Purpose

to discuss and engage on how the impact ecosystem in Singapore can unite as a GSG National Advisory Board (NAB) to enable and scale the Impact Economies in Asia-Pacific.

Key Attendees

View
Profile

Abhinav Akhilesh

Director

KPMG

View
Profile

Adam Cotter

Head of Asia and Chief Representative of the Asia office

OMFIF

View
Profile

Alex Hannant

Director

Pocket Knife

View
Profile

Amit Bhatia

CEO

GSG

View
Profile

Anna Batenkova

Sustainable Finance Engagement Manager

WWF

View
Profile

Annie Chen

Founder & Chair

RS Group

View
Profile

Anshul Sonak

Regional Director- Innovation & Learning

Intel

View
Profile

Artak Melkonyan

Senior Advisor

UNDP

View
Profile

Ashutosh Tyagi

Head, India Education Outcome Fund

SFI

View
Profile

Cecilia Pessanha

Practice and SDGs Lead

IMP

View
Profile

Darryl Dong

Client Leader, E Asia and Pacific at IFC – International Finance Corporation

IFC

View
Profile

David Heng

CEO

ABC World Asia

View
Profile

Durreen Shahnaz

Founder and Managing Director

IIX and IIX Foundation

View
Profile

En Lee

Partner, Head Asia Pacific

LGT Impact Ventures

View
Profile

Fernanda Lima

Director of Investments

LeapFrog

View
Profile

Herry Cho

Head of Sustainable Finance Asia Pacific

ING

View
Profile

Jamuna Rao Verghese

Inclusive Markets and Impact Investment – Senior Advisor

PwC

View
Profile

Jonathan Tsuen Yip Wong

Chief Technology Officer

UNESCAP

View
Profile

Joost Bilkes

Head of Impact Advisory and Finance Department APAC

Credit Suisse

View
Profile

Joseph Cherian

Director, Centre for Asset Management Research & Investment

NUS

View
Profile

Karthik Varada

Project Coordinator

Sasakawa Peace Foundation

View
Profile

Krisztina Tora

Market Development Director

GSG

View
Profile

Lalith Welamedage

CEO

Lanka Social Ventures

View
Profile

Leonie Kelly

Project Director, Sustainable Finance Initiative

RS Group Asia

View
Profile

Maame Agyben

Associate Economic Affairs Officer

ESCAP

View
Profile

Mark Ingram

Executive Director – Head of Impact Strategy

Brightlight Investment Management

View
Profile

Maxime Grimaud

CFA – Consultant – Impact Finance

UNSIF

View
Profile

Melvyn Mak

Chairman

TBN Asia

View
Profile

Mikkel Larsen

Managing Director & Co-Chairman

DBS Sustainability Council

View
Profile

Nilachal Mishra

Partner, Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare

KPMG

View
Profile

Nirav Khambhati

Partner

Kaizen

View
Profile

Patisan Low

Director, Asia Policy Forum

AVPN

View
Profile

Piyush Gupta

CEO

DBS Bank

View
Profile

Pradeep Nair

Regional Director, Asia

Ford Foundation

View
Profile

Qing Gu

Programme Officer

Ford Foundation

View
Profile

Ralph Keitel

Principal Investment Office, Private Equity and Investment Funds, S.E. Asia

World Bank Group

View
Profile

Rami Tawfiq

Director Partnerships, East Asia

British Council

View
Profile

Riski Raisa Putra

First Planner, Ministry of National Development Planning

Government of Indonesia

View
Profile

Rosianna Sianipar

Development Planner

Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning

View
Profile

Sandeep Aneja

Managing Partner

Kaizen

View
Profile

Shanthakumar Bannirchelvam

Managing Director

Global Impact Partners

View
Profile

Simba Marekera

Head – Investment Solutions

Brightlight Group Pvt Ltd

View
Profile

Sukanya Narain

Programme Manager

GSG

View
Profile

Sunny Verghese

Co-Founder & CEO

Olam International

View
Profile

Swee Sum Lam

Associate Professor Director, Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy Department

NUS Business School

View
Profile

Yulius

Assistant Deputy of Entrepreneurship Development

Coordinating Ministry of Economy

Who Should Attend

Impact Leaders from Asia-Pacific (Impact Investors, Business Leaders, Policymakers, Accelerators & Incubators, Impact Entrepreneurship Networks)

Venue

June 24, 2019

JW Marriott, Singapore

Networking Cocktail: 6:30 – 7:00 pm

Dinner: 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Please email sukanya.narain@gsgii.org for invites

AGENDA

Time

Session

6:30- 7:00 pm

Cocktail

7:00- 7:05 pm

Welcome by Krisztina Tora (GSG)

7:05- 7:30 pm

Opening Session (I): Impact Movement in Asia – Pacific

Lead Discussants (3 min each):
Amit Bhatia (GSG),
Piyush Gupta (DBS Bank),
David Heng (ABC World),
Annie Chen (RS Group),
Herry Cho (ING),
Sunny Verghese (Olam)

There is a profound change underway in the global economic system, with Capitalism 1.0 paving way for more conscientious Impact Economies. With US$ 22 trillion in AUM classified as Responsible Investment, Sustainable Investment or Impact Investments, we are already on a path to this new economy requiring all actors- big business, investors, impact entrepreneurs, consumers, and governments – to change their role. We are calling this #ImpactRising. How are  Singapore and Asia-Pacific going to take part in this revolutionary movement?

  • How do you envision Impact Economies in Asia-Pacific? What goals will inspire you to join the impact movement?
  • What key factors are contributing to the momentum and what changes can push the market forward?
  • How does the risk-return-impact paradigm vary across the continuum of responsible, sustainable and impact investments?
  • What role would you like to see Singapore play in driving the impact movement in the region and also, globally?

7:30- 7:50 pm

Session II: Enabling Policy Frameworks to develop Impact Ecosystems

Presentation by Abhinav Akhilesh (KPMG)
Initial Discussant: Jonathan Wong (ESCAP)

The Asia Pacific Regional Roadmap for implementing the 2030 Agenda for SDGs and endorsed by the ESCAP member countries via Resolution 73/9 was a big win for the impact movement in the region1. It brought to the forefront the importance of impact investing, and the need for policy guidance for different stakeholders, resulting in  GSG’s collaboration with UNESCAP to develop a practical Policy Toolkit for policy makers.

  • What are the current policy frameworks supporting the development of impact investment ecosystems in the region?
  • Do we have evidence of what works and what doesn’t?
  • Where does the gap lie? What role should Governments play?
  • How do we strengthen the local ecosystems?
  • How can policy play a bigger role in attracting new impact capital flows and foreign investment supporting the achievement of National Development Plans and SDG targets?

7:50- 8:20 pm

Session III: Unlocking private Capital at scale in the region

Presentation by Jamuna Verghese (PwC)
Initial Discussants:
En Lee (LGT Impact),
Fernanda Lima (LeapFrog Investments),
Simba Marekera (Brightlight), 
Durreen Shahnaz (IIX)

In Asia Pacific, a multitude of socio- economic challenges are competing for limited public or philanthropic capital. With ASEAN estimated to need at least $1 trillion USD  of infrastructure in the next 5 years to keep pace with the economic growth, and to meet the goals of ending extreme poverty, [1] there is an urgent need to scale up private investment with the support of enabling policy, regulatory, financial and market conditions to develop and utilize new mechanisms to unlock private financing. Singapore is increasingly being recognized as the hub for Impact, and as a gateway to funding and catalyzing impact in the region.

  • How can innovation in financial products and vehicles catalyse impact economies at scale?
  • What are some of the key points of intervention that would be useful at this point of time?
  • How do you see the various factors influence investor preference- liquidity, quality of returns vis-à-vis risk, need for measurable impact, availability of products, etc.
  • Does the region need wholesale products?

 

8:20 – 8:40 pm

Session IV: Theory of Change –  GSG National Advisory Boards

Presentation by Krisztina Tora (GSG)
Initial Discussants:
Pradeep Nair (Ford Foundation),
Alex Hannant (NewZealand NAB)

GSG, an independent multilateral, operates in countries via its National (and Regional) Advisory Boards (NABs), with currently 22 countries and the  EU as members. A NAB is a group of leaders, united in purpose to create a thriving environment where increasing amounts of capital to flow ventures that create impact and contribute to the SDGs. A NAB is representative of the entire impact ecosystem nationally and creates consensus around key priorities, inspires all actors and furthers the impact movement.

  • How can we create public dialogue and consensus in Asia-Pacific? Should it be at a country level or a regional level?
  • Which stakeholders are likely to support and to lead the NAB Development efforts in Singapore and other countries of the region?
  • What is the ideal process for the actors in Singapore and Asia-Pacific to reach a shared agenda?
  • What role should Government play vis-à-vis NABs in the region?

8:40- 9:00 pm

Closing session (V)
Closing Comments by Amit Bhatia

PARTNERS

ATTENDEES