IRVINE, Calif., May 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RevHubOC, Orange County’s first incubator and catalytic capital fund for social enterprises, hosted its inaugural Women in Impact Investing Panel, featuring top female executives and experts from the world of equity and philanthropic impact investment. Hosting over 100 attendees at the University of California Irvine, Beall Applied Innovation, this panel shed light on the need for increased female representation in key investment sectors. While the number of women-owned businesses has continued to grow over the past decade – increasing 1.2% from 2021 to 2022 in Orange County (First 5 Orange County) – women-founded ventures in the U.S. still only receive 1.9% of venture capital funds, according to McKinsey.
In an effort to address this inequity and amplify female voices in the investment space, RevHubOC’s Women in Impact Investing Panel offered valuable insights on the current impact landscape, panelist investment theses and the future of funding for impact ventures. As an organization dedicated to incubating social enterprise, the panel specifically discussed the impact investment sector, which focuses on investments made with the intention of achieving positive social and environmental impact in addition to financial return.
“While Southern California and the entire country have made great strides providing equitable opportunity for all entrepreneurs, there is still much work to be done,” said Julie Cranston, executive director of RevHub’s Investment Fund. “As an organization dedicated to creating social impact through for-profit ventures and eliminating systemic barriers to entrepreneurship, RevHub is proud to host events like the Women in Impact Investing Panel that not only elevate voices of women who are the leading experts in the emerging investment space, but also inspire the business community to join us in our mission to prioritize a more regenerative and interconnected view of business, capital and impact.”
Panelists for RevHubOC’s Women in Impact Investing Panel included:
- Moderator - Katie Kalvoda, Founder and CEO, G3 Ventures: Katie Kalvoda is the founder and CEO of G3 Ventures, a social enterprise specializing in impact investments, innovative philanthropy and community advocacy. Prior to this, Ms. Kalvoda worked in the investment management industry as Chief Investment Officer of Newport Wealth Management. In that role, she managed a portfolio comprised of commercial real estate, private equity and liquid investments. Her achievements earned her many national and international awards including Angel Investor of the Year and Best Business Leader in Real Estate Investments. In 2018 and 2021, Katie chaired the Impact Investing Conference for Campden Wealth in San Diego and Palm Springs.
- Shannon F. Eusey, Founder and CEO, Beacon Pointe Advisors: Beacon Pointe is one of the largest Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firms specializing in full-service financial planning and research-driven investments, partnering with institutions, retirement-sponsored plans, and private clients. As of YE2023, the firm has more than $30 billion in assets under advisement, with more than 50 offices and 470+ employees nationwide. Shannon is also a founding member of the Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute, and Beacon Pointe Advisors is proudly the largest female-led RIA in the nation. She also co-authored Your Dollars, Our Sense, an International Best Seller, having ranked #1 in six business and finance categories.
- Laruen Grattan, Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer, Mission Driven Finance: Lauren’s background in nonprofit development made her eager to activate more capital for social change, leading her to co-found Mission Driven Finance, an impact asset management firm and Certified B Corporation that designs, develops, and manages capital vehicles to advance inclusive economic opportunity. As Chief Community Officer, she leads the design of community-based strategy, providing a frame for both internal culture & partner relationships. Lauren’s blended heritage—Irish, Chinese, and Native Hawaiian—informs her approach to reconnecting capital and community. Prior to building Mission Driven Finance, she spent nearly 10 years fundraising for a wide variety of nonprofits—from large universities to small, volunteer-run initiatives.
- Rama Chakaki, Partner, Transform VC: Syrian-American Impact Tech Entrepreneur, Investor and philanthropist. Rama is a partner in Transform VC, a Silicon Valley firm enabling 1000 tech founders to impact a billion and make a billion by investing in deep tech with climate and social impact. Rama was instrumental in building the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Middle East. In addition to her corporate roles, Rama runs an edTech nonprofit (VIP.fund) supporting youth impacted by conflict. Rama has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, the Monitor, Arab Women Rising, a Wharton School of Business Publication and The power of presence, a book by Joy Moore.
- Katie LaFleur, Partner, Full Cycle Climate Partners: Katie LaFleur is a serial entrepreneur and Partner at FullCycle Climate Partners, investing in commercial-scale, climate-critical technologies. Committed to driving global change, Katie champions environmental protection initiatives, sitting on the board of the conservation journalism outlet, Mongabay, and serving as a Nexus Global ambassador.
To learn more about RevHub, its Impact Fund and its Social Enterprise Incubation tracks, click here.
About RevHubOC:
RevHubOC coalesces Orange County’s social enterprise ecosystem for greater innovation and impact. Founded in 2019, RevHub is a community of investors, entrepreneurs, mentors, and partners which has incubated 23 social enterprises and established RevHubOC Social Innovation Fund, Orange County’s first social impact investment fund (RevFund I). In 2022, RevHub joined several partners in establishing the NorthSTAR (Systems To Access Resources) OC Collaborative to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Orange County. Most recently, RevHub has announced its development of Orange County’s first Climate Action Business Incubator (CABI). For more information, please visit the RevHub website.
Sophie Booth
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(562) 230-3051
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