Learn About SOCAP’s Move to the Midwest in This Money + Meaning Episode
In this conversation, SOCAP CEO Robert Munson, COO Tova Lobatz, Senior Director of Community and Partnerships Kristin Carlson Vogen, and Vice President of Content and Convening Sarah Sterling discuss the vision for bringing the largest event for the impact investing community to the Midwest to celebrate innovation, community connection, and deepening our work together.
We are excited to share that SOCAP Global will host its annual flagship conference in Chicago for the first time from October 12-14, 2026! The move represents an exciting new chapter for SOCAP’s annual event and a doubling down on the commitment to expand our work and community across the globe.
“Impact is no longer a niche movement, and SOCAP is evolving to meet this moment,” says Tova Lobatz, SOCAP COO and Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships. “We want to showcase where the field is moving.”
SOCAP has always been about connecting people who work at the intersection of money and meaning while highlighting the world-changing work to which we aspire. “We see hosting this year’s event in Chicago as an evolution, not a change,” says Robert Munson, SOCAP CEO and a Managing Director at the Sorenson Impact Institute, which manages SOCAP’s operations. “SOCAP is growing and moving with the field while continuing to do what we do best, which is convene people, opportunities, and highlight the kind of work we want to see in the world.”
An Opportunity for Expanding Partnerships
“We are thrilled to welcome SOCAP’s global community to our hometown of Chicago. We are grateful for the Sorenson Impact Institute’s continued leadership in fostering connections and spotlighting the contribution of catalytic capital toward inclusive and systemic impact through this conference.” — John Balbach, Director of Impact Investing, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Chicago and the greater Midwest region of the United States have long served as a hub for investors, foundations, family offices, and leaders who are shaping the future of impact on a global scale. With strong institutions aligned with SOCAP’s mission, the region is home to leading innovations in impact finance, climate solutions, and community investment.
“Chicago has a deep financial ecosystem and a powerful philanthropic community, with real-world solutions that are addressing the SOCAP community’s work across sectors, including climate, housing, workforce, and more,” Lobatz says. “I’m excited to highlight what Chicago is doing and how it can be used on a global scale.”
Hosting the event in Chicago provides a powerful opportunity for impact leaders in the city and region to come together and showcase their work and outcomes. “There are many reasons why impact work is happening throughout the Midwest,” says Kristin Carlson Vogen, SOCAP Senior Director of Community and Partnerships, who has lived in Chicago for more than 30 years. “Hosting SOCAP, a global convening of people from all over the world, really highlights the importance of what is happening here in Chicago, and it provides the community with an opportunity to demonstrate how proud they are of what is happening here.”
“I couldn’t be more excited that SOCAP is bringing its annual convening to Chicago. SOCAP’s historic focus on innovative ideas around impact investing and cross-sector collaboration among a diverse range of partners aligns perfectly with a city that has long been at the forefront of economic justice, community-driven solutions, and visionary ideas for a more equitable future. —” Bob Tucker, President, Chicago Community Loan Fund
The SOCAP team is energized and inspired to connect directly with the incredible people and innovations in the Midwest, while continuing to welcome and honor the people and communities that have helped shape SOCAP from its San Francisco origins more than 18 years ago.
“We were the original player in the convening space, with a focus on gathering people around impact investing and social entrepreneurship from way back in 2008,” says Sarah Sterling, SOCAP Vice President of Content and Convening. “Throughout our history, we’ve been intentional around how we curate connections, both within our community as well as with other convenings and learning from others in the field.”
Broadening the Big Tent
“We are thrilled to sponsor SOCAP’s first convening in Chicago. We look forward to welcoming peers from around the world to engage across the full impact investing landscape, including innovative place-based strategies. Chicago’s collaborative impact investing ecosystem makes it an ideal setting for this gathering and the ideas and partnerships it will spark.” — Lindsey Doolittle, Director of Impact Investments, The Chicago Community Trust
The decision to host the 2026 event in Chicago follows careful planning and reflects the growth and evolution of both SOCAP and the impact investing field.
“Every year SOCAP is different, and we get the opportunity to reimagine and redesign the event, no matter where we are,” Sterling says. “This year, we want to maintain and amplify our foundation of intentionally connecting our community members. We will keep our content blend of panels, fireside chats, workshops, and showcases for entrepreneurs and fund managers, but we’re really looking at various ways we enable connections with the way we structure our content.”
The goal of expanding into a new city reflects SOCAP’s fundamental dedication to connect more audiences and build a larger and even more inclusive platform.
“So much of what we have learned over the years in San Francisco is that the magic of SOCAP is in the people—always has been, always will be,” Munson says. “It’s in our shared vision for the world and the potential to leverage capital for the good of everyone—for all stakeholders and for all people on the planet—and the many different ways we get from point A to point B.
“We call our community the ‘Big Tent of Impact’ because of the huge spectrum of organizations that are part of the SOCAP ecosystem and annual event, which is the largest impact convening in the world. That full-ecosystem approach gives us a unique vision of our field, and the event allows us to get out of our silos for a few days and work with people across the verticals of that ecosystem. I think hosting the event in a new city represents an exciting new expression of that mission.”
Learn More about the Move
“SOCAP is one of the true cornerstones of the field of impact investing. SOCAP has helped create and connect global markets for investors and entrepreneurs working to build and scale solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. Bringing this community with intention to a place like Chicago and the Midwest, where there is so much innovation and leadership, will help accelerate that growth. It’s exciting to see how SOCAP continues to evolve to help drive our field forward.” — Jim Sorenson, Chairman, Sorenson Impact Group
Want to hear more from the SOCAP team about the upcoming move to Chicago? In this recent Money + Meaning conversation, Robert Munson, Tova Lobatz, Kristin Carlson Vogen, and Sarah Sterling discuss the move, the partners, and the opportunities they are excited to explore as the event unfolds for the first time in a new city.
Listen to the episode for the full conversation:
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