Publications

22 Apr 2024
Research & Ideas

When Does Impact Investing Make the Biggest Impact?

HBS colleagues Leslie Jeng, senior lecturer; Josh Lerner, Jacob H. Schiff Professor; Natalia Rigol, assistant professor; and Benjamin N. Roth, Purnima Puri and Richard Barrera Associate Professor. A year-long database build Because no truly comprehensive database View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

2007
Report

Aggregating Impact: A Funder's Guide to Mission Investment Intermediaries

By: Mark R. Kramer and Sarah E. Cooch

Despite the wide range of impact investment intermediaries that are available and the advantages they can offer, many funders remain unaware of this growing trend to deliver both social impact and financial returns. This study from 2007 provides an overview of these... View Details

Keywords: Financial Intermediaries; Foundations; Impact Investment; Development Economics; Mission and Purpose; Investment; Strategy

Register to Read

2021
Working Paper

Accounting for Product Impact in the Interactive Media and Services Industry

By: DG Park, George Serafeim and Katie Trinh

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the interactive media and services industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact... View Details

SSRN

Read Now

Web

Investing for Impact | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

INVESTMENT FUND Field Course: Investing for Impact Born out of the efforts of HBS students and faculty in the spring of 2020, the HBS View Details

Web

Research Design - Impact Investments

of incorporation for such companies. The work of this project seeks to expand upon this by linking the impact investment companies to Census data, which will provide the means... View Details

Web

Our Team - Impact Investments

Hill. He then earned a Ph.D. from Harvard's Economics Department. Manager Jonah H. Zahnd Manager of the Project on Impact Investments and the Social Impact Collaboratory Jonah... View Details

2021
Working Paper

Impact Accounting for Product Use: A Framework and Industry-specific Models

By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh

This handbook provides the first systematic attempt to generate a framework and industry-specific models for the measurement of impacts on customers and the environment from use of products and services, in monetary terms, that can then be reflected in financial... View Details

Keywords: Impact Measurement; Product Impact; Customer Welfare; Environment; ESG; Product; Customers; Well-being; Environmental Sustainability; Measurement and Metrics; Accounting; Financial Statements; Analysis; Framework

SSRN

Read Now

Web

Contact Us - Impact Investments

Contact Us Contact Us If you are interested in learning more about Impact Investments, please fill out the form below. All fields required. Your Name* Preferred Email Address* Your Affiliation* Inquiry* View Details

October 2024 (Revised November 2024)
Case

SWEN Blue Ocean: Impact Investing Goes to Sea

By: Vikram S Gandhi and David Allen

In August 2023, SWEN Blue Ocean, a €170 million impact fund that invested in startups contributing to ocean sustainability, faced a critical investment decision. Part of SWEN Capital Partners, an €8 billion, Paris-based private equity fund, Blue Ocean was co-founded in... View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology; Finance; Capital; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Investment; Investment Funds; Science-Based Business; Financial Services Industry; France; Paris; Italy

September 2009 (Revised May 2011)
Case

Acumen Fund: Measurement in Impact Investing (A)

By: Alnoor Ebrahim and V. Kasturi Rangan

Acumen Fund is a global venture capital firm with a dual purpose: it looks for a return on its investments, and it also seeks entrepreneurial solutions to global poverty. This case examines Acumen's new projects in Kenya. The organization's investment committee and its... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Investment Return; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Risk Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Social Enterprise; Financial Services Industry; Kenya

June 2020
Teaching Note

Generation Investment Management

By: Vikram S. Gandhi and Sarah Mehta

This teaching note provides guidance for teaching the case “Generation Investment Management” (820-033), which looks at the challenges facing a sustainable investment firm. View Details

15 Oct 2019
News

Advancing China’s Impact Investing Ecosystem

Jingsheng Huang, managing executive director of the Harvard Center Shanghai, to organize an impact investing conference in Shanghai. (photo courtesy Harvard Center Shanghai) It takes drive and conviction... View Details

07 Oct 2019
News

Weighting accounts for impact

28 Apr 2022
Blog Post

Harvard Team Wins Second Place in MIINT Impact Investing Competition

developed strong bonds and community. Vugar Abdullayev (MBA 2023) explained: “I am very thankful for the diverse team from HBS and HKS for the hard work, cooperation and fun! I am also grateful View Details

April 2014 (Revised July 2014)
Case

Aspada: In Search of the Right Structure for Impact Investing

By: Michael Chu and Rachna Tahilyani