatives solutions. She was also a senior analyst in the risk management division at Bank of America Private Bank. Anna offers many years of investment and risk analysis experience, having held positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, JP Morgan and UBS focusing on market, credit, and operational risk management. She graduated from Connecticut College and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst(CAIA®) designation. Anna serves on a number of non-profit advisory boards focused on inclusion in the financial industry, is an Aspen Institute First Mover Fellow and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Deborah Spalding, CFA

Global Head of Nature Finance Conservation International
Deborah Spalding is the Global Head of Nature Finance for Conservation International where she oversees a 50 person team that mobilizes investment for nature, encompassing carbon finance, sovereign debt for nature swaps, impact advisory services, financing of nature positive economies through loans, equity and flexible financing, and other innovative financial structures. Previously, she served as Chief Investment Officer of Commonfund OCIO. Prior to that, Spalding was the Chief Investment Officer of the State of Connecticut. In 2007, Spalding co-founded Working Lands Investment Partners, LLC, an independent investment management firm that invests in market for wetlands mitigation credits, water quality and quantity instruments, and habitat banking. She has held a number of executive-level positions including Head of International Investments for Schroders Investment Management N.A. and Managing Director International Investments at Scudder Kemper Investments. She began her career as an equity analyst at SKB & Associates. Deborah received a B.A. in International Relations and Asian Studies from Tufts University and holds graduate degrees from Harvard University, University of California Berkeley and Yale University. She currently serves on the board of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and is an advisory board member for the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. She is also a Lecturer in Forest Finance at Yale.

Marieke Spence

Executive Director Impact Capital Managers
Marieke Spence is Executive Director of Impact Capital Managers (ICM), which works to advance the performance of its members and to scale the impact investing marketplace with integrity and authenticity. ICM accomplishes this via its membership association – which includes 100+ funds representing more than $70B in private, impact-focused capital – and through collaborating on field- building initiatives, partnerships, and research with its affiliated organization, the ICM Institute. Association members must meet certain criteria including standards on impact measurement and management. The ICM Institute is a proud organizer of the Mosaic Fellowship and with Achieve Partners, a producer of the Better Money, Better World podcast.

Anju Suresh, CFA

Vice President, Sustainable & Impact Investing Glenmede
Anju Suresh, CFA, is a Vice President and Investment Specialist on Glenmede’s Sustainable & Impact Investing team, where she partners with foundations to advance mission-aligned portfolios with a particular focus on catalytic capital investment opportunities. Her prior experience includes investment underwriting at a nonprofit CDFI expanding access to affordable healthcare for low-income communities and sustainable investing roles at an asset management firm. She serves on the Investment Committees of the Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation and the Homeless Assistance Fund.

Chavon Sutton

Senior Investment Director, Sustainable & Impact Investing Research Cambridge Associates
Chavon Sutton Senior Investment Director, Sustainable and Impact Investing Research Chavon is a member of Cambridge Associates’ Sustainable & Impact Investing team, where she is responsible for conducting manager research across asset classes and working with institutional clients to build sustainability- and impact-focused portfolios. Prior to joining Cambridge Associates, Chavon was the City of New York’s inaugural Director of Emerging Manager Strategy for NYC’s Bureau of Asset Management, the investment advisor to each of the city’s five retirement systems. There, she led the Bureau’s growth strategy for investment in small, diverse, and women-owned managers across all asset classes, created its first blueprint for the integration of diversity factors in its investment process, and supported the investment staff’s sourcing and due diligence efforts. Previously, Chavon was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan where she constructed and managed portfolios for families, endowments, and foundations. She began her career in corporate finance roles at Bank of America and RBC, underwriting debt transactions for Fortune 100 financial institutions. Chavon earned her MBA in Finance and MA in Journalism from New York University. She earned her BA in Economics, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lauren Taylor Wolfe

Co-Founder and Managing Partner Impactive Capital
Lauren Taylor Wolfe is co-founder and Managing Partner of Impactive Capital, a $3 Billion active impact investing firm. Impactive Capital helps companies allocate capital effectively and ethically to drive more sustainable, profitable and valuable businesses over the long run. Prior to founding Impactive Capital, from 2007 to 2017, Lauren was a Managing Director at investment firm, Blue Harbour Group, where she led investments in the technology, consumer and business and healthcare services industries. Prior to joining Blue Harbour in 2007, Lauren was a Portfolio Manager at SIAR Capital, where she invested in small capitalization public companies and private companies. Lauren received an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University. Lauren has been active on various public and private boards including, $4 Billion TEV Envestnet Inc [NYSE: ENV], $10 Billion TEV HD Supply [Nasdaq: HDS], 30% Club Steering Committee, an Angel Member of 100 Women in Finance.

Kate Timmerman

Partner Gibson Dunn
Kate Timmerman is a corporate partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and is a member of the Firm’s Investment Funds Practice Group. Kate specializes in the establishment, management and operation of private equity, real estate, natural resources and infrastructure funds, co-investment funds, credit opportunity and other debt funds, including advising managers on the structuring and marketing of these funds. She has experience with private funds, investors, and investments throughout the world, including Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Kate also regularly represents investors in relation to the terms of their investment in and transfers of interest from such funds and has experience advising fund managers on the regulatory aspects of private fund structures as well as carried interest, co-investment schemes, secondary transactions, as well as joint ventures and other strategic partnerships and transactions.

Jennifer L. Trivelli

Senior Director, Communications & Marketing Mission Investors Exchange
Jennifer joined Mission Investors Exchange in 2023 as Senior Director of Communications and Marketing. In this role, Jennifer will lead the management and growth of MIE’s communications and marketing processes, playing an active role in increasing the organization’s visibility, helping to evolve MIE’s outreach, member engagement, and overall organizational strategy. Jennifer brings 16 years of experience to MIE, most recently as Senior Director of Integrated Marketing with the Cleveland Foundation, where she held successive marketing and communications roles for a decade, including as Director of Content Marketing and as Senior Marketing & Communications Officer. During this time, she supported ongoing marketing and communications strategies for the foundation’s $385 million impact investing program. She also played a leading role in the development and launch of the ImpactCleveland platform and helped convene a city-wide consortium of partners representing $375 million in impact capital. In addition, Jennifer provided comprehensive marketing and communications strategies supporting a decade of fundraising growth, including three top fundraising years, was instrumental in the award-winning Cleveland Foundation centennial year, and led signature events, including the organization’s annual meeting and Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony. Jennifer previously served as a Public Relations Associate with Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, where she was responsible for enhancing the image and national reputation of several medical specialties, including cardiology, oncology, surgery, women’s health and ED/trauma. In this role, she earned Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt certification and completed training at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, earning certification in Hospital Incident Command. She previously held successive marketing and public relations roles at Robinson Memorial Hospital. Jennifer graduated from Kent State University with a Master of Business Administration in finance and a Bachelor of Science in public relations with a minor in political science. She serves as a volunteer mentor with College Now Greater Cleveland.

Rekha Unnithan

Managing Director Nuveen
Rekha is a Managing Director and the Co-Head of Private Equity Impact Investing, where she is responsible for executing Nuveen’s private equity impact and climate inclusion strategy. She was an early visionary establishing the intentional leadership in the impact investing platform for Nuveen. Prior to joining Nuveen in 2012, Rekha was a Vice President in the institutional investment group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She also held various positions in institutional investments, investment oversight, and risk management at Merrill Lynch. Rekha graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. with a specialization in Financial Instruments & Markets, Social Innovation and Impact from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She holds the CFA and CIMA designations. Rekha serves on the advisory board of the Operating Principles for Impact Management and as chair of the Global Private Capital Association’s Impact Council. She is a board member on several current portfolio companies to help drive strategy and performance.

Diana van Maasdijk

CEO & Co-founder Equileap
Diana van Maasdijk is the Co-Founder & CEO of Equileap, the leading provider of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion data for financial market participants. This unique data, across 5000+ publicly listed companies, is used by investors to have a greater impact on social issues within sustainable investing. Prior to launching Equileap, Diana worked as Head of Philanthropy at ABN AMRO Private Bank and Director of Development at Mama Cash, the world’s oldest international women’s fund. She has a BA from Hamilton College and an MA in international development from American University.

Melissa Weigel Benn

Managing Director, Capital Raising The Nature Conservancy / NatureVest
Melissa works across the Impact, Finance and Markets division within The Nature Conservancy to oversee all capital raising efforts. She is responsible for working with product leads and colleagues across The Nature Conservancy to source the capital for NatureVest’s conservation impact investment products, as well as raising philanthropic capital to support the division’s operations. She has extensive experience in nature-based solutions, corporate sustainability efforts, and structuring investable products. Previously, Melissa led investment fundraising efforts for the NatureVest team, where she successfully raised more than $130M of investment capital for the Cumberland Forest Project among other deals. Earlier in her career, Melissa worked as a member of TNC’s development teams in Pennsylvania and New York, where she successfully stewarded major donors in support of TNC’s global work. Prior to TNC, she worked at Schultz & Williams, a consulting firm that specializes in nonprofits. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and son, where she tries to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

Sarah Wilson

Managing Director, Head of Climate Center of Excellence Nuveen
Sarah Wilson is the head of the Climate Center of Excellence on the Responsible Investing team at Nuveen, the investment management business of TIAA. Sarah leads a team that sets firm-level climate vision and accelerates alignment of brand, investment process, and products with the market’s rising climate expectations for the financial sector. Her team also advises on Net Zero implementation for the TIAA General Account. Throughout her career at Nuveen, Sarah has also led ESG integration across asset classes and, prior to that, within fixed income. Prior to joining TIAA, Nuveen’s parent company, in 2015, Sarah managed corporate sustainability reporting and renewable energy credit portfolios for Green Mountain Energy, a subsidiary of NRG, and helped structure debt financing for renewable energy projects as a summer associate at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She holds an M.B.A. and Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and a B.A. in Economics and Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Sarah sits on the advisory board of the Yale Initiative for Sustainable Finance.

Han Yik

Senior Advisor to the ED/CIO – Stewardship NYS Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS)
Han Yik is the Senior Advisor to the Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). He advises on investments, policy, global initiatives and corporate governance. In addition, Han leads NYSTRS’ initiatives on investor stewardship and sustainability and its integration across the NYSTRS investment portfolio. Han was formerly the Head of Institutional Investors at the World Economic Forum, where he worked with the world’s largest asset owners and government officials on issues around long-term investing and providing strategic guidance on public-private cooperation initiatives. He led the Forum’s work on the global pension crisis, with his articles and reports receiving extensive press coverage from major media outlets such as Bloomberg and The Financial Times. In addition, he has been a keynote speaker at various global conferences and has led private roundtables in Davos. Han began his career as an actuarial consultant before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a Senior Institutional Portfolio Strategist and Head of Institutional Thought Leadership. Han earned his B.S. in Applied Mathematics with a concentration in Operations Research from Yale University, where he won the Benjamin F. Barge Prize for Excellence in Mathematics. Han formerly served as a board member for Materials for the Arts, a local non-profit devoted to creative recycling and reuse of donated materials as arts materials for underserved public schools in New York City.