SOCAP24 Theme, Tracks and Content Curation Councils

SOCAP24 theme

Going Deeper: Catalyzing Systems Change

The challenges faced by the impact investment community are intricate and often rooted in systemic causes, demanding adaptive mentalities to address them. However, the implicit and sometimes explicit rules governing the establishment, management, and transactions of investment funds tend to favor simpler, more easily measurable solutions. This tendency is also evident in public narratives surrounding entrepreneurs’ journeys, pitch competitions, and attention-grabbing headlines.

The theme of SOCAP24, Going Deeper: Catalyzing Systems Change, encourages our community to critically examine our practices and challenge ourselves to delve deeper. Depth is our mandate for bringing about structural and irreversible change in the social, political, environmental, and economic systems from which the most pressing challenges emerge. As a community, SOCAP24 is poised to catalyze systemic change.

Recognizing that systematic shifts don’t result from a single action is essential. Instead, the most effective examples often arise from a combination of collective action, systemic acupuncture, breaking silos, evolving values, trust, and resources. Rather than focusing on isolated solutions, a systems change approach seeks to comprehend and influence a system’s underlying structures, relationships, and dynamics to create lasting, positive impact.

In a year like 2024, it is more critical than ever for our community to extend our gaze beyond our immediate spheres of influence and contribute to collective action, democratic dialogue, and policy leaps that can bring about impactful, scalable change.

Aligning with this year’s theme, we will question if capital truly fosters systemic change:

  • Are we delving into underlying systemic issues, moving beyond surface-level solutions?
  • Are we breaking silos collectively to address the root causes of global challenges?
  • Are our partnerships dynamic and aligned for collaboration through complex issues?
  • Do our impact investment approaches consider long-term perspectives?
  • Fundamentally, whose voices are not being heard, and are those most impacted part of these systemic solutions?

Illustrating the pivotal role investors play in incentivizing impact, we aim beyond fixing what’s broken. We work towards averting future environmental crises and mitigating social unrest. These forward-looking approaches emphasize collaborative action, the creation of shared knowledge bases, the establishment of industry standards, and the generation of a rising tide of investment opportunities accessible to all.

We invite you to join us for SOCAP24 in San Francisco from October 28 to 30 — find the details and register here.

SOCAP24 Tracks

We take the content curation process seriously — it goes beyond selecting and organizing quality presenters and topics. We want our attendees to be a part of the session, a part of the takeaways that build a better future and help advance our community’s global mission. Within our theme, we have identified eight content tracks around which we will organize our sessions, each with global and regional perspectives interwoven throughout the conference. Each track and each session is the result of a months-long process designed to present a SOCAP24 experience that helps our community accelerate relationships, break down silos, and identify gaps — then bridge them.

This track will cover types of capital and financial innovations directed towards mitigation and adaptation to the climate crisis. We will also host dialogues that showcase new market-driven innovations, perspectives and stakeholders within the climate and capital ecosystem: biodiversity, climate tech, nature based solutions, and climate justice.

This track will delve into the multifaceted realm of investing in systemic change through education. Our sessions will explore strategic investments for systemic impact, charting the path for innovations that redefine educational landscapes. Uncover the potential of cutting-edge workforce development and career-focused education solutions and revolutionizing teaching methods, enhancing accessibility. Explore the imperative for equitable, life-long education systems and discover investment strategies that foster inclusivity. Journey to the grassroots level, showcasing the power of local initiatives in driving systemic change. Dive into the practical aspects of measuring impact, ensuring that investments align with the broader goals of transformation and sustainability. We will bring together influential leaders to share insights on sustained investments that contribute to resilient, adaptive, and sustainable educational systems.

The "Learning & Capital" track is brought to you in partnership with American Student Assistance

This track will take a critical look at the evolving language, standards, and measurement of inclusion among impact investors. Sessions will cover DEI, Gender Lens Investment and Ownership Economy as well as Place-based Investment funds as approaches to close racial, gender and inequality gaps. Dive into discussions that explore the nuanced dynamics of fostering diversity, ensuring equity, and promoting inclusion within impact investing. Engage with thought leaders, practitioners, and advocates as they share their experiences, strategies, and visions for a more inclusive and equitable future in the realm of impact investments. Join us for a series of impactful sessions that delve into the complexities and opportunities of advancing DEI principles within the investment landscape.

This track will hold space for dialogues, challenges and debates about the systemic-change promise that impact investment holds. Sessions will dig deeper into ecosystemic challenges to capital flow, standards in impact measurement and fulfillment of the impact investment promise to create change at scale. Sessions in this track will explore the current state of the field by gaining insights into global trends, emerging markets, and regional variations. Sessions will also uncover the role of government policies in shaping the landscape and explore innovative financial instruments as an opportunity to discuss emerging approaches gaining momentum. Additionally, they will contemplate the future outlook and anticipated trends that will shape the evolving landscape of impact investment.

In this track sessions will delve into the health system, emphasizing collaborative models that address the challenges in this crucial sector. We will examine the role of data analytics and technology in driving systemic change, exploring how these insights inform strategic investments. Discussions will extend to the influential impact of policy advocacy in investments, cross-sector collaborations, and health tech in reshaping systems. Additionally, we will explore the pivotal role of impact investments in healthcare infrastructure and discuss innovative financing models. Participants will gain global perspectives on systems change, ensuring a thorough examination of the diverse strategies contributing to transformative shifts in health for all.

This track will offer a comprehensive perspective on stakeholders, capital flows, and real impact in transforming food systems. Emphasizing systemic thinking, sessions aim to unite actors along food value chains, breaking down silos. We seek to showcase collaborations across social, environmental, local leadership and market aspects of food systems, welcoming diverse voices from agriculture practices to nutrition, food markets, place-based interventions and circularity.

In this content track, SOCAP will immerse in the diverse world of blended finance through targeted breakout sessions. Sessions will explore successful case studies, legal considerations, impact measurement, and innovative instruments shaping this transformative funding approach. Sessions will spotlight collaborative models, risk mitigation strategies, and the role of technology in advancing blended finance. Workshops may share practical insights into structuring deals, building project pipelines, and aligning initiatives with broader global objectives. Join thought leaders, practitioners, and experts to navigate the complexities and opportunities within this innovative realm of financing for impactful change.

This track will look beyond the headlines and zero-in on specific aspects of AI that can support, challenge or disrupt the field of impact investment. Sessions will explore the promise of scale that AI holds, as well as perspectives on the ethical oversight of its use, in particular pragmatic best practices for ensuring that AI technologies deployed in impact investments adhere to ethical standards. The track will also explore how AI technologies can enhance impact measurement and reporting, increasing transparency through data analysis, predictive modeling, and assessing the overall effectiveness of social and environmental initiatives. Experts will discuss other applications in areas such as climate monitoring, conservation, and sustainable resource management, and explore investment possibilities.

How Is Content Curated for SOCAP24?

At SOCAP, content curation is a collaborative process that ensures a diverse and comprehensive program for our annual event. At SOCAP24, our content will be curated through three distinct sources, each contributing to one-third of the sessions.

The first third of our content comes from our Content Curation Councils, which are composed of experts in each of our focus tracks. These councils steer and guide the conversation, bringing their expertise to shape the content for SOCAP24.

Another third of our content is sourced from our trusted Content Partners, institutions that have long supported SOCAP’s community and mission. Working closely with our content team throughout the year, they bring highly curated sessions to the SOCAP stages.

Our SOCAP Open community contributes the final third of our content. This vibrant community of impact leaders submits session ideas that reflect the pulse of the global conversation around money and meaning.

This collaborative approach to content curation ensures that SOCAP offers a rich and diverse program that addresses the most pressing issues in the impact space.

Join us for SOCAP24 in San Francisco from October 28 to 30! Learn more and register here.

Content Curation Councils

We take the curation process seriously — it goes beyond selecting and organizing quality presenters and topics. We want our attendees to be a part of the session, a part of the takeaways that build a better future and help advance our community’s global mission.

Following the success of curation councils at SOCAP23, we are implementing them again in 2024 to maintain openness to the content curation process. Along with those selected through SOCAP Open, the sessions within each content track for SOCAP24 are co-created and curated by Content Curation Councils of 26 experts from around the world working closely with our content and production teams.

The Councils are tasked with identifying the set of sessions that will guide the conference conversations along each track.

Each track and each session is the result of a months-long process designed to present a SOCAP24 experience that helps our community accelerate relationships, break down silos, and identify gaps — then bridge them.

Meet the SOCAP24 Content Curation Councils

Vanessa Roanhorse

Roanhorse Consulting, LLC Transforming Health Systems

Geetha Tharmaratnam

WHO Foundation Transforming Health Systems

Katie Drasser

Rock Health Transforming Health Systems

Ravit Dotan

TechBetter AI = Accelerating Impact

David Evan Harris

University of California, Berkeley AI = Accelerating Impact

Constanza Gómez Mont

UNESCO AI = Accelerating Impact

Astrid Scholz

Armillaria Capital Flows for Impact: Dialogues Around the State of Impact Investment

Reem Goussous

Village Capital Capital Flows for Impact: Dialogues Around the State of Impact Investment

Sebastian Welisiejko

New Ventures Capital Flows for Impact: Dialogues Around the State of Impact Investment

Stephanie Gripne

Impact Finance Center Capital Flows for Impact: Dialogues Around the State of Impact Investment

Alejandro Alvarez von Gustedt

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Catalytic Philanthropy

Hilda Vega

Hispanics in Philanthropy Catalytic Philanthropy

Thelma Ekiyor

The Nigeria Philanthropy Office Catalytic Philanthropy

Carmen Correa

ProMujer DEI, Ownership and Impact

Claude Grunitzky

The Equity Alliance DEI, Ownership and Impact

Joanna Kuang

Illumen Capital DEI, Ownership and Impact

Smitha Das

World Education Services DEI, Ownership and Impact

Gilad Goren

Nature Tech Collective Deploying Climate Capital

Laura Ortiz Montemayor

SVX Mexico & Regenera Ventures Fund Deploying Climate Capital

Tom Chi

At One Ventures Deploying Climate Capital

Judy Goldstein

American Student Assistance Learning & Capital: Investing in Education

Matt Greenfield

Rethink Education Learning & Capital: Investing in Education

Sandeep Aneja

Kaizenvest Learning & Capital: Investing in Education

Ada Osakwe

Agrolay Regenerating Food Systems

Bernhard Kowatsch

United Nations World Food Programme Regenerating Food Systems

Heiner Baumann

CASH Coalition Regenerating Food Systems
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