Financing Change: Impact Investing in Action

Catalog description

How can money become one of the most powerful tools for social and environmental change? This course dives into the fast-growing and evolving field of impact investing - where finance meets innovation, entrepreneurship and social change. We'll unpack how investors, startups, corporations, foundations and even governments use capital to tackle today's most intractable problems, from climate change to growing inequality. You'll get an inside look at the impact investing ecosystem, mapping out the key players on a local and global level. We explore the tools used to drive sustainable results and we'll break down real world case studies from early-stage ventures to Fortune 500 companies to explore how finance is fueling systemic change. We'll also examine the myriad challenges facing the industry and create a vision of what could be possible. Students will practice the skills of an impact investor by analyzing opportunities, evaluating risk, measuring impact and understanding how to balance profit with purpose. You'll also identify what small changes you can make to become a financial activist. Counts as a Communication Intensive course.