Colleen Galbraith

The 2024 Kapor Capital impact report is out! The team is redefining equity-driven, gap closing, social impact investing for the field. The decreases in capital devoted to finding and supporting founders of color from geographies across the globe has been one major disappointment of the "VC slump" in many sectors since 2022. The lack of founder diversity in most investors portfolio's as documented in this excellent report--especially among Latine and Black leaders--is deeply disturbing. The team Kapor Capital and their partners have a different view of the marketplace that is notable and--I believe--on tremendously solid ground. In the long run the founders in their Fund 3, including Lirvana Labs, Maker of Yeti Confetti Kids, Meet Maro, Numerade, Workmaps, Daivergent, Safer Management (YC S21) and others will be adding so much more value than most other investment funds that are not prioritizing both returns and social impact. Hats off to the entire team led by Brian Dixon, Brandon Boros, Uriridiakoghene (Ulili) Onovakpuri, Cliff Worley, Aya Spencer, Tesheia van der Horst and founders Dr. Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor. #impact #investments #deib #values #venture

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In Impact investing there must be an expectation of financial return alongside social and/or environmental impact, or at least a return on capital, The intended change, typically social or environmental, must be deliberate and There must be an effort to measure the achieved impact. There are always going to be great products created because humans continue to consume 'things'. Creating product and Service solutions that make impact, this is what Entrepreneurs should create businesses for.

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One name that needs to be added is Claire Smith, an unusual fund manager. She is unusual because she not only built Beyond Impact VC as a way to accelerate the transition to a kinder, cleaner, healthier world but also built a set of index & ETF funds (Beyond Investing) - the first of its kind that applied animal-free lens to large-cap stocks, and they are performing better than S&P 500. It is a testament to her commitment to creating a long-lasting impact on the climate and the animals. To back up her efforts, she also co-founded Beyond Cruelty Foundation, created & advocated for SDG 18, and Beyond Animal, a matchmaking engine because not every deal Beyond Impact VC can invest in, and there are several 100s of good quality deals that should be able to mobilize capital also. She brought me, Stuart MacDonald, Anthony Stam, William Bowdler-Raynar, Hanna Yael Gabay, Jody Rasch, Katherine Hill Ritchie, and others to create a long-lasting impact together with the venture fund, which focuses on decoupling our dependence on abusing animals and nature for economic growth. We might be small at the moment, but we are relevant to animals and nature with our investments in nature-positive, carbon-negative, and animal-free solutions. Venture Capital Journal. Thanks, Claire Smith! #forhumanity

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Health x Climate: I have spent a lot of time thinking about the intersection of climate and health, so I appreciated the City Futures: HealthTech and ClimateTech Intersections panel discussion during NY Tech Week, with Ben Furnas, Sara Holoubek, and Joel Cesare as panelists. They highlighted the work happening in NYC; even though subway use helps our GHG emissions, there is still opportunity to prepare the city and electrify our buildings for the changes to come. Some key takeaways 🔄 Health + Climate: The effects of climate change impact our health and our health decisions impact climate change. We often think about climate and health in silos but they are very connected.  🔥 Heat waves: Hotter temperatures are the biggest risk to health from climate change, so we must prepare now. I learned about NYC's AC giveaway to support vulnerable communities.  🤓 New ideas: There is much opportunity to engage in mental cross training and leverage learnings from analogous spaces and industries at this intersection. What do you think about the intersection of health and climate? A big thanks to Climate Health Innovation & Learning Lab, Women in Healthtech and Fenwick for hosting this event and showcasing how government, innovators, and investors can work together to address these challenges. Thanks Oriana Fuentes and Chethan Sarabu, MD, FAMIA, FAAP for your thoughtful curation too! #climate #healthtech #innovation #NYtechweek

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Carbon finance holds tremendous potential for social enterprises, helping break down affordability barriers and providing vital goods and services to low-income communities. This #NYClimateWeek, I had the opportunity to open @Acumen’s “Credit Where It’s Due” breakfast dialogue, where we explored the role of carbon credits in driving social impact. I was joined by Jonathan Cedar from BioLite, James C. from Boomitra, Nicholas Jones from Shell Foundation, Daniel Sadik from Carbon Solutions Group, and Amy Cortese from ImpactAlpha, who moderated the discussion. The conversation brought out both the exciting opportunities and the hurdles we need to overcome. To realize the full potential of carbon credits, we need to address pricing volatility, strengthen standards, and improve access for social enterprises. Despite the challenges, there’s strong agreement that the future of carbon credits is rich with opportunity and innovation. Looking forward to continuing these candid, solution-focused conversations!

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🌡 "Children born in North Africa and West Africa in 2020, under a 1.5°C warming scenario, will be exposed to 4–6 times more heatwaves in their lifetimes compared to people born in 1960" Global Center on Adaptation This is a growing threat for the continent, and the opportunity for startup founders to tackle a massive problem that requires a mix of "tech and touch". ❄ For instance, the air conditioner is almost 100 years old, but it hasn't evolved much. It works pretty much the same way, it's often unaffordable and by the way, it represents around 10% of the global electricity consumption. And while there are about 1.5B AC units worldwide, it's expected to be 3x more by 2050! If you are a startup founder building a solution in Africa aimed at making people more resilient to heatwaves, we at Catalyst Fund would love to talk to you and possibly fund you. Just drop me a note with your pitch deck 👉 [email protected]

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A great article on the state of food tech investing by PeakBridge. The combination of consumer demand, lower capex strategies and large corporates driving M&A activity make for a great time to be investing in the future of food. #foodtech, #agtech, #venturecapital,

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Sharing views of my Partner. "Within the climate change investment ecosystem, much of the capital has gone to two ends of the spectrum: venture capital and infrastructure. Those investments are obviously impactful, but more of a developmental, long-term approach to solving climate change. We try to focus on where we can make an impact today. That means looking for companies already reducing emissions or saving energy." Read more from Stuart Barkoff, co-founder and managing partner GEF Capital Partners https://lnkd.in/dX2CMs35

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