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Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: From Galveston to Kansas City, overlooked cities are getting organized and making themselves investment ready; investing in the economic determinants of a healthy democracy; And a deal spotlight on Blue Earth Capital, which is unsticking impact capital. Story links: “Power of place drives impact in a national movement of overlooked cities like Galveston,” by Dennis Price“Investing in shared prosperity, broad ownership and other economic determinants of a healthy democracy,” by David Bank“Blue Earth Capital on ‘unsticking’ impact capital and the rise of an impact secondaries market (Q&A),” by Danielle Rossingh

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: As President Trump calls climate change a “con job” at the UN, investors and philanthropies are raising money and building projects anyway; development banks abroad and Asia's asset owners are stepping up on climate finance –  is it enough; And this week's deal spotlight shines on Celsius Companies, a Philadelphia-area holding company buying up clean energy contractors to turn their workers into owners. Story links: “Hoax this! Climate Week NYC showcases real solutions to real (really!) climate change,” by Amy Cortese“Development finance institutions rally private climate capital as US threatens multilateral banks,” by Jessica Pothering“As US retreats, Asia's investors take the lead on climate financing,” by Dennis Price“Holding company for clean energy contractors in Philadelphia aims to turn workers into owners,” by Roodgally Senatus

Jim Sorenson, the entrepreneur, investor and founder of the Sorenson Impact Foundation and the broader Sorenson Impact Group joins David Bank. They discuss Jim's new book, The Impact Capitalist, "propelling" ones values rather than just living them, the bipartisan case for an ownership economy, and two of the ventures he's helped stand up in Utah. Disclosure: Sorenson Impact Foundation is an investor in ImpactAlpha.

Amit Bouri joins David Bank. The co-founder and, for a few more months, the CEO of the Global Impact Investing Network is stepping down after 17 years. Amit has a unique perspective on the field of impact investing, since he’s done so much to build it. The GIIN is due to release a new sizing analysis at its investor forum in Amsterdam.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: Ahead of New York Climate Week, why investors are getting down to business, even as AI sucks up the oxygen (and the capital) in the room; why African pension funds — sitting on $600 billion in assets — are starting to dip into private equity and private debt to fund small businesses back home; and, with batteries as a service, how gas stations in Nigeria and South Africa are becoming an unlikely source of power for small businesses.

Robert Munson, CEO of SOCAP Global, the company behind SOCAP, joins David Bank. The annual impact investing conference this fall leaves its longtime San Francisco home to convene in Chicago. They discuss this year’s emphasis on getting out of the conference center in Willis Tower and into Chicago’s neighborhoods, as well as the anxieties swirling around politics, funding and AI, and the excitement running through this year's themes, including Pathways to Shared Prosperity and A Future that works for everyone.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Restructuring and layoffs hit Pro Mujer, as gender lens and development funders pull back; how faith-based investors, from Catholic sisters to family offices, are quietly building some of the most values-driven capital in private markets; and, spotlighting a floating modular nuclear reactor company that just landed $50 million seed round.

Doug Lee, founder and CEO of D3Jubilee Partners, a Seoul-based impact venture firm, joins Dennis Price. D3 is co-hosting Asia Impact Nights in Kobe, Japan alongside the Japan Social Innovation and Investment Foundation. For this 10th anniversary convening, D3 has moved from Korea for the first time, to Japan, under the theme of Asia's "triple transition" — demographics, climate and, of course, AI.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: “Revenue-based financing helps create wealth with anti-dilution protection for founders, not investors,” by Roodgally Senatus“How revenue-based finance can help close the racial wealth gap, by Carrie Endries“Investing in Resilience: Why America's overlooked businesses matter more than ever,” by Kim Folsom"S2G Investments seeks alpha in impact – without the label," by David Bank"Wavemaker Partners is writing early, small checks for ‘difficult’ deep tech," by Jessica Pothering

Aaron Rudberg, managing partner at S2G Investments joins David Bank. The Chicago-based firm co-founded by Walmart heir Lukas Walton, recently closed its $1 billion Solutions Fund. David speaks with Aaron about the opportunity – and the impact – in financing  growth-stage companies too big for venture capitalists and too small for infrastructure investors, and his views on the dangers of groupthink in climate and impact investing. Check out S2G's Edge profile. And, listen to their podcast.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: “Patient capital to establish trust, efficacy and potential for scale in youth mental health startups,” by Hopelab’s Nathaan Demers"After a commercial failure, AIM Horizon goes all in on impact for maritime decarbonization," by Jessica Pothering

Stacey Faella, executive director of the Woodcock Foundation in New York, joins David Bank for an update on Woodcock's decade-long journey toward near-100% mission alignment of its $90 million endowment. They talk about "investing in democracy" through the ownership economy, and the case for foundations to fire their investment advisors. Woodcock is a founding member of Impact LP, impactalpha’s group of more than a dozen family offices, foundations and other allocators for whom LP = Leadership Potential.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor Jessica Pothering. Up this week: “As Norges Bank warns of potential losses, can impact investments provide a hedge?” by Amy Cortese"Investors find opportunities in South Africa's rush to renewables,” by Marilyn Waite“Murdoch heir seeks to set All Aboard climate coalition up for long term impact,” by Amy Cortese To try ImpactAlpha Edge, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Manufactured housing assets and mobile home communities, along with single-room occupancy motels, and multifamily properties, are key sources of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. On this episode, Proactive Realty Group’s Canaan Williams (ImpactAlpha Edge) tells how he has acquired and renovated nearly two dozen distressed, condemned or nearly abandoned assets and rehabilitated them, including with energy upgrades, while preserving below-market rents. Dr. Van, as he is known, knows housing from growing up in a working-class Bay Area family that relied on Section 8 subsidies. South Carolina-based Proactive’s fixed-income strategy promises monthly payments from the rental stream.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: “Power for AI, mostly renewable, tops the shopping list for big asset managers,” by Amy Cortese, with reporting from Erik Stein“Of agents and agency: An investor’s guide to choice and control across the AI stack,” by Paul Fehlinger"WovenEarth raises $155 million fund-of-funds for early-stage cleantech," by Roodgally Senatus