MaRS Mornings — Creating impact: Financial models that fund real change

MaRS Mornings — Creating impact: Financial models that fund real change

In 2023, VC funding dipped to its lowest point in half a decade and is only now beginning to rebound. Similarly, investment that catalyzes positive — and measurable — social and environmental outcomes, is on the decline.

How are impact fund leaders navigating this challenging market? Is it possible to manifest a better future through novel approaches to deploying capital or has the very concept become too political?

Join us on September 12 for a discussion on the most effective financial strategies for creating change.

Location: MaRS Live Lounge, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON

Agenda:

9:00 - 9:15 a.m. — Registration, coffee and networking

9:15 - 9:20 a.m. — Opening remarks

9:20 - 9:55 a.m. — Panel session

9:55 - 10:05 a.m. — Audience Q&A

10:05 - 10:30 a.m. — Networking

Moderator:

Alison Nankivell, CFA, is the CEO at MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and Canada’s leading science and technology ecosystem. MaRS-supported ventures have raised $19 billion in capital, generated $11.5 billion in net revenues, and contributed $29.6 billion to the GDP since 2010, now employing 33,000 individuals across diverse sectors.

With more than 25 years of experience in business, investment, and fostering innovation, Alison held pivotal roles at institutions like Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Export Development Canada. As senior vice president at BDC Capital, Alison provided strategic guidance, overseeing a $5-billion asset portfolio, and driving initiatives like the Indigenous Growth Fund, attracting $750 million in private sector capital.

Alison’s vision and emphasis on environmental, social & governance (ESG) frameworks reshaped Canada’s venture capital landscape, propelling tech companies globally. A transformative leader, she fosters collaboration, guiding startups through economic cycles. Fluent in Mandarin and French, Alison’s global perspective positions MaRS as an ambassador in energy transition and climate technology.

Beyond her executive duties, Alison served until 2023 as chair and board member at the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) and currently serves on the board of Toronto Good Shepherd Ministries, which underscores her commitment to excellence and fostering innovation addressing both social and economic objectives.

Panelists:

Adam Spence is the CEO, Co-Founder and Director of SVX. Adam helped start-up Bloom Impact Capital, VERGE Capital, the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, B Lab Canada, the MaRS Catalyst Fund (now Amplify Capital), and the School for Social Entrepreneurs – Ontario. He was Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) and he led a number of higher education and training organizations. Adam has spoken to audiences across the country and around the world on issues related to education, poverty, and impact investing and he has been featured in numerous media outlets, including CNN, TVO, CTV, CBC Television and Radio, BNN, Forbes, GlobalTV, the Toronto Star, the Financial Post, and the Globe & Mail. Adam has been involved in the national and global impact investing ecosystem for over 15 years, with on-the-ground experience working in impact investing in Canada, the US, and Latin America.

Lise Birikundavyi is co-founder and managing partner at BKR Capital and the first Black woman in Canada to manage an institutionally-backed VC fund. Lise is an innovative finance specialist who has worked with several international institutions and acts as guest lecturer for prestigious organizations, including Oxford University, the International Olympic Committee Accelerator managed by the Yunus Sports Hub and the Canadian Private Capital Investment School at Ivey. Lise also mentors and supports highly promising and impactful start-ups in emerging markets. Lise began her career in the hedge fund industry in Montreal and her interest in mixing attractive financial returns with long term societal impact is what inspired her to transition to the impact finance sector. She has experience across the investment spectrum: from funds of funds and VCs, to being the transition CEO of a tech start-up.

Maria Clara Rendon is a noted responsible investing specialist, with 15 years of experience in the assessment and management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in a wide variety of industries. Her work focuses on the implementation of responsible investing practices by asset owners and managers in both North America and Latin America. As Senior Director, Responsible Investing at University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP), Maria Clara supports the development and execution of UPP’s Responsible Investing (RI) strategy. She works closely with internal and external partners to ensure a seamless integration of ESG factors into UPP’s investment process and implementation of stewardship practices on behalf of over 37,000 UPP members. Maria Clara holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering from the National University of Colombia and earned a Master of Science, Sustainability Management from Columbia University in New York, NY.

Scott Patles-Richardson is the founder of Indigenous Financial Solutions, a First Nations-owned company focused on economic development for Indigenous communities across Canada. He has extensive experience advising Indigenous communities, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and has negotiated for First Nation and Métis communities in the area of land claims and Impact Benefit Agreements, specific to energy and resource development projects.
Patles-Richardson is also the CEO of an Indigenous private-equity fund, Métis Infinity Investments, and is the majority shareholder of Nations Translation Group (NTG) and acts as their Executive Chair. NTG is one of Canada’s largest privately-held translation companies and is 100% First Nation owned and controlled with the balance of the shares held by the Little Red River Cree Nation’s investment arm. He has previously worked in leadership roles with Ishkonigan Consulting and Mediation, Tribal Council Investment Group of Manitoba, Scotiabank, and Royal Bank of Canada. Patles-Richardson is a Mi’gmaq citizen from Pabineau First Nation in northern New Brunswick of which he has been active as a key senior advisor.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

MaRS Centre — LIVE Lounge, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Canada