SOCAP Global

We were thrilled to launch a new chapter of SOCAP from October 12-14 in Chicago. 🏙️ 🌟 The Midwest welcomed our community with overwhelming enthusiasm and showed up in a big way. Rooms were full of energetic newcomers eager to work, learn, and share. The event featured three days of interactive sessions, hands-on workshops, and curated networking opportunities designed to reduce friction, unlock resources, and accelerate capital deployment. 💡 ➡️ Explore memorable moments, impactful lessons, and actionable insights from #SOCAP26 that will help us carry forward this critical work until we meet again: https://lnkd.in/gznnQSsc Photos by Hardwig Media

As part of their annual "best dressed at SOCAP" article, our friends at ImpactAlpha asked 15 stylish #SOCAP26 attendees what "power in place" means to them. 📍💡 See a snapshot of their inspiring responses below and explore the full article by Zuleyma Bebell here: https://lnkd.in/ex6Z6Ydr 💬 “Power in place means to me that the folks who are rooted in place are exercising their power to drive how wealth is distributed in service of their well-being, their dreams, and the future that is best for them.” — Charli Cooksey, WEPOWER 💬 “It’s about how investors can support companies in deepening relationships in the places that they work. Not as an afterthought, but intentionally built into their strategies.” — Jenna Anita Nicholas, Lightpost Capital 💬 “We have to recognize non-financial legacies. Many times, long-term, multigenerational residents have legacies in a place. They may not have a financial ownership stake, but they often have a family and emotional ownership, and that’s often not valued.” — Robert Killins Jr., Greater Cincinnati Foundation

🗞️ SOCAP in the news. 🗞️ #SOCAP26 was mentioned in a recent op-ed by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs focused on building more housing in the state. "Chicago’s innovation streak has drawn SOCAP, one of the world’s largest impact investment conferences, to the city for the first time," Frerichs writes. "The conference gathers [a] worldwide community of investors, fund managers, foundation leaders, entrepreneurs and practitioners and places a spotlight on our region as a hub for practical, capital-driven solutions to the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Housing is a topic woven into the conference." 🏡 ➡️ Read the article on Crain's Chicago Business: https://lnkd.in/gkFSrkWq State of Illinois #HousingSolutions #AffordableHousing

Thank you to our values-aligned partners that helped bring #SOCAP26 to life. Through our collaboration, we are able to dream bigger, become more innovative, uplift our community, and amplify the solutions we all need to build a brighter tomorrow. 🌟⁠ Thank you to the SOCAP26 partners: Halloran Philanthropies MacArthur Foundation W.K. Kellogg Foundation The Chicago Community Trust JPMorganChase Cartier Women's Initiative Community Desk Chicago The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation Good Chaos Greater Cincinnati Foundation Pivotal Steans Family Foundation PNC Private Bank a)plan coaching Field Foundation | Half Step Lumina Foundation McNulty Foundation Mwendo P33 Chicago Redefine Alliance Skoll Foundation World Education Services ProActive Sustainable Bonds™ Bark Media Co. Capital One Chicago Community Loan Fund Community Investment Corporation Community Reinvestment Fund, USA First Women's Bank IFF Impact Engine Impact Evaluation Lab ImpactPHL Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Next50 Northern Trust Otipêy (Raven Outcomes Fund) Pritzker Traubert Foundation Sing Creative Group William Blair ImpactAlpha SSIR

At SOCAP, we encourage our community to get out of their silos — and that includes geography. Bringing the event to the Midwest has been invigorating. The mix of new and returning attendees led to emerging synergies, refreshing perspectives, and a shared humility as we learn from each other. 💡 🏙️ So many critical outcomes are already being developed, and a clear path has been laid for us to continue to grow together as we recognize that much more work remains to be done. It has been an honor to convene the impact ecosystem this week. Thank you for your presence, your openness, and your commitment to building a better future. We look forward to what this event brings to life in the coming year before we gather again. 🌟 💛 Be sure you are subscribed to the SOCAP newsletter to receive more highlights from the event and an invitation to join us again next year: https://lnkd.in/gV4GEujk

We have loved seeing your #SOCAP26 highlights and reflections on social media! Here's what attendees shared on LinkedIn about their time at this year's convening: - “Representing Navajo Power and Navajo Power Home at SOCAP Global 2026 in Chicago! Our Team is on the ground connecting with partners and investors who share our dedication to expanding equitable, community-first energy solutions. Whether developing utility-scale solar projects or delivering off-grid power to homes across the Navajo Nation, we are proud to champion Indigenous-led climate action on the global stage.” — Navajo Power - “The energy and excitement around Refugee Lens Investing here at SOCAP26 is incredible! It’s exciting to see growing recognition that refugees are not simply beneficiaries of support, but entrepreneurs, innovators, and economic contributors with enormous untapped potential.” — Bradford Turner, Refugee Impact Fund - “The first two days of SOCAP Global here in Chicago have been incredibly grounding and full of momentum. As we talk about systems change, it is powerful to see the impact ecosystem actively centering the people and places driving that work forward. ... Today, it was an honor to step outside the conference rooms and show attendees what targeted, place-based investment looks like in action.” — Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective - "As a SOCAP26 partner, IEL is proud to bring the impact investing community together at our booth for rich conversations about measuring and identifying authentic impact. … Conversations spanned strategies from biodiversity bonds and innovative fishery management funds to affordable housing approaches focused on community flourishing. These discussions highlight the importance of measuring how different strategies deliver on their goals and the needs of the communities they serve." — Impact Evaluation Lab - “SOCAP Global 2026 highlights thus far: meeting some exceptional social impact nonprofits, B-Corp entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship support orgs, impact investors, foundation funders, CDFIs, and a lot of just good-hearted folks making the world a better place.” — Next Mission Growth 📸 Photos by Hardwig Media

As #SOCAP26 comes to a close, we're reflecting on the power of this community. 💡 Here are some of the insights and calls to action we heard from the stages on Wednesday: - “When fear arises, the best thing we can do is educate ourselves and understand there is not a new law that prevents us from investing in whatever matters to us.” Rachel J. Robasciotti, Adasina Social Capital | Mobilizing Capital in a Constrained Environment: Investor Action Under Pressure - “I would like us to move toward a 'no wrong donor' model and think about this work more multidimensionally.” Kirby Burkholder, IFF | From Philanthropy to Market-Rate: Leveraging the Full Capital Stack for Thriving Communities - “The more clearly we articulate our own goals and capabilities, the clearer it becomes who else is engaged, who else’s perspective would sharpen our perspective. The unique, supportive impact community in Chicago is a dynamic and fluid set of relationships.” Andrea Sáenz, The Chicago Community Trust | Place-Based Investing in Practice: How Community Foundations Drive Community Thriving - “What I've learned from the projects we work on is that word of mouth and demonstrations of the value and the cost savings of these beneficiaries will bring others on board. It's not just a random preservation job, but one that catalyzes investment, financing, community involvement, and support for these projects.” Gregg Verutes, Ph.D., Blue Forest | Financing Nature: Unlocking Capital for Health and Climate Resilience - “A lot of the opportunity for AI in the care economy lies in removing the friction, the administrative and cognitive burden for caregivers. If AI can relieve these friction points, it leaves more time for valuable human connection.” Lara Jeremko, Beyond Ventures | Crowdsourcing the Next $1B Opportunity in the Care Economy - “A just energy future for Tribal Nations is a just energy future for everyone.” Lauren Grattan, Mission Driven Finance® | Indigenous-Led Financial Solidarity: Powering a Just Energy Future for Tribal Nations - “If your lawyer is always telling you no, you need another lawyer. There is a lot of creativity and rigidity in what we're trying to do, and we can work with both to help get you where you are trying to go.” Tomer Inbar, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | Navigating the Legal Landscape of Impact Capital 📸 Photos by Hardwig Media