Shows
Capital MusingsSPECIAL S4: Unlocking the Power of Digital Skills for Communities in LDCsIn the third episode of the Digital@theLastMile podcast, we highlight the importance of developing the digital skills of women and youth in least developed countries. From Africa to the Pacific, we explore some of our programmes and their impact on individuals and communities. When people understand how digital technology and services work, they are more likely to trust them and use them effectively and make informed decisions. By investing in digital skills, UNCDF believes that it can help build more resilient and sustainable communities, drive economic growth and promote inclusive digital economies.Website: https://podcast.uncdf.org2023-06-3018 min
Capital MusingsCapital Musings Milestones - A Recap of the Month's Most Impactful News and Events Welcome to Milestones, a series on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events related to UNCDF's initiatives. You're in the right place! Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast. Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have ma...2023-06-1320 min
Capital MusingsSPECIAL UN NEWS: Resurgence of The Gambia – A small country with big ambitionsThe Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland, and one of the least developed countries in the world, has been going through a transition to full democracy since 2017, the end of a two-decade long dictatorship.In the first episode of a mini-series recorded in The Gambia, Conor Lennon talks to Niania Dabo-Tourey, the country head of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF, one of several UN agencies accompanying the country on this journey), about the ways they are supporting rural communities to adapt to the climate crisis, learn the skills they will need to start new...2023-03-3016 min
Capital MusingsSPECIAL S4: Digital Remittances to Create Economic Opportunities for Women in NepalIn this second episode of Digital@TheLastMile limited series, we highlight UNCDF's collaboration with IME Pay, a leading mobile wallet provider, to facilitate digital remittances for women in Nepal.Remittances are a critical component of Nepal's economy. In 2020, IME Pay streamlined its international remittance and mobile wallet services to enable customers to receive international remittance transfers directly into their mobile wallets. In this episode, experts will delve into the benefits of digital remittances, particularly for migrant families and women, and how UNCDF and IME Pay partnered to refine the wallet and drive digital adoption through market scans...2023-03-0817 min
Capital MusingsSPECIAL S4: Tailoring digital financial services for women entrepreneursIn this first episode of Digital@TheLastMile limited series, you will hear women entrepreneurs talking about two apps developed by Fintech companies in Bangladesh and Cambodia. The Fintech featured participated in the Women MSMEs FinTech Innovation Challenge Fund launched in 2019. The objective of the challenge was to tailor digital financial services for women entrepreneurs in Asia and the Pacific. The challenge fund was implemented by UNCDF in partnership with UNESCAP and was generously supported by the Australian Government, the government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and Visa.Websites: https://podcast...2023-01-0911 min
Capital MusingsS04.03 Fueling Women's Economic Empowerment and SME growth in the Pacific through digitalIn this episode, David Mikhail talks with Neha Mehta, Regional Lead for the Pacific and Papua New Guinea at UNCDF, about bringing women entrepreneurs, SMEs, and small store owners into the financial blankets in the Pacific.Neha emphasises the significance of providing training in digital literacy and financial literacy to female business owners. She also discusses the use of tokenization and blockchain technology to evaluate creditworthiness using non-traditional data sources and cutting-edge data analysis techniques.Websites: https://www.uncdf.orgHashtags: #CapitalMusings | #COP27Leave a ReviewThanks for listening...2022-11-1831 min
Capital MusingsS04.02 The benefits of parametric insurance in the face of climate-related disastersIn this episode, David Mikhail talks with Krishnan Narasimhan, Programme Manager at UNCDF, about parametric insurance. Krishnan explains how UNCDF employs a market development strategy to inspire private companies to offer cutting-edge insurance innovations to emerging markets in the Pacific.Krishnan describes how the first parametric insurance product in the Pacific was introduced by UNCDF following extensive consultation with local partners and stakeholders. He talks about how, over the past few years, UNCDF has been working to develop digital delivery models, offering technical advisory services and blended financing to de-risk capital through grants, loans, and guarantees. This...2022-11-0935 min
Capital MusingsS03.36 Blue Finance Solutions to Boost Ocean-Based Investments and Fight Climate ChangeOur host, Edoardo Tancioni, conducts an interview with Mr Anouj Mehta, Head of the ASEAN Catalytic Green Facility and ADB Country Director in Thailand, and Mr Ghislain de Valon, Senior Infrastructure Specialist for Innovation and Green Finance, from the Asian Development Bank. They discuss ways to increase investments in ocean-based economies that are environmentally sustainable. The implementation of "blue finance" strategies is one way to increase investments in the fight against climate change and the creation of a sustainable economy based on the ocean.Websites: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #SaveOurOcean2022-07-0442 min
Capital MusingsS03.35 Caring for our oceans and caring for humanity are two sides of the same coinIn this episode, H.E. Ms Ana Paula Baptista Grade Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations, discusses the compelling case for holding the Ocean Conference in Lisbon in late June 2022, citing that by working together, we can protect our oceans and improve the quality of life for people all over the world, and calls for action to strengthen partnerships.Websites: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #SaveOurOceanLeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this...2022-06-2423 min
Capital MusingsS03.34 Blue Economy and Ocean Capital for Small Island Developing StatesIn this new series, our host Edoardo Tancioni shares innovative approaches to boost investments for a sustainable blue economy and protect our oceans in the lead-up to the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, at the end of June 2022. In this episode, Edoardo talks about Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their centrality to leveraging the development impact of capital for sustainable ocean-based economies. SIDS are not "poor and remote places," but rather valuable centres of marine biodiversity, living fossils, and hotspots of ocean-based ecosystem services like tourism, fishing grounds, and shipping lanes. This episode aims to...2022-06-1432 min
Capital MusingsS03.33 Deciphering Doha: A March towards Sustainable GraduationIn this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, concludes the mini-series of Deciphering Doha and the Road to Doha season by discussing debt sustainability, remittances and the extension of international support measures to LDCs for sustainable and irreversible graduation.Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoALeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our pod...2022-06-0335 min
Capital MusingsS03.32 Putting Wealth to Work for ImpactIn this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Co-Founder and Principal at Blue Haven Initiative. Liesel talks about her journey to #impactinvesting and shares tips on how investors can make wealth work for profit and for purpose.Websites: Blue Haven InitiativeHashtags: #CapitalMusings | #impactinvestingLeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcas...2022-05-2027 min
Capital MusingsS03.31 Deciphering Doha: Mobilizing International SolidarityIn this miniseries, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the first part of chapter 6 of the #DPoA around mobilizing international solidarity, reinvigorated partnerships and innovative tools, looking into support for domestic resource mobilization and fight against illicit financial flows, international public and external finance to contribute to sustainable development in LDCs and Foreign Direct Investment. Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoALeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a re...2022-05-1321 min
Capital MusingsS03.30: Deciphering Doha: Addressing Climate ChangeOur host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the fifth chapter of the Doha Programme of Action around addressing #climatechange, environmental degradation, recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and building resilience against future shocks for risk-informed sustainable development. Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA | #LDCs | #climatechangeLeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you...2022-04-2935 min
Capital MusingsS03.29 Deciphering Doha: International TradeIn this miniseries, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the Doha Programme of Action #DPoA for the Least Developed Countries, delving into how we can enhance international #trade and regional integration over the next decade.Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoALeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed lis...2022-04-2225 min
Capital MusingsS03.28 Deciphering Doha Structural Transformation as DriverIn this mini-series, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the third chapter of the Doha Programme of Action (#DPoA), delving into the four action areas to reach structural transformation: productive capacity development; infrastructure development; connecting to global and regional value chains, strengthening their services economy and trade, and; support private sector development.Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoALeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. ...2022-04-1429 min
Capital MusingsS03.27 Putting on gender glasses for financing for developmentContinuing on the celebrations for Women’s History Month, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews Jenny Hedman, Policy Analyst at the OECD Gender team and Coordinator of the DAC GENDERNET, who shares how gender-lens investing can protect and advance girls’ and women’s rights and gender equality. 2022-04-0722 min
Capital MusingsS03.26 Investing in financial literacy to #BreakTheBias - unlocking solutions for the urban poorTo celebrate Women’s History Month #WHM, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews Angela Mwai, Chief, Human Rights and Social Inclusion Unit at UN-Habitat. Angela shares how gender-transformative climate-smart solutions can drive sustainable urban development, stressing the importance of putting communities first to promote inclusion and resilience for the people we serve.Websites: www.unhabitat.orgHashtags: #CapitalMusings | #WHMLeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes. Revi...2022-03-2323 min
Capital MusingsS03.25 Audaciously moving capital to women-led fundsTo celebrate Women’s History Month #WHM, our host Edoardo Tancioni chats with Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2XCollaborative, who shares what gender-focused investing is and the benefits it brings to underserved communities in emerging markets. Tune it to learn more about some easy wins that may bridge ambitions with real results on the ground. For Women, With Women, By Women. Websites: criterioninstitute.org | www.2xcollaborative.orgHashtags: #capitalmusings | #WHMLeave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter men...2022-03-1632 min
Capital MusingsS03.24 Time is up: a woman energy entrepreneur’s case for financing emerging economiesIn this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, celebrates #IWD2022 with Rekik Bekele, CEO of Green Scene Energy, an Ethiopia-based company providing women-headed households in rural areas with access to affordable, reliable and clean sources of electricity. Rekik shares her company’s journey towards a business model that works for the last-mile and empowers young female entrepreneurs to speak up and seek mentorship to reach their goals.Leave a ReviewThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on...2022-03-1134 min
Capital MusingsS03.23 Deciphering Doha: Science, Technology and InnovationIn this miniseries, our host Edoardo Tancioni deciphers the second chapter of the draft Doha programme of action around science, technology and innovation, stressing its powerful potential to leverage the fight against multidimensional vulnerabilities and achieve the 2030 Agenda2022-03-0718 min
Capital MusingsS03.22 Deciphering Doha: Investing in PeopleIn this miniseries, our host Edoardo Tancioni deciphers the first chapter of the draft Doha programme of action around investing in people in the LDCs, highlighting their unique agency and leadership around eradicating poverty and leave no one behind.2022-02-2532 min
Capital MusingsS03.21 Local Climate Action: Setting the tone to build resilience at the local levelThis week, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews H.E. Mr. Lamin Dibba, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources of The Gambia, who talks about how the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) mechanism helps facilitate access and availability of financing for climate adaptation at the local level.2022-02-1617 min
Capital MusingsS03.20 Deciphering Doha: From Istanbul Priorities to Doha CommitmentsIn this brief series, our host Edoardo Tancioni walks us through the main elements of the Draft Doha Programme of Action, starting with how the introductory remarks set the stage for what will be the key priorities for LDCs over the next decade.2022-02-1121 min
Capital MusingsS03.19 Academia to Policy — the role of research in changing livesOur host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Professor Kunal Sen, Director of UNU WIDER. Prof. shares how research can transform economies, states, and societies, and how the international community at large can help the LDCs address their structural inequalities and unique vulnerabilities for the Decade of Action.2022-01-2733 min
Capital MusingsS03.18 Youth up to build your legacyOur host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Hanifah Nnamutebi, General Manager of BM Energy (BME), a start-up working on energy-saving solutions in rural areas in Uganda. Hanifah shares her passion towards empowering youth and women to believe in their dreams and venture into unfamiliar and challenging businesses.2022-01-2016 min
Capital MusingsS03.17 Nurturing Talents in BangladeshOur host Edoardo Tancioni interviews 23-year-old Afruza Tanzi from Protibha, a social enterprise creating livelihood opportunities for rural women in Bangladesh. Afruza shares her vision for women’s economic empowerment in emerging economies, and stresses the importance of nurturing talents to build forward better.2022-01-1221 min
Capital MusingsS03.16 For the Next Generation of FarmersIn this episode, Edoardo Tancioni interviews Fahad Ifaz, CEO of iFarmer, a startup working on democratizing agriculture financing and supply chain in Bangladesh. Fahad shares his vision for “the future of food” and talks about the indirect effects in emerging economies at large of investing sustainably in small businesses.2022-01-0522 min
Capital MusingsS03.15 Coming home to give backA story of friendship, resilience, capital, and Southern ownership. Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Washikala Malango, CO-Founder, and CEO of Altech Group (ww.altech-drc.com), who shares how to turn a problem you have experienced first-hand into an opportunity for your local community and your people. 2021-12-2325 min
Capital MusingsS03.14 What investing in #FutureGenerations actually meansThis week, our new host, Edoardo Tancioni, meets Richard Zulu, Founding Partner and Lead at Outbox. Richard shares his journey towards investing in #youth, and his passion towards building a sense of community and growing local talent to co-identify opportunities for sustainable change in LDCs.2021-12-1529 min
Capital MusingsS03.13 From beneficiary to leader – a renewable energy journeyThis week we meet Rose Twine, Director of EcoGroup Uganda, diving into the multifaceted dimensions of renewable energy, and how important affordability, community engagement, and policy environments are to accessing clean energy for all.2021-12-0825 min
Capital MusingsS03.12 Unleashing the power of local markets through technologyIn this episode, Matthew Roberts-Davies, COO & Co-Founder (Thundafund Africa) shares his experience working in emerging markets with Thundafund.com. He defines loyalty, personalization, capital, and partnerships as unique enablers to innovation, and talks about the importance of fully engaging vibrant and youthful populations to bring new ideas to life.2021-12-0122 min
Capital MusingsS03.11 Third edition of the Blended Finance in the LDCs reportThe United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). from their flagship series: "Blended Finance in the LDCs, 2020: Supporting a Resilient Covid-19 Recovery." The third edition of the Blended Finance in the LDCs report series acknowledges that least developed countries are not able to harness the full potential of blended finance, defined in the report as the strategic use of development finance to mobilise commercial finance towards the SDGs, with a focus on unlocking investment that the private sector would not have done on its own. We had the opportunity to h...2021-11-2449 min
Capital MusingsS03.10 Diplomacy Can Transform LivesAmb. Robert Rae, Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, discusses his distinguished career in domestic politics, why it’s important for civil society to participate in UN discussions, and his dream goal for the UN. 2021-11-1728 min
Capital MusingsS03.09 How the lack of financing impacts LDCs in the fight against climate changeIn the context of COP26, today’s podcast is dedicated to the least developed countries. By now, the year 2021 has seen a familiar pattern of destructive impacts stemming from climate change, leading to increasingly devastating extreme weather events including fires, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, and droughts across the world. Taffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.2021-11-1035 min
Capital MusingsS03.08 From Making Movies to Nurturing Green BusinessesJodi Smith, a film industry vet who now works to source and grow investments with positive environmental impact in Fiji, talks about her path from linguistics to film to business development.2021-11-0325 min
Capital MusingsS03.07 From Musician to Impact LeaderPaul Klein, Founder and President of Impakt, explains how his background as a guitarist and arts administrator led to a career in social entrepreneurship and impact consulting, helping corporations and businesses try to solve some of society’s biggest problems. His new book, “Change for Good,” shares lessons for aspiring social entrepreneurs and change agents.2021-10-2738 min
Capital MusingsS03.06 Fiji: Blue and Green Finance PioneerEsala Masitabua, Deputy Governor of Fiji’s Reserve Bank, speaks about blue and green bonds, the national financial inclusion plan, parametric insurance, and the factors that have made Fiji a regional and global leader in innovative climate finance.2021-10-2028 min
Capital MusingsS03.05 Building a Business Serving the PoorCharlotte Ronje, Founder and CEO of Jamii.one, describes the business case for providing financial services to poor savers and what she sees as the path to scale.2021-10-1325 min
Capital MusingsS03.04 Income inequality from the 1% angleIn today's podcast, Thomas Handler, Partner in Handler Thayer LLC, speaks about the challenges in establishing businesses, stewardship of wealth, work ethics, income inequality in America and how to achieve economic and professional success.2021-10-0647 min
Capital MusingsS03.03 “A Gift From God:” A Malawian Entrepreneur’s StoryDingi Chirwa, Founder and CEO of Kombeza Foods in Malawi, explains how her desire to make baby food for her child and her father’s retirement purchase of dairy cows led her to found a dairy processing business; and how support from UNDP and Norway and a concessional loan from UNCDF helped set her on the road to success.2021-09-2227 min
Capital MusingsS03.02 Catalyzing Infrastructure Investment into Africa: The Role of AFCTaiwo Okwor of the Africa Finance Corporation explains how its infrastructure investments can de-risk and attract private sector capital to meet the critical infrastructure needs of the African continent.2021-09-1522 min
Capital MusingsS03.01 How a Feminist Fund Supports Women in FijiMichelle Reddy of the Fiji Women’s Fund explains how the pandemic and climate change are exacerbating the challenges faced by women in Fiji, and how her fund is helping to make change.2021-09-0823 min
Capital Musings#37 The Swedish Model: How Sweden’s History and Progressivism Shapes Its Development AssistanceTwo Swedish development experts, Anders Ronquist of Sida and Anders Berlin of UNCDF, explain how Swedish history and society have shaped the government’s generous and innovative approach to using development assistance to fight poverty worldwide. They explore their own careers and experiences to showcase various ways to pursue a career in international development finance.2021-09-0143 min
Capital Musings#36 Crowdfunding as the “Trampoline” to Formal CapitalElizabeth Howard of the African Crowdfunding Association explains the potential of crowdfunding to support businesses and accelerate growth on the continent.2021-08-2535 min
Capital Musings#35 Activate Your Money: How Women Can Take Control of Their Wealth and Help Improve the WorldAuthor Janine Firpo discusses her varied career in tech, microfinance and international development and explains how her new book Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World lays out a road map for women to empower themselves about investing and the impact they can have with their resources.2021-08-1840 min
Capital Musings#34 The 1% is Part of the Solution: How Family Offices Can Help Achieve the SDGsFamily office advisor Carol Pepper describes how studying philosophy led her to Wall Street; how the Internet helped create the modern family office; and why high net worth families are increasingly interested in climate change, social justice, and the SDGs.2021-08-1138 min
Capital Musings#33 Adventure Finance: How to Reimagine A Better System for Funders and FoundersImpact investing expert Aunnie Patton Power discusses her new book “Adventure Capital: How to Create a Funding Journey That Blends Profit and Purpose” and shares ideas for how venture capital can work better for both funders and social entrepreneurs.2021-08-0428 min
Capital Musings#32 A Brief History of the LDCsTaffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.2021-07-2834 min
Capital Musings#31 Private Equity Investing in East Africa: Lessons from IndiaAshish Patel of Aavishkaar Capital explains how the experience of running multiple private equity funds in India is shaping the company’s investment strategy for East Africa.2021-07-2129 min
Capital Musings#30 Investing in Development: How the US DFC Funds GrowthDia Martin, Managing Director of the US Development Finance Corporation, explains how it invests in solutions to some of the developing world’s most critical challenges.2021-07-1429 min
Capital Musings#29 How to support entrepreneurship in local contexts while being smallToday, we speak with Henning Ringholz, Senior Executive at the Small Foundation, an Ireland-based foundation working to end extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Henning speaks about systems change and strengthening business ecosystems for African entrepreneur and how to make a difference while being small.2021-07-0730 min
Capital Musings#28 Why Democracy MattersDemocracy expert Marcus Brand talks about his career building democracy from the Balkans to Ukraine to Myanmar, explains why SDG 16 is so critical, and describes the situation in Myanmar.2021-06-3029 min
Capital Musings#27 Letting Go: A New Model of Philanthropy and Impact InvestingAuthors Meg Massey, writer and social sector strategist and the founder of Sanspeur, and Ben Wrobel, director of communications at Village Capital, discuss how traditional philanthropy entrenches some of the very power dynamics it tries to address, and how involving beneficiaries in decision-making leads to more effective donations and a promising new model of impact investing.2021-06-2329 min
Capital Musings#26 Breaking Barriers: How a Female Founder Turned VC is Expanding Opportunities For OthersThis week we speak with Vicky Lay, Managing Director Artesian Venture Partners, who sold a tech company and then joined the VC firm that funded her. Vicky talks about her passion for gender equality, the financial advantage of investing in women, and why much more than mentoring is needed to get more women and diverse leaders into top roles.2021-06-1629 min
ICT4D Conference Podcast: Global Tech, Local GoodUNCDF's SPRINT4Women: a unique approach to HCD with rural women in ZambiaKilyelyani Kanjo, Digital Financial Services Consultant, and Nandini Harihareswara, Senior Advisor for Inclusive Digital Economies & Women's Economic Empowerment, at United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) on SPRINT4Women, a unique design sprint engaging private sector in human-centred design for financial inclusion of rural women in Zambia.Explore more ICT4D content on our website www.ict4dconference.org2021-06-1016 minCapital Musings#25 How to Recognize and Fight Gender Bias in Investment Decision-MakingIn this episode, we speak with Malin Malmström of Lulea University of Technology in Sweden, who studies investment decision-making, explains how structural bias in the language used and screening processes of asset allocators hurts female founders, and what we can do to break down the barriers. 2021-06-0929 minCapital Musings#24 Diplomacy is Listening: Two Ambassadors Share Their PerspectivesIn today's episode, Esther Pan Sloane speaks with two UN powerhouses. Ambassador Anna-Karin Enestrom of Sweden and Ambassador Yoka Brandt of the Netherlands discuss what got them into diplomacy, how the UN is critical to SDG achievement, how they handled challenging posts, and what young people considering a career in diplomacy should know. 2021-05-2834 minCapital Musings#23 Shop Your Values and Your Closet: How to Make the Fashion Industry More SustainableKerry Bannigan, founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, talks about the environmental and social damage caused by a culture of constant consumption, and the innovative ways consumers and producers are pushing the fashion industry to help achieve the SDGs. 2021-05-2631 minCapital Musings#22 Changing the Dynamics of Funding EntrepreneursToday we are speaking with Rob Tashima, Chief Growth Officer of Village Capital, where he discusses its unique model of giving entrepreneurs have more say in the process of allocating capital. 2021-05-1934 minCapital Musings#21 Impact Investing for NGOS: A New Way to Achieve the MissionIn this episode, we speak with Chris Walker, Social Innovations Director at Mercy Corps, who describes how starting a donor-funded venture capital fund has given the nonprofit sector more options to achieve its goals. He shares his wide experience in government, private sector and the non-profit sectors to grow the impact investment space.2021-05-1240 minCapital Musings#20 Building a Career in International Development FinanceLaura Sennett, Policy Specialist at UNCDF, speaks with Esther Pan Sloane about international development finance, blended finance, concessional finance and additionality. She describes her time working in Africa, the benefits of being close to the action, and explains how learning other languages changed her life.2021-05-0533 minCapital Musings#19 Debunking myths about investments, risk and women-led businessesThe argument persists that markets are inherently efficient and consistently rational. If investments in women-led businesses and into funds managed by women generate better results, why is there little progress in directing more capital to them? What can investors, advisors, and asset owners do to increase the flow of finance to female entrepreneurs and fund managers?Guests:• Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN• Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary, UNCDF• Sonia Gardner, Goodwill Ambassador, UNCDF and President, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the Avenue Capital Group• Sandy Uri...2021-04-281h 17
The Sustainable Finance PodcastUNCDF Offers Investment Funds Focused On Women in Developing EconomiesPreeti Sinha, Executive Secretary at United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), talks about their newest innovative programs, like the UNCDF 500. This initiative will support 500 companies in the LDCs (Least Developed Countries), focusing on women’s economic development, climate change, and biodiversity. And their newly launched partnership with 100 Women in Finance, which has 20,000 members worldwide, will support women leaders in African economies as well as mentor young women to become future leaders.
We discuss how these and other UNCDF initiatives in collaboration with official lenders make long-term sustainable finance available to developing countries by extending maturities on lending programs.2021-04-2623 minCapital Musings#18 Inclusive Digital Economies Require Inclusive PoliciesThe term "digital economy" will soon become a redundancy, because economies will be largely, if not entirely, digital. But how can we ensure that digital economies are also inclusive and resilient? Three practices leaders in UNCDF's Policy Accelerator Team--Ahmed Dermish, Olivia Kelly-Lonkeu and Amani Itatiro--discuss the importance and complexity behind supporting policy ecosystems that ensure digital economies are inclusive versus exclusive, particularly in the world's least developed countries.2021-04-2140 minCapital Musings#17 The Good Your Money Can Do: Conscious leadership, stakeholder capitalism and 100% impact portfolioEsther Pan Sloane is speaking with Eva Yazhari, CEO of the Beyond Capital fund, co-host of the Beyond Capital podcast, founder of the Conscious Investor magazine, and author of the book The Good Your Money Can Do. In this episode, we talk about the biggest obstacles to investors considering investing in the least developed countries. We also review the concept of conscious leadership and stakeholder capitalism, and whether a hundred percent impact portfolio approach is feasible or desirable.2021-04-1431 minCapital Musings#16 Making Money Moral: A Look at the History of the Impact Investment IndustrySaadia Madsbjerg, former Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation and co-author with Judith Rodin, former president The Rockefeller Foundation president, of Making Money Moral: How a New Wave of Visionaries is Linking Purpose and Profit speaks about how The Rockefeller Foundation helped start the impact investing industry and her views on the rapid growth and future of the field. 2021-04-0740 minCapital Musings#15 Managing Infrastructure Assets to Finance Sustainable Development:The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the UN Capital Development Fund recently a released a critical joint publication that provides guidance to local and national governments on how to manage assets relating to public infrastructure investments. Ahead of this year's Finance for Development Forum (FfD), we invited four contributors of the handbook to the podcast to discuss the publication and to explain why infrastructure asset management is essential to SDG achievement.2021-03-3132 minCapital Musings#14 Closing the Digital Gap: The Benefits of Digitization in West AfricaSabine Mensah, UNCDF regional digital lead for West Africa, explains how digitization benefits entrepreneurs, consumers, governments and small businesses across the region. 2021-03-2423 minCapital Musings#13 LDCs are the Crucible of the SDGsAmbassador Perks Ligoya, Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations and leader of the LDC Group, explains why foreign direct investment, official development assistance, innovative financing mechanisms and productive capacity are critical for helping the world’s Least Developed Countries achieve their SDG ambitions.2021-03-1729 minCapital Musings#12 VC Investing in Female Founders: What’s Taking So Long?Esther Pan Sloane speaks with Jenny Abramson of Rethink Impact about the opportunity presented by women-led businesses; her investment thesis; what’s holding up progress; and what needs to be done to get more funds flowing to female founders.2021-03-1027 minCapital Musings#11 How Can Insurance Reduce Climate Risk and help increase financing for At-Risk Countries?Michael J. McCord of Milliman and Abhisheik Dhawan of UNCDF discuss the potential for innovative insurance products to reduce climate risk and help increase financing for developing country cities. 2021-03-0335 minCapital Musings#10 Connecting Capital with Purpose: Meet the New Leader of UNCDFOn February 15th, UNCDF announced that Preeti Sinha has commenced her tenure as its Executive Secretary. In taking the helm as the highest-ranking leader in the organization, she will lead UNCDF in its mandate to unlock public and private finance for the LDCs. With 30 years of global experience spanning investment and development finance, Executive Sinha will lead UNCDF's effort to harness the untapped growth potential of the world's least developed countries, while leading our COVID-response efforts. She sat down with UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane to discuss her vision for how to make capital markets work for the w...2021-02-2435 minCapital Musings#9 Faith, Social Justice and Money with Marvin Owens#9 Faith, Social Justice and Money with Marvin Owens—Getting Resources to the Communities that Need them Most.In this episode, Esther Pan Sloane speaks with the Reverend Marvin Owens, Chief Engagement Officer for Impact Shares, about the NAACP, community organizing, the role of faith in advocating for social justice, and why economic independence is critical for minority communities.2021-02-1741 minCapital Musings#8 Investing in Nature’s Capital with Alejandro LitovskyInvesting in Nature’s Capital: How Capital Markets Can Value Natural Resources and Help LDCsAlejandro Litovsky, CEO and Founder of Earth Security, discusses how creating ways to invest in natural ecosystems can transform capital markets and help LDCs reach their economic and development goals.2021-02-1038 minCapital Musings#7 How to Remain in Class with Jenifer BukohkeAbout 20 years ago, UNCDF's footprint in Uganda consisted of one person sitting at a single desk in another agency's office. Today, that one person—Jenifer Bukohke Wakuhugu—is the Deputy Head of UNCDF's Uganda Office, our largest in-country footprint with approximately 40 people. And Jenifer continues to teach UNCDF how to "Remain in Class."We were fortunate enough to have Jenifer Bukohke Wakuhugu sit down with us to share her UNCDF journey as well as how UNCDF has had to respond in short order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as importantly, she will share what it mean...2021-02-0350 minCapital Musings#6 A Conversation with Karen Fang, Sustainable Finance at Bank of AmericaSustainable finance signifies the potential for investment opportunities to yield both a return on investment and progress in a variety of important social areas; including environmental sustainability, financial inclusion, women's economic empowerment and racial equality. But what tools, strategies and innovations will we need to ensure that we maximize the full potential of sustainable finance?UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane spoke with Karen Fang, Global Head of Sustainable Finance with Bank of America, to hear her views on the future of sustainable finance, how BoA has committed to sustainability and how her industry is changing with regard to...2021-01-2740 minCapital Musings#5 A Conversation with UNCDF's First Goodwill Ambassador: Sonia GardnerLast October, UNCDF named the investment management industry leader and philanthropist Sonia Gardner as Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality in Access to Finance—making her the first goodwill ambassador in the 50+ year history of UNCDF. In her role, Ms. Gardner will focus on advocating for ways to give women access to economic resources, including the capital they need to start and grow businesses, lift their families out of poverty, and in doing so, help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane interviewed Sonia about her professional journey as a pioneer of alternative investments, the challenges wo...2021-01-0742 min