Funds dedicated to so-called “impact investments” have soared in the past decade, but the industry is still a minnow in the financial world. The fact remains that most people are not just unfamiliar with the idea of investing for good, they have been convinced that such schemes deliver neither returns nor social impact.
Happily, Durreen Shahnaz is here to put the naysayers straight. An academic, investment banker and impact investing visionary, Durreen is the Founder and CEO of the Impact Investment Exchange and a pioneer in the field. Durreen has not only delivered successful financial products that meet the strict criteria of global investors, she has pioneered a methodology that brings financial market rigor to the field of social impact and sustainability-themed investing. Here, she explains to TFI how blending finance with social impact is poised to become a trillion dollar industry.