Watch the SOCAP24 Plenary Speakers
The annual SOCAP Global conference is the largest convening for the impact community, showcasing a powerful collective experience. At SOCAP24, three full days of powerful presentations and workshops were bookended by an opening and closing plenary featuring leading practitioners in the space.
“Our opening and closing plenary sessions were designed to set the stage, frame the conversation, and invite participants to approach our three days together — and the months after the event — with the true spirit of collaboration that SOCAP is built for,” shared Michelle Arévalo-Carpenter, SOCAP Global’s Executive Director of Strategy & Content, as she convened the SOCAP24 Opening Plenary.
Plenary speakers addressed systems change and the need to work together across silos, geographies, and sectors to move capital toward investible, scalable solutions. Arévalo-Carpenter said the opening and closing sessions provide space for attendees to learn about catalytic approaches to social and environmental issues we all face.
Watch the 15 plenary sessions below, and join us at SOCAP25 from October 27 to 29, 2025, in San Francisco to be part of the movement driving market-based solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.
Ariana Lee & Kylan Denney, Youth Speaks
“Our bodies listen to the planet better than our systems do.”
Poets Ariana Lee and Kylan Denney are each two-time members of the youth slam poetry team Meta4 Houston, which ranked number one in the world at Brave New Voices 2023. They are also members of Youth Speaks, a leading presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs. Youth Speaks offers a comprehensive slate of literary arts education programs and provides numerous opportunities for youth to be published and heard.
To begin the SOCAP24 opening plenary, Lee and Denney performed an original poem addressing the effects of climate change across the globe and the need for systemic change to make a difference. The artistic delivery of their words underscores the power of young voices.
Gregg Castro, Association of Ramaytush Ohlone
“We still are here, and we still remember our original instructions: to take care of the land that gave birth to us and all the living things on it.” — Gregg Castro
Gregg Castro (t’rowt’raahl Salinan/rumsien & Ramaytush Ohlone) has been involved in preserving his cultural heritage for more than 30 years. He recently accepted the role of assisting his Ramaytush relatives as Culture Director of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, a non-profit organization representing their heritage in their San Francisco Peninsula homeland.
To complement the Land Acknowledgment ceremony in the Yerba Buena Gardens prior to the Opening Plenary, Castro shared a “good luck” song with SOCAP24 participants to kick off their time together.
Rodney Foxworth, Worthmore
“My belief is the people in this room are the people who are going to be responsible for shaping the growth and the future of impact investing.” — Rodney Foxworth
Rodney Foxworth is an executive, entrepreneur, and investor with deep and diverse networks across economic development, impact investing, philanthropy, and venture capital. He’s advised, founded, operated, and funded multiple entrepreneurial endeavors and is currently Partner and Co-Founder of Worthmore, an impact investment studio and strategy consultancy. He also serves on the boards of Nonprofit Finance Fund, Race Forward, Rhia Ventures, Rock Health, and SOCAP Global.
In his welcome remarks, Foxworth reflected on his first SOCAP conference and how the annual event has impacted the trajectory of his career.
Antony Bugg-Levine, Lafayette Square Institute; James Mwangi, Climate Action Platform – Africa; Rodrigo Villar, New Ventures; Naina Subberwal Batra, AVPN; Emily Kasriel, Independent
“If someone asks ‘what is impact investing?,’ start with the story. … This has to be about the people impacted as the starting point, not just the technical mechanisms that make it happen.” — Antony Bugg-Levine
Antony Bugg-Levine has 20+ years of experience moving capital to where it can be effectively activated for social impact. He is currently the President of Lafayette Square Institute, which provides US policymakers across the political spectrum with the insights, data, and resources they need to mobilize private investment in ways that generate prosperity for more people.
James Mwangi is the founder and CEO of Africa Climate Ventures, where he is working to build and accelerate transformative climate-smart and carbon-negative businesses across the continent. He is also the founder of the Climate Action Platform – Africa, a public benefit organization launched to unlock Africa’s potential for inclusive prosperity through Climate Positive Growth.
Rodrigo Villar has been instrumental in developing the Impact Investing Ecosystem. He is the Founding Partner of New Ventures Group, the leading Impact Investing organization in Latin America.
Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN, the largest regional social investment network. AVPN aims to increase the flow of financial, human, and intellectual capital for impact.
Emily Kasriel is an experienced media executive and journalist who has led a range of high-profile projects on staff for the BBC and reported and produced for the BBC from five continents.
In a compelling panel moderated by author and former BBC reporter Emily Kasriel, four dynamic impact practitioners shared personal stories of how they began their journey in impact investing and how they’ve watched it evolve from their unique corners of the world.
Jennifer Harper, Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC
“Sustainability is a journey, there is no end destination.” — Jennifer Harper
Jennifer Harper is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics, a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas. From its inception in 2015, Harper has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and JC Penney locations across the US.
In her riveting opening plenary presentation, Harper shared her journey with Cheekbone Beauty and her dedication to sustainability and supporting Indigenous communities.
Salim Ismail, OpenExO Inc.
“Never before have we seen this many technologies accelerating all at one time. We have 20+ ‘Gutenberg moments’ coming; these are the technology moments that change civilization.” — Salim Ismail
Salim Ismail is a sought-after business strategist who presents globally to the leaders of many of the world’s largest companies and Heads of State. His book “Exponential Organizations” is considered by many to be the go-to guide for 21st-century organizations. The data shows that corporations that follow the ExO attributes deliver 40x shareholder returns compared to those that don’t.
In his presentation, Ismail offered insight into technology advancements and their broader implications, as well as the systemic change he’s witnessing as a result of these initiatives.
Christiana Figueres, Global Optimism; Michelle Arévalo-Carpenter, SOCAP Global
“The mantra is: Let’s speed the solutions to scale, across all sectors, all countries. And it must be done with an incredible, deep sense of justice.” — Christiana Figueres
Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican citizen who served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 through 2016. During her tenure, she brought together national and subnational governments, corporations and activists, women’s groups, scientists and spiritual communities, financial institutions, and NGOs to jointly deliver the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Since then, she has continued to foster rapid action on climate change.
Michelle Arévalo-Carpenter is a social entrepreneur, impact investor, and human rights lawyer. As Executive Director at SOCAP, she leads content and strategy for the annual conference. She is also the former CEO and co-founder of IMPAQTO, a certified B Corp that builds impact ecosystems through coworking, business acceleration programs, social innovation consulting, and impact investing.
In this engaging conversation, Figueres discusses her role in climate action from the historic Paris Agreement to the issues of today, offering advice for advancing the systemic change needed to protect the planet and its inhabitants.
Helena Gualinga, Indigenous Rights & Climate Activist
“We need people like you to be disruptors, to be allies to those on the frontlines, and who will continue to do so, whose children will continue to do so.” — Helena Gualinga
Helena Gualinga, an Indigenous advocate and storyteller from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in Ecuador’s Amazon, is a global voice on Indigenous rights and environmental conservation. Renowned for her advocacy, Gualinga spearheads significant campaigns against extractive industries, playing a crucial role in preserving biodiversity across Latin America.
At SOCAP24, Gualinagua spoke of the devastation climate change has caused her home, the Amazon Rainforest. To drive the systemic change required for meaningful climate action, she expressed the need to look to Indigenous communities, which have been on the frontlines of these issues for decades.
Dominic Hofstetter, TransCap Initiative
“Systems change is rarely the result of a single technology, social enterprise, or piece of infrastructure. It is the combined effects of many interrelated shifts happening at once and with a degree of shared directionality.” — Dominic Hofstetter
Dominic Hofstetter is the Executive Director of the TransCap Initiative, a collaborative innovation space dedicated to building the field of systemic investing. He initiated and incubated the TransCap Initiative when he was the Director of Capital and Investments at EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s largest climate innovation platform, where he was responsible for building the organization’s nascent investment function.
In his opening plenary presentation, Hofstetter spoke of the need to adopt a systems lens, which encompasses systems thinking, systems innovation, and complex system science. By doing so, he said, we can identify a system’s complexity and “uncover its secrets.” In addition to a systems lens, Hofstetter said we need to adjust the practice of capital deployment to truly achieve the change we seek.
Jim Sorenson, Sorenson Impact Group
“This is where systems change can begin and taken to be built in each of your communities in all parts of the world.” — Jim Sorenson
Jim Sorenson is an entrepreneur, CEO, and investor, and one of the leading impact capitalists in the world. He is Chairman of the Sorenson Impact Foundation, which funds sustainable, scalable endeavors that maximize positive impact on people and societies. He also endowed the Sorenson Impact Institute at the University of Utah, which educates students on the disciplines of impact capitalism and is a member of the National Advisory Board of Impact Investing.
In his closing remarks, Sorenson expressed the critical role the SOCAP community plays in building an ecosystem of change.
Carol Anne Hilton, Indigenomics Institute
“It is time to shake out the economic system that is not serving the Earth and her people.” — Carol Anne Hilton
Carol Anne Hilton, MBA, ICD.D is the CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute, the Global Center of Indigenomics, and the Global Indigenous Technology House. She is a dynamic Indigenous national and international business leader, author, speaker, director, facilitator, and senior adviser. Hilton is of Nuu chah nulth descent from the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver Island.
During the Closing Plenary, Hilton offered a powerful presentation on the concept and evolution of Indigenomics, which centers on revitalizing Indigenous economic power and reshaping economic systems with a focus on sustainability, equity, and reconciliation.
Stephan Jacob, Cotopaxi
“In the choices that we make, we can reflect on what’s most important to us. We can’t have it all, I don’t think, not all at the same time, but I think that’s good. What are the values you optimize for? As we make these choices as organizations, that’s what shows who we are and what we stand for. Recognize these choices as an opportunity to get crystal clear on what you stand for.” — Stephan Jacob
Stephan Jacob is one of the founders of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a deeply engrained humanitarian mission. After 10 years in the COO role, he now leads as Chief Technology & Chief Global Officer, overseeing the expansion of the brand outside the US.
At SOCAP24, Jacob shared his journey of founding and growing a brand built on a mission to address inequality and promote sustainability through circular design and human-centered values.
Mutale Nkonde, AI For the People; Paula Goldman, Salesforce; Ravit Dotan, TechBetter; Seth Cohen, Forbes
“Technology has to be in service of human potential. People need to remain the center and at the helm of the transformation, not the subject of the transformation.” — Paula Goldman
Mutale Nkonde started AI for the People (AFP), a public-sector Responsible AI Team that focuses on product policy. It is built around the policy advocacy work Nkonde has been doing in Congress since 2017 when she was a fellow at Data and Society and later at the Berkman Klein at Harvard.
Paula Goldman is Salesforce’s first-ever Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, where she leads Salesforce in creating a framework to build and deploy ethical technology that optimizes social benefit.
Ravit Dotan, PhD, is an AI ethics advisor, researcher, and speaker. She specializes in helping tech companies, investors, and procurement professionals develop responsible AI approaches.
Seth Cohen guides the Forbes global team in engaging worldwide audiences through content, experiences, communities, and initiatives that advance prosperity, opportunity, and inclusivity. He also works across the Forbes editorial and business teams to identify and implement creative ways for Forbes to partner with a diverse range of businesses, philanthropic partners, and NGOs to achieve positive local, national, and global social impact through entrepreneurship and action.
Moderated by Cohen, this panel offered unique insights into Artificial Intelligence (AI) based on their work with the technology. They discussed the opportunities AI presents for the impact investing community, its equity and accessibility, and ethical considerations.
Saket Soni, Resilience Force
“For a just and sustainable economy, we need to build a healthy democracy and to build a healthy democracy, we need to build bonds and trust between people who may not be used to working together or even talking to each other.” — Saket Soni
Saket Soni is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, and author. He is the founder and director of Resilience Force, the voice of the rising workforce rebuilding America after climate disasters. He is the author of The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America about America’s first climate resilience workers, one of The New York Times‘s “100 notable books of 2023.”
In a moving presentation, Soni highlighted the systemic issues in disaster recovery and shared the “secret engine” for spurring a fair and sustainable economy: “the resilience divide.” His goal is to transform the disaster recovery workforce into a million-strong, well-trained, and fairly compensated workforce.
Cecilia Conrad, Lever for Change; David Bank, ImpactAlpha
“We have a responsibility to keep doors open that want to get closed.” — Cecilia Conrad
Cecilia Conrad is the founder and CEO of Lever for Change and a senior advisor at the MacArthur Foundation. Lever for Change helps donors find high-impact philanthropic opportunities and has distributed more than $1.7 billion for social good, supporting some 145 organizations and tackling issues like racial inequity, gender inequality, access to economic opportunity, and climate change.
David Bank is the editor of ImpactAlpha.com and the co-founder and CEO of ImpactAlpha Inc., which includes ImpactSpace.com, an open database of impact companies, investors, and people.
In conversation with ImpactAlpha‘s David Bank, Conrad shares her journey with Lever for Change and the MacArthur Foundation. She discusses how philanthropy is evolving to drive innovation and provide solutions for large-scale social issues. Conrad also shares her motivation for her work and her continued efforts to fight for systemic change.
