Surviving 4 More Years: Protecting and Advancing Impact during the Trump Administration

As the current administration rolls back funding for critical social and environmental initiatives, impact investors are faced with a choice: retreat in the face of uncertainty, or double down on their commitment to social and economic justice.

We believe that impact investing is most powerful when it prioritizes systemic change over short-term wins, and we see opportunities to invest in all the places the government is retreating from. This means directing capital to historically underfunded sectors – from affordable housing to employee-owned businesses, climate resilience to inclusive venture funding – supporting communities disproportionately affected by structural inequities, and ensuring that investment dollars serve as tools for resilience, not extraction.

This session will bring together experts and practitioners working at the intersection of four critical impact areas that demand investor action now more than ever:

– Home & Place: Repair communities and combat the housing crisis by financing community-centered redevelopment, affordable housing, and land trusts.

– Climate Justice: Power climate justice for community well-being by directing investments into clean energy, sustainable land stewardship, and frontline climate resilience.

– Employee Ownership: Reclaim wealth through employee ownership by shifting power to workers through ESOPs, co-ops and other models that create long-term wealth and workplace democracy.

– Capital Access for Diverse Entrepreneurs & Allocators: Expand the flow of capital to BIPOC, women, and underrepresented entrepreneurs and allocators by funding diverse-led firms, breaking down structural barriers, and reshaping financial ecosystems for equity.

We will examine real-world case studies of successful impact investments and explore innovative strategies that build long-term, community-driven wealth. Participants will gain actionable insights on shifting capital toward historically underinvested communities and driving systemic change through impact investing.