The traditional startup model is led by the maxime ‘move fast and break things’. A new generation of entrepreneurs is challenging it – these ‘zebras’ are more interested in community impact, sustainable solutions and long-term growth. Is the path of sustainable growth and community impact the new frontier, or are we just chasing rainbows? Immerse yourself in the battle between legacy and evolution.

We will explore the diverse opportunities, strategies, and innovative approaches employed by a wide spectrum of capital allocators as they endeavor to unlock and make a meaningful impact in emerging and frontier markets. Our panelists are all converging to investigate the paramount significance of impact investment in effecting positive transformation while also yielding financial gains in regions teeming with boundless growth prospects.

Uncover the stark truth behind local VC funds in emerging markets. Explore the impact of region-specific teams on early-stage investments, scrutinize their effects on entrepreneurial triumphs, and confront the fundraising challenges head-on. Peer into the maneuvers managers use to amplify influence and attract capital, exposing raw ecosystem dynamics.

In Latin America, 73% of female entrepreneurs lack crucial financial backing, caught in the ‘missing middle’—ignored by traditional finance and venture capitalists. Supporting female entrepreneurs has ripple effects on gender equity in the region as a whole. Join us in discussing entrepreneurship’s potential to break gender barriers in Latin America: is it a fast lane to equality, or a mirage masking deeper systemic challenges? Engage in a no-holds-barred discussion on forging real change.

Enter the arena of blockchain disruption and impact investment. Is blockchain a real catalyst for transparency and change, or just a buzzword? How to unlock the onboarding of web2 communities onto blockchain-enabled products and unleash the potential of this technology? Engage in a fierce debate as we dissect its potential to reshape the landscape of sustainable investments.

Financing people and communities to adapt is the pillar of a stable society. It leads to economic progress, productivity, and innovation. Financing people plays the crucial role in maintaining the stability of our society as a functioning financial system. It supports economic growth, facilitates trade and investment, and provides individuals and businesses with access to capital. Conversely, an unstable financial system has far-reaching consequences that places the stability of our society at risk and exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities. The business community has powerful levers at its disposal to be part of this rescue effort. As the workplace provides the lion’s share of the products, services and jobs people need to sustain themselves and the livelihoods of their families, human capital must consistently be measured and valued in corporate, investor and government decision-making.

The Building Bridges Summit will host the European launch of the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) led by the TNFD Co-Chair. These are the first set of disclosures to emerge which measure nature’s impact on businesses and businesses on nature. There is new urgency on this issue as all economic and social connections ultimately rely on a healthy planet. More than half of the world’s economic output – a staggering US$44 trillion of economic value generation – is dependent on nature. The acceleration of the global loss of nature and biodiversity is an increasing source of risks to companies, and in times of ever more stringent regulation, corporates should pay close attention to their use of natural capital and ecosystem services. The role of nature as a source of systemic risk alongside climate change, therefore, poses a major threat to the viability and resilience of economic activities, impacts corporate reputation, and affects the social license to operate. The discussion will examine how the TNFD framework helps companies understand the interconnectedness of nature in financial performance, the evolving nature-related risks, and how climate, carbon reduction and nature-related strategies go hand in hand. Finally, consumers and investors are increasingly aware of the importance of protecting the environment and are demanding that companies take action to reduce their impacts on nature.

Investors, both public and private, often prioritize short-term financial returns over longer-term sustainable development goals. The SDGs require investments which may not yield immediate financial profits but have long-term social and economic benefits. Despite the increasing focus on “blended finance” over the last decade, private capital is not being mobilized at the scale and pace needed and will follow if policy and regulation are clearly set out with transparent and robust investment frameworks. Alongside public investments, private capital is the agent of change to catalyse innovation, sustainable economic growth, and job creation to achieve the SDGs. This discussion will address the complex relationship between public-private financial partnerships and the obstacles to reaching optimal scale and orientation. How can the dots be connected to bridge the public-private financial gap given that the challenges will only amplify with the deepening of the climate crisis, nature’s loss, and social injustice in both developed and emerging markets?