Gender Lens Investing: A Value-Driver for Business

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 – Wednesday, March 8, 2023
16:00 – 17:00

While investing in women may seem like a feel-good activity on the surface, it is becoming increasingly clear that gender lens investing (GLI) is supported by a strong business case and can lead to greater returns. It is estimated that closing the global gap in women’s access to financial products and services could unlock $330 billion in annual revenues. In addition, gender diverse companies perform 25% better than homogenous peers. Gender lens investment strategies seek to examine gender dynamics to better and intentionally and measurably address gender disparities. These strategies already exist and are being implemented in a range of asset classes and sectors.

Join us on International Women’s Day for a webinar co-organized by Building Bridges, 2X and the Gender Lens Initiative for Switzerland. We will explore tangible examples of how GLI strategies can be applied in public and private markets, as well as wealth management.

Speakers:

Jessica Espinoza Trujano Panelist,

Chief Executive Officer - 2X Global

Jessica Espinoza has a track record in originating, structuring and executing debt, mezzanine and equity deals in emerging and frontier markets with a strong focus on inclusive innovation. Prior to her current role, she was Vice President for Private Equity & Venture Capital Investments at DEG/KfW. She was also a Member of the Management Board at ProCredit Bank Nicaragua responsible for the Business Clients Division and managed the Africa Regional Office of MicroFinance Transparency. She holds a double degree in International Business Management from ESB Business School and Dublin City University, and is a PhD candidate at University of Siegen, researching the transformative potential of gender lens investing.

Raya Papp Panelist,

Co-Founder - SAGANA

Raya Papp is the Co-Founder of SAGANA, Prior to founding SAGANA, she was based in Singapore as the Asia Co-Head at LGT Venture Philanthropy where she managed the region’s investment portfolio and led a team of investment managers across five countries. In 2015, she received the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association’s Most Impactful Social Enterprise Deal Award for investment in Kennemer Foods. Raya is a champion for gender equity and women-led businesses as a member of angel networks CRIB (Singapore) and ANGIN (Indonesia). She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Martin Heimes Panelist,

Head of Private Debt - responsAbility

Martin Heimes is Head of Private Debt at responsAbility. He has over 15 years of experience in development investments, fund management and consulting on microfinance and small business lending. He studied Economics and Social Anthropology at Freie Universität Berlin and at the London School of Economics. Before joining responsAbility, he worked for the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management on consultancy projects related to SME lending and Microfinance Fund Management, as well as in Investment Management for the European Fund for Southeast Europe.

Audrey Kaplan Panelist,

Portfolio Manager, Gender Equality Fund - Robeco

Audrey Kaplan is the Portfolio Manager of Robeco's Gender Equality Fund. The RobecoSAM Gender Equality Equities strategy seeks to capitalize on the fact that gender equality is not simply a moral issue, but a financial issue of strategic relevance to companies and investors. The fund selects companies from a global universe of gender equality leaders, using Robeco’s proprietary Gender Equality score.

Marta Ra moderator,

Co-Founder - Women in Sustainable Finance

Marta Ra is a sustainability, health and well-being expert. She is the Co-Founder of Women in Sustainable Finance, an international network launched with the goal to transform the financial industry and to inspire women who share the same vision.