Funding Early-Stage Impact Ventures: Aligning Capital with Purpose
Your Session
Early-stage impact ventures face unique challenges in securing funding that aligns with their mission, especially when navigating the ""valley of death"" between pilot projects and scale. This session will explore how we can build a purpose-driven capital ecosystem that moves beyond a ""growth at all costs"" mindset to support ventures that prioritize sustainability, accountability, and equitable impact.
We will discuss how venture studios, social enterprises, and corporate partnerships can work together to create and scale transformative impact ventures. What lessons can be learned from different funding models? How can we make social impact investing more accessible to new donors and individual supporters? How do we build trust in early-stage funder/grantee relationships to ensure long-term success? Participants will also explore strategies for measuring impact, particularly in climate adaptation and resilience, and how investors can better support the long-term growth of social enterprises.
Key Questions:
How can we design early-stage funding models that align with a company’s mission rather than prioritizing rapid growth?
What are the advantages of the venture studio model in systematically creating and scaling social ventures?
How can funders and investors build trust and foster strong relationships with early-stage impact ventures?
What strategies help social enterprises secure funding continuity from pilot to scale?
How can the social impact sector become more accessible to individual donors and supporters who want to contribute?
This session will provide a collaborative space to rethink early-stage impact funding, sharing innovative approaches to bridging the gap between purpose, capital, and long-term impact.
Session Co-Leaders
Allie Burns – CEO of Village Capital, with nearly two decades of experience supporting entrepreneurs and innovators at the intersection of tech and social change.
Dan Viederman – Partner and Skoll Awardee, investing in early-stage technologies that create accountable, equitable, and sustainable supply chains.
Dieuwertje (Didi) Nelissen – Director and Chief Program Officer at Enviu, leading venture-building programs across multiple sectors to drive systems change through scalable, entrepreneurial solutions.
Murendeni Mafumo – CEO of Kusini Water, leveraging water science and decentralized systems to provide clean water to over 120,000 people in Southern Africa.
Sarah Linder – Strategic Partnerships leader at Latin America’s first impact venture studio, creating tech-enabled social enterprises focused on employability, sustainable food systems, and the circular economy.