Decolonizing Investment: Centering Indigenous-Led Solutions in Impact Finance

As the global impact investing movement grows, traditional investment frameworks often fail to recognize or integrate Indigenous economic models that prioritize sustainability, community well-being, and regenerative stewardship of natural resources. This session, “Decolonizing Investment: Centering Indigenous-Led Solutions in Impact Finance,” challenges the status quo by showcasing how Indigenous entrepreneurs and organizations are redefining investment and wealth creation through values-driven, ʻāina-based (land-based) economic systems.

Leaders from Philanthropono, Ainapreneurs, Ainapreneurs Olelo Hawaiʻi, Na Hulu, and CoMission will share how they are leveraging regenerative finance, place-based capital strategies, and Indigenous knowledge to build resilient economies rooted in cultural sovereignty. Attendees will explore how shifting capital flows and decision-making power to Indigenous-led initiatives can generate sustainable, high-impact returns for both communities and investors.

Through dynamic storytelling, case studies, and interactive dialogue, this session will equip impact investors, policymakers, and funders with actionable insights on how to decolonize capital and foster financial ecosystems that support Indigenous entrepreneurs as key drivers of social, environmental, and economic transformation.