Why collaboration and conversation matter more than ever – Impact Minds 2025 preview

The impact ecosystem in the Caribbean and Latin America is “navigating a moment of deep uncertainty”, says Carolina Suárez, CEO of Latimpacto, as she looks forward to the impact capital network’s landmark annual event at the start of September.

Impact Minds 2025 opens on 1 September in Medellín, Colombia, and it’s Latimpacto’s fourth annual conference. Around 700 participants from around the world are expected to gather to take part in the event, which has become known for its signature approach of disrupting the traditional conference format with visits to local groups, field trips and an emphasis on collaboration. Pioneers Post is a media partner to the event.

• Read about Impact Minds in 2022: ‘Disruptive party’ calls for creativity and humility from LatAm impact investors – and be prepared to lose money

“Traditional funding flows, especially from actors like the US, are shifting, creating pressure on organisations across Latin America and the Caribbean,” says Suárez (pictured above at Impact Minds 2024). “But that’s precisely why coming together matters more than ever.”

The Trump 2.0 effect

As US president Donald Trump prepared to take office at the end of 2024, impact leaders from around the world shared their concerns with Pioneers Post about the effect that his policies might have on those aiming to direct capital towards social and environmental issues, as well as on social entrepreneurs. At the time, Suárez predicted that funding sources could be altered and dynamics would shift in her region. She also pointed to a likely clampdown on Latin American migrants which would add an extra strain, and anticipated reduced US funding for climate action, which is a key concern for the part of the world that is home to the Amazon rainforest. 

• Read more: What Trump 2.0 means for the global impact community 

Since then, many of the impact community’s predictions have come to pass. USAID has been decimated along with the budgets of other significant donor countries, businesses worldwide are moving their priorities away from the once popular notion of ‘stakeholder capitalism’, and conversations have focused upon discovering more reliable sources of funding. 

So today, Suárez says: “Latin America and the Caribbean’s impact ecosystem is at a key turning point, with foundations, investors and public institutions increasingly committed to long-term systemic change.”

She adds: “Blended finance and catalytic capital have become essential tools to unlock resources and reduce risk in sectors like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and financial inclusion.”

Climate at the centre of the conversation

During Impact Minds 2025, Latimpacto’s knowledge director, Catalina Herrera (pictured), anticipates that participants will be interested in several key themes, including the use of catalytic capital, the climate crisis, impact measurement and collaboration.

“There’s a strong focus on deploying catalytic capital more strategically to fund projects and unlock systems change,” she says. 

“Climate has moved to the centre of the conversation, not only in terms of urgency, but also of opportunity,” she adds. “Many of our members are exploring regenerative finance models and looking for ways to align capital with nature-based solutions. The question is no longer whether we should integrate climate into our strategies, but how we do it in a way that is inclusive, scalable and rooted in local knowledge.”

• Read more: Lessons in seeding the bioeconomy at Latimpacto’s Impact Minds conference

Impact measurement too is an ever-present concern. “Our members want to understand and communicate their impact, but they also recognise the complexity of their work. So the challenge is finding the right balance between rigour and adaptability, especially in communities where change isn’t always linear.”

At an event that brings hundreds of people together from diverse cultures and communities, there is an inevitable focus on connection. “There’s a strong need for cross-sector collaboration,” says Herrera. Through its membership Latimpacto brings together funders from across the spectrum including family offices, corporations, donor foundations, NGOs, governments, multilateral organisations, academic institutions and accelerators. “Many are looking for practical ways to bridge philanthropic, corporate and public sector agendas. Behind that, there's a shared belief that real impact happens when we stop working in silos and start building trust across the ecosystem.”

Suárez emphasises the same point: “We cannot afford to act alone. This is a moment to collaborate, innovate and lead differently.”

And the imaginative conference format will help that to happen, says Suárez. “Nearly half of the participants are speakers,” she says, “not just attending, but actively shaping the agenda. We want this to be more than a conference. It’s a space to think collectively about the future and to spark bold new initiatives.”

We co-create, question and listen, across power, geography and lived experience. That’s what makes it transformative

She adds: “The Impact Minds model challenges traditional event formats. There are no VIP-only rooms and no passive audiences. We co-create, question and listen, across power, geography and lived experience. That’s what makes it transformative. Especially in Latin America, where trust is currency and relationships are essential to moving capital and ideas, face-to-face meetings allow us to accelerate what virtual spaces simply can’t.”

Discover more about Impact Minds 2025 here. Places are now limited, so book now to secure your place. Anna Patton and Julie Pybus of Pioneers Post will deliver a workshop focused on storytelling for impact investors at the event on 3 September at 15h local time.