What would our world look like if we were to truly transform the way we relate to capital, to our land and water, and to one another?
This question underpinned day two of Confluence Philanthropy’s 11th Annual Practitioners Gathering: Embrace & Inspire, which focused on the theme “Investing for Social Equity.”
The day began with a keynote address by Dr. john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and Professor of Law, African American and Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Dr. powell shared the concept of “belonging” and what it will take for the investment and philanthropic industries to move from othering toward belonging. According to Dr. powell, true belonging requires power, agency, responsibility, care, and love. At its essence, belonging says that we get to co-create the world we inhabit.
We then moved into a discussion about healing collective trauma with renowned speaker, teacher, author, and international facilitator Thomas Hübl and Kosha Anja Joubert, CEO of the Pocket Project. The idea of collective trauma offers a unique window into both the investment practice and the world of giving. We learned from Thomas and Kosha about how ongoing collective and historical traumas inflicted by colonialism, patriarchy, and an extractive economic system impact each of us in distinct ways, depending on your relative position within these systems. Thomas shared a heartbreaking truth: that “the communities that have experienced the deepest pain are no longer screaming; they are quiet.” They encouraged investors and philanthropists to listen for that quietness, and to explore our innermost motivations for why we give and invest. The discussion was followed by a meditation, providing a few moments for conference participants to breathe and process the insights offered by the morning’s speakers.
To help the Confluence community connect the relational concepts of belonging and collective trauma to the transactional world of investing, Tabreez Verjee, Co-Founder and Partner at Uprising, Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, Founder and CEO at VC Include, and Don Shaffer, Co-Founder at Jubilee, joined us for an intimate conversation about how they each approach the deeply relational work of investing for social equity. Tabreez encouraged each panelist to share their personal journey and they modeled in real time what it looks like to orient toward depth and show up authentically to do the hard but necessary work of building relationships and co-creating belonging.
Bahiyah discussed how she sees fear related to collective and intergenerational trauma expressed in the investment industry through questions like: “Is that really for me?” and “Will I really be accepted?” She sees that fear reflected in conversations with fund managers as well as asset allocators. The asset allocator fear is more about being the first check in the door—they often say, “Come back and talk to us for Fund 2.” At the same time, she also sees a “softening” that can help us face the fear of being the first—the fear of taking that step outside of the collective. Without taking that step, it’s impossible to see what the larger opportunity is.
Don suggested an exercise for Confluence members to try. In order to “soften” as Bahiyah described, Don challenged the audience to contact one of their fund managers personally and ask them questions about their deepest aspirations, then to contact one of their portfolio companies and ask the same question. Through practicing that compassion, there is a pathway to embracing the opposite of what investors have been taught to seek: more risk, lower returns, and less liquidity.
Before and after the day’s breakout sessions, we were honored to be joined by Lyla June, an Indigenous musician, poet, scholar, and community organizer. Lyla recited her powerful poem “Indigenomics” and shared two songs: Time Traveler and All Nations Rise. Her work speaks for itself.
The day closed with a dynamic plenary discussion, “Generating Social and Environmental Impact in Latin America.” Raul Pomares, Founder and Managing Director at Sonen Capital, moderated a conversation with Natalia Arango Vélez, Executive Director at Fondo Acción, and Katie Naeve, Director of Impact and Partnerships at Root Capital. The panelists shared their perspectives about how values-aligned investing can be used as a tool to drive social and environmental impact in Latin America, and crucially, to support recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We heard about some of the challenges, solutions, and untapped opportunities in the region—particularly in the areas of agriculture, gender equity, and green growth. The discussion was an important reminder of the interconnectedness of people and our environment globally, and the ways in which investing can be used to co-create the world we want and need.
Day two was long but offered a meaningful series of discussions that ultimately explored how the Confluence community can work together to shift our economy toward greater social equity by uplifting the leadership of women and people of color, deploying capital strategically, using stock ownership to influence corporate practices, and inspiring the investment industry to embrace a future that enables true belonging, equity, and justice.
- Sarah DeNicola, Social Equity Program Director, Confluence Philanthropy
