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SOCAP25 Theme, Tracks & Content Curation Councils

The Future Is Collaborative: Taking Impact Mainstream

For more than 15 years, SOCAP Global has convened the full spectrum of the impact investing ecosystem, holding space to gather around action and lasting change. We believe there is an unparalleled energy in bringing together visionary leaders—across sectors, industries, and geographies who are committed to creating real, transformative results. It’s the power of human connection, amplified by purpose, that ignites momentum and accelerates impact. It’s a catalyst for change, a reminder that when we unite in our passion for a better future, we become a powerful force for progress.

Urgent challenges like climate change, social inequality, economic and political instability have always driven our field in pursuit of a greater purpose — taking impact mainstream. This collaborative pursuit brings us closer to fully realizing a future where the desired outcomes and principles of our field are commonplace across economies, sectors, and the world.

SOCAP25 will have a new look this year, with new opportunities to make capital connections and for leaders from across sectors to design the future economy together—including corporates, institutional investors, LPs and GPs, entrepreneurs, and impact-driven organizations—ensuring that our work is genuinely driving systemic change and shifting from niche to mainstream influence.

Join us for SOCAP25 in San Francisco from October 27 to 29 — find the details and register here.

SOCAP25 Tracks

We take the content curation process seriously — it goes beyond selecting and organizing quality presenters and topics. We want our attendees to be part of the sessions and the takeaways that build a better future and advance our community’s global mission. Within our theme, we have identified five tracks around which we will organize the SOCAP25 programming; DEI, impact measurement, and the role of technology as well as global and regional perspectives will be interwoven throughout the entirety of the conference agenda. Each track and each session is the result of a months-long process designed to present a SOCAP25 experience that helps our community accelerate relationships, break down silos, and identify gaps — then bridge them.

The Future of Global Finance

Reimagine the role of global financial markets in shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future. This track will engage influential leaders, policymakers, financial experts, entrepreneurs, and impact investors in dynamic discussions on the critical shifts needed to transform global financial systems for positive impact. Attendees will gain insights into how global financial markets can be reshaped to not only optimize for economic growth but also catalyze measurable, sustainable impact on a global scale.

Topics Include:

The role of development finance institutions (DFIs)
Entrepreneurship
Public markets & impact businesses
Institutional investment
Pensions & wealth funds
Emerging markets & Global South investment growth
Investment across the capital stacks
Corporate sustainability/responsibility in the public markets (public equities)
Roles of government policies to change markets
Philanthropy & investment overlap

Justice & Economic Prosperity for All

Envision integrating justice and economic prosperity into mainstream policies, practices, and systems to ensure that all communities—regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status—can thrive. This track will delve into innovative strategies, policies, and practices aimed at lifting up communities through ownership, sustainable jobs, bridging wealth gaps, and fostering long-term economic growth. Attendees will learn how to create frameworks that promote both justice and prosperity, ensuring that economic growth benefits all individuals and communities.

Topics Include:

DEI initiatives & policies
Ownership
Gender Lens Investing & Initiatives
Economic mobility & financial inclusion
Access to education and skills training
The future of work
Public-private partnerships
Civic participation & democracy
Policy discussions

Catalytic Capital 2.0

Rethink the role of catalytic capital—particularly the contributions of philanthropy, family offices, and foundations—in fostering sustainable growth and enduring impact. This track will highlight how blended finance, strategic giving, innovative partnerships, and bold funding approaches can catalyze social, environmental, and economic impact. Attendees will delve into how catalytic capital can be mainstreamed into traditional investment landscapes, and how it can mobilize private, public, and philanthropic resources toward solutions with long-term, scalable impact.

Topics Include:

Cross-sector collaboration
Blended capital
Impact & success measurement
Philanthropy in shaping public policy
Next-generation philanthropy
Philanthropy in the Global South
Social change movements & filling the government gap
Institutional and corporate foundations
Family offices, foundations, & HNIs
Outcomes-based financing mechanisms

Climate & Nature-Based Solutions

Explore the innovative potential of nature-based solutions in tackling the climate crisis and how mainstreaming necessitates the collaboration of diverse actors—governments, businesses, local communities, and financial institutions. This track will highlight innovative approaches that restore and protect natural resources, from food security and regenerative agriculture to coastal protection and biodiversity conservation. They will also explore how integrating Indigenous knowledge and nature’s inherent processes can provide sustainable, scalable solutions to foster social, economic, and environmental co-benefits. Attendees will discuss strategies to finance and implement these solutions, explore policy frameworks, and showcase real-world examples of nature-based initiatives that contribute to climate resilience, carbon sequestration, and a more sustainable future for all.

Topics Include:

Biodiversity & finance
Carbon markets
Food systems & sustainable agriculture
Indigenous knowledge & practices
Financing coastal & marine conservation
Climate insurance policies
Agroforestry & regenerative practices
Circular economy
Psychedelics

Place-Based & Community Impact

Examine the transformative power of place-based initiatives and local solutions that prioritize community-driven development such as housing, education, health, and well-being. This track will focus on the intersection of local action, leadership, sustainability, and equity. Attendees will explore how place-based initiatives can be scaled, institutionalized, and integrated into mainstream development practices. Whether you are working in urban, rural, or Indigenous contexts, this track provides valuable insights into how place-based efforts can catalyze economic prosperity.

Topics Include:

Health & Wellbeing
Education
Homelessness, housing, & real estate
Social procurement & supply chain development
Cooperatives structures
Cultural heritage & community identity
The role of arts & culture
Disaster preparedness, recovery, & resilience

How We Are Organizing the SOCAP25 Programming

This year, SOCAP will focus on fostering a sense of belonging, trust, mutual respect, and genuine collaboration in gathering our community toward action-oriented conversations; empowering attendees to collaborate, share ideas, and take concrete steps toward a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future.

With this goal in mind, we are dedicating the first day of SOCAP’s agenda to focus directly on creating capital connections — connecting our attendees with one another to tap into the power of shared purpose, while creating authentic relationships that drive shared action, innovation, and funding opportunities. Facilitating new connections can help funding partners access new, high-impact opportunities that meet both financial and social/environmental objectives while enabling changemaking organizations to scale and achieve sustainable growth. The entirety of SOCAP25 will have a focus on facilitating meaningful interactions to spark collective action. Sessions will range from macro-level policy discussions to place-based thought leadership, workshops for learning new skills and tools, and relationship-building sessions to clear the way to broaden the scope of impact.

How Is Content Curated for SOCAP25?

To ensure an agenda that responds to the needs and challenges of the impact community, SOCAP’s content curation is a collaborative process that ensures a diverse and comprehensive program for our annual event. At SOCAP25, our content will be curated through three distinct sources, each contributing to one-third of the sessions.

A third of our program is shaped by our vibrant community through SOCAP Open. This inclusive process invites impact leaders from around the world to submit session proposals, ensuring the agenda reflects the pulse of global conversations on money and meaning.

Another third of our content is sourced from our trusted partners, organizations that are deeply aligned and that have long supported SOCAP’s community and mission. Working closely with our content team throughout the year, they bring highly curated sessions and experts in the field to the SOCAP stages. For more information on Content Partnerships, email our Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, Tova Lobatz (tova@socapglobal.com).

The final third is curated directly by the SOCAP team to create sessions designed specifically for fostering relationships and building meaningful, long-lasting connections. These sessions aim to provide attendees with opportunities to network, share ideas, and work together on transformative solutions.

Through this aligned and collective framework, SOCAP25 promises to deliver a program that champions diversity, sparks innovation, and mobilizes the community to make a lasting impact on the future of our global economy.

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Content Curation Councils

Our curation process goes beyond selecting top presenters and compelling topics—it’s about crafting an experience. We invite attendees to actively engage, contribute to meaningful discussions, and help shape the insights that drive progress. Together, we are building a collaborative future and advancing our community’s global mission.

Now in its third year, the Curation Council continues to bring together a diverse group of experts from various sectors and backgrounds to collaborate with the SOCAP team. These impact leaders play a key role in reviewing and refining content from SOCAP Open proposed sessions, ensuring we uphold the highest standards of diversity, quality, and relevance. This year, we are engaging 16 distinguished professionals from around the world, who will work closely with our content team to provide valuable insights and create a richer, more dynamic experience for our audience.

As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusive programming and to ensure that Indigenous perspectives and voices are woven throughout the agenda, we are honored to welcome Vanessa Roanhorse as an Advisor on Indigenous-Led Content. Her expertise will help elevate Indigenous-led solutions and narratives across our programming.

The Councils are tasked with shaping the selection of sessions that will guide each track’s conversations at SOCAP25. Every track and session is the result of a months-long process aimed at accelerating relationships, breaking down silos, and identifying gaps—then bridging them—as we work together to take impact mainstream.