AVPN attended the Impact Investing Forum organised by Asia Community Ventures, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, in Hong Kong on 14-15 March 2013. The forum presented a platform for learning about and discussing the role impact investing can play in addressing societal challenges in Asia. The event saw the participation of various stakeholders from across the impact investing and social entrepreneurship industry in East and Southeast Asia.
On the second day of the conference, a set of workshops was organised to provide an opportunity for participants to engage. These include social entrepreneurs, government representatives, academics, investors and intermediaries. The conference split into four breakout sessions with the parallel tracks focused on catalysing demand side, unlocking capital, engaging government and impact investment.
The forum also saw the announcement of two funds. The first is a HK$500 million fund that will be launched by the Hong Kong government to promote social innovation and will be chaired by Stephen Leung, the dean of Hong Kong University’s business school. The second is a US$400,000 fund launched by the Rockefeller Foundation and Asia Community Ventures in support of “platform-building for impact investing”. This fund will be used to support three to four initiatives and the grant process will be managed by Asia Community Ventures.