News and Views

  • Finding catalytic capital: Asia’s big challenge

    In the wake of foreign aid cuts, and in its drive to become a world leader in impact investing, Asia needs to find its own sources of catalytic capital to attract more private investment to impact. Where will it come from, and how do we get there, were key questions at the AVPN conference 2025. 

  • ‘We need all hands on deck’ – Impact Europe chair on how the impact community can shine a light in dark times

    Ahead of Impact Week in Malmö, Leslie Johnston talks about how the impact community needs to work with ‘unlikely allies’ if it is to tackle today’s existential challenges – and why impact investors need to listen to the voices of social innovators on the ground.

  • ‘I don’t believe in the social economy, I believe in one economy’ – Lord Adebowale

    INTERVIEW: Social enterprises too often slip into ‘charity talk’, so how can they be taken seriously as an economic force by the UK government? The chair of Social Enterprise UK discusses his meetings with Keir Starmer, his impatience for change in social investment – and racism.

  • Investor in Focus: Why Blue Haven Initiative’s views “irritate everyone”

    INTERVIEW: Trailblazing family office co-founder – and former child actor – Liesel Pritzker Simmons on why more impact investors should wade into the “muddy” world of politics – and why there’s one topic no one wants to talk about.   

  • From Scotland to Taiwan, and back again? How SEWF 2025 can be an ‘engine for change’ in delegates’ home countries

    Social Enterprise World Forum was founded in Scotland. Now, the country’s government is backing a delegation to head to Taiwan to promote its social enterprise ecosystem to the world.

  • The EU’s social economy must adapt to today’s political reality

    European social enterprises might have a stronger ally than expected in Brussels, but they need to be pragmatic, acknowledge changing priorities and build their narrative accordingly. Euclid Network’s Toby Gazeley reports from European Social Economy Week in Spain.

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The Editor’s Post: AI for good: Hype or hope?

An emerging generation of impact entrepreneurs are using AI for positive impact – but in a fast-moving field, they will have to be agile to survive while avoiding mission-drift. Also this week: will B Lab's new standards woo back the B Corp leavers?

The Impact World This Week: 10 April 2025

This week: Ashoka’s Bill Drayton awarded ‘global treasure’ status by Skoll, how Ukraine’s social entrepreneurs defy the rockets, the least popular SDG for impact investors revealed, and more.

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How impact investors can support democracy to thrive

Autocracy is on the rise, freedom of speech is under threat and trust in institutions is declining. But impact investors could play a bigger role in defending democracy. This was the topic under discussion at last week’s Impact Fire Talk, hosted by FASE.