Week 11: Impact Investing

 There were so many quotes I liked this week: 

"We believe the free market system is the best means of generating good jobs, a strong and sustainable economy, innovation, a healthy environment, and economic opportunity for all." (Business Roundtable Statement of Purpose)

"Private capital is critical to tackling the worlds most pressing environmental, social and governance problems." 

I have thought and felt this way for many years, considering myself an Objective Capitalist, and having personal faith that people will choose to care for others when they find themselves with the means to do so. 

I understand that most good investments require patience for payoff, and though investors have shorter horizons and lower risk tolerance, those who invest in impact investing are finding that payoff is coming nearly at the same rate as other investments. 

And then, after researching some of the big Impact Investment firms and finding that the social innovation cause that matters to me isn't represented in any of them, I felt deflated yet again. 

Because I understand a persons right to make gains on their investments and how much more attractive investments are over gifts, I can see why my issue doesn't warrant an invite to the party: it offers no fiscal return on investment, and there are few who would be willing to wait long enough to see an emotional/social return on investment and take it as equal. 

It makes me wish I could communicate the app idea that I worked on last week to real companies and see if there was a way to monetize pornography exposure awareness and prevention in a way that would make it a viable impact investment. 

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