Katapult Foundation’s Ignite Program

Ignite

This Fall, Katapult Foundation collaborated with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Wilstar Social Impact to launch the first Ignite Program: helping private investors shape and structure their impact investing strategy.

The Ignite Program fits into Katapult Foundation’s overall offering, as a part of the Katapult system, making impact investment mainstream. Katapult Foundation achieves this by working towards educating investors in the Nordics about impact investing.The Ignite Program acts as the first step for private investors to be involved in the Academy. It is an opportunity to learn more about impact investing and to start crafting a strategy.

The program is geared towards Nordic investors, currently Norwegian and Danish next-gens, that are running family offices or are high networth individuals, ready to deploy capital and learn more about successful impact investing.

The Ignite Program’s unique participation is tapping into the potential of personal investment and igniting a transformation in the way capital is deployed. By opening investors to the world of impact investing, capital that was so far having mixed or even negative impact, is now redirected to working towards positive impact for humanity and the planet. The Ignite Program provides an accessible step-by-step approach with readings, group discussions with leading experts and practitioners, and peer-to-peer learning.

The Nordic Impact Investing Academy not only provides investment education and guidance through the Ignite Program and tailored family consulting engagements, but also aims to empower individuals on their personal journey towards greater impact through individual 1-on-1 coaching with Britta Gruenig, accredited personal coach and Director of The Nordic Impact Investing Academy.

Beyond the lasting change of personal development, the Ignite Program is both educational and practical; enabling investors to understand the themes and concepts of impact investing and apply it to their own capital. Instructors have decades of experience in designing impact strategies and deploying capital for positive change. Alison Fort, CEO of Katapult Foundation, Board member of Toniic and Advisory Group Member for The Multi-Generational Leadership Programme at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Patrick Briaud, Senior Advisor at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Karim Harji, Associate Fellow at SAID Business School at the University of Oxford bring applied and academic pedigree to the program.

Educating private investors and families about the significance of impact investing also means creating a more sustainable economy, where values, ethics and legacy behaviors from influential families are challenged and directed to meet a more modern, sustainable and equitable perspective.

“Investors in the Nordics are excited and interested to learn how their capital can be a force for good and aligned with the change they want to see in the world. What is challenging is navigating through the noise of ‘Sustainable’, ‘Green’, ‘ Responsible’, ‘SDG’, and ‘Impact’ Investing to get started. The Ignite Program is exciting because it answers these questions and gives investors the tools and confidence to take their first steps.” Alison Fort, CEO Katapult Foundation.

The current cohort has 3 participants from Norway and Denmark and will conclude in December 2021. The sessions have been stimulating.

“We have been impressed with the participants. They showed up well prepared, having done their pre-readings and exercises diligently, ready to discuss the material with experts, practitioners and peers, and eager to get answers to questions that are relevant to their situation. Among the eye-opening insights the cohort had was the realisation that it is possible to have positive impact not only with your direct investments, but throughout your portfolio. This multiplies the amount of assets participants can consider dedicating to positive change.” – Britta Gruenig, Director of NIIA.

Indicative of the success of Ignite’s first program; prior to the program, participants considered to dedicate 10-30% of assets they could influence to impact. Upon completion of the program, participants considered to dedicate 70-90% of assets they could influence to impact.

Testimonials from the Nordic Impact Investing Academy and Ignite Program…

Family Consulting
“The Nordic Impact Investing Academy has been an amazing partner and support in setting up Longrun Capital and defining our impact strategy focusing on climate with a gender lens.”
– Cristina Ljungberg, Sweden

Ignite Program
“Prior to taking part in the Ignite Program, our portfolio had a limited share of capital allocated to what we considered impact investments. Over the course of the program, we have realized that impact can be achieved in a multitude of ways that we had not considered before, and it has enabled us to look at our portfolio from a holistic perspective with regards to this. This broadens the scope of what we can achieve in terms of impact considerably, without necessarily making drastic changes to our portfolio. The program will teach you about impact management and measurement, ensuring that you have the right tools to confirm that you are achieving the impact you are targeting with specific investments.

I would recommend this program for current and future enterprise owners and investment managers who are interested in achieving positive impact with their portfolio. Impact and financial returns are not mutually exclusive, and you will learn how to achieve both through frameworks, reading, industry experts and peers.”
– Anders Utkilen, Norway

The second round of the academy course IGNITE is planned for February 2022. There will be four 90 minute workshops paced across four dates:

– February 1st
– February 15th
– March 1st
– March 15th

The new cohort is open for recruitment now, contact Nordic Impact Investing Academy Program Director Britta Gruenig to learn more and enroll in the next round: britta@katapultfoundation.org

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