How can social enterprises and nonprofits negotiate investment terms that protect their mission and fuel their impact? This article, published in Stanford Social Innovation Review, explores how early-stage organizations can secure more equitable deals by understanding and shaping the dynamics between investors and founders. It offers practical guidance for balancing financial sustainability with mission integrity—and ensuring that a good deal is good for the world.

This article explores how countries in the Middle East and North Africa are transforming beyond their historic reliance on oil and gas. Steven Kenney highlights how investments in AI, digital services, and green economy sectors are already reshaping economic growth and employment across MENA. With countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco prioritizing tech-enabled industries—from the metaverse to electric mobility—the region is laying the groundwork to diversify income sources and attract global investment. The piece underscores that embracing AI and emerging technologies isn’t optional: it’s essential to securing the region’s future prosperity.

Published on the Preventable Surprises blog, this piece draws parallels between public health failures during Covid-19 and shortcomings in ESG investing. Jerome Tagger argues that ESG suffers from unclear communication, fragmented systems, and a reactive mindset—mirroring the CDC’s struggles in the pandemic. He calls for greater coordination, adequate funding, and a return to first principles to make ESG fit for purpose in addressing systemic risks like climate change.

This ImpactAlpha article argues that the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has created new political, legal, and reputational risks for companies and investors. The authors explore how the rollback of reproductive rights destabilizes the workforce, disrupts social consensus, and creates polarization that threatens economic prospects. They also examine how Gen Z activism and shifting employee expectations are pushing businesses to take positions on issues they once avoided, making neutrality an untenable strategy.

Relying on technology alone to solve climate change and biodiversity loss is a dangerous illusion. This article challenges the belief that innovations like carbon capture and clean energy can fully replace the essential functions of healthy ecosystems. Instead, it calls for pairing technological progress with a commitment to protect and restore nature—recognizing that only this dual approach can meet the scale of today’s environmental challenges.

ESG has moved from buzzword to baseline. In this keynote talk from ECEC 2022, Jérôme Tagger unpacks how environmental, social, and governance factors are reshaping finance. He shows why investors are moving past voluntary pledges to adopt clearer standards and real accountability. The discussion makes a clear case: integrating ESG isn’t just good optics—it’s becoming essential to managing risk and creating long-term value.

This report assesses whether a Ukraine-focused venture capital fund could attract private sector investors. Written before the war with Russia and drawing on over 100 interviews with global investors, the analysis finds almost no appetite for investing in a standalone Ukraine fund due to structural risks. The study also identifies ecosystem gaps—like talent shortages, weak bankruptcy laws, and barriers to scaling—that hinder Ukraine’s entrepreneurial growth. It concludes with recommendations, including strengthening legal frameworks, supporting non-tech SMEs, and engaging the diaspora.

This explainer details why small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggle to get loans, not because capital is unavailable, but because regulations—especially Basel III capital requirements and Know Your Client (KYC) rules—make lending to SMEs unattractive to banks. High capital charges, compliance complexity, and risk-weighted returns push banks to prefer low-risk assets over SME credit, constraining growth in emerging markets. The authors advocate revisiting regulatory frameworks to avoid unintended consequences that starve SMEs of financing.

Impact investing and emerging markets were once tightly linked—but today, the two are drifting apart. This piece unpacks why capital is shifting toward developed markets and away from the small, high-impact businesses that originally defined the field. As institutional investors enter the space, the article calls for renewed focus on blended capital, standardized deal structures, and a return to the roots of inclusive economic growth.

This report outlines how Lebanon can revitalize its entrepreneurial ecosystem post-crisis. Drawing on 60+ interviews, it proposes policy reforms and blended finance strategies to mobilize investment, strengthen trust, and unlock growth for small and growing businesses.

This study explores the feasibility of AgroMaster, an accelerator designed to help Ukrainian agricultural SMEs grow and access finance. Based on 50+ expert interviews, it outlines structural gaps, support needs, and design options for a blended model offering technical assistance, matchmaking, and scalable pathways.