April 2023

Welcome to Wealth, Power & Social Change, our quarterly LinkedIn newsletter about how we can create a more sustainable and equitable world together through philanthropy, impact investing, and ESG. 

It was a packed first quarter of 2023 for Lebec Consulting! From Miami and New York to London and Paris, we convened important conversations on solutions across the capital continuum, from catalytic philanthropy to impact investing and sustainable finance; met with partners and allies; and kicked off exciting work with new clients working at the intersection of climate, inequality, global health, and education.

As we continue to tackle the big challenges facing our world, we remain hopeful and inspired by the remarkable people and organizations we get to work with every day. Meet a few of them below and check out the recent highlights here at Lebec Consulting. 

Simprints

Billions—of people living in poverty and the dollars intended to help—are falling through the cracks. That’s why Simprints developed a new kind of technology for good: the world’s first-ever open-source biometric ID with privacy at its core. Designed to transform the way world fights poverty and responds to international health and development challenges, Simprints gives the world’s most vulnerable citizens a safe digital identity and prevents widespread fraud to ensure that every vaccine, every dollar, and every public good reaches those who need them most. In just eight years, Simprints has deployed its safe biometric IDs in 17 countries, enrolled 2.5 million people, and partnered with four Ministries of Health. Be sure to check out their work here.  

The Global Business Coalition for Education is a movement of 150+ corporations committed to ending the global education crisis. Since 2012, GBC-Education has made breakthrough progress on some of education’s toughest challenges, including closing the digital divide, providing education in humanitarian crises, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. It does this by facilitating relationships between diverse stakeholders, sharing best practices and resources, and supporting companies to implement sustainability activities so all young people have the best start in life, a safe place to learn, and skills for the future. Read GBC-Education's latest report here.  

Urban Growers Collective 

Everyone deserves a healthy, sustainable, and thriving environment to live in, but communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change, unemployment, and negative health outcomes. That's why Urban Growers Collective (UGC)—a Black- and women-led nonprofit based in Chicago—is committed to creating nourishing environments through farming. Specifically, UGC operates eight urban farms across Chicago, providing over 18,000 pounds of accessible fresh produce and educational and life-enriching opportunities for 500+ people each year. UGC is poised to take its impactful programming to the next level with the Green Era Campus, which will be a vibrant hub for green energy and jobs, fresh produce, small business incubation, educational programming, and community green space in Chicago. Check out this recent special edition of USA TODAY (page 58) featuring UGC and its co-founder & CEO, Erika Allen.  

Our Continued Work

In addition to Lebec’s newest clients, we are thrilled to continue our partnerships with Acumen, Alliance Global Advisors, the Elevate Prize Foundation, and Water.org. 

Alix sat down with the team at STROLL magazine to talk about her path to becoming an entrepreneur and impact investor, the extraordinary people and teams she worked with along the way, and why it led her to launch Lebec Consulting with a vision to help clients across the capital continuum reverse the tides of global inequality.

Flip to page 22 to learn what Alix and Lebec Consulting are up to today.

The Purse Podcast is changing the conversation for women about money and investing. On this episode, Alix joined Jana Hlistova, founder of The Purse Podcast, to talk about the future of sustainable investing, including investing in women in emerging markets.

Listen on Spotify.

Alix Lebec, alongside Emerald-Jane "EJ" Hunter, founder of the DEI-focused integrated marketing firm myWHY Agency, spoke with Mary Mazzoni of Triple Pundit on why some brands have gone silent on the issue of police violence and why it’s in their best interest to do better.  

The historical oversight of women+ in our global economy has created perhaps the biggest market opportunity that has ever existed. Alix Lebec and Gannon Gillepsie—Tostan Senior Advisor and Lebec advisory board member— share some thoughts on what the world stands to gain by investing in women-led businesses around the world, and why the financial industry is long overdue for for a new playbook. 

Ms. Market: The Future of the Global Economy is Female – Alix Lebec & Gannon Gillepsie

MIAMI

Unlocking Solutions to a Sustainable Future

In February, Lebec, in partnership with its client Water.org and sustainability firm Baobab ESG, brought together the climate, entrepreneurial, finance, impact investing, and philanthropic communities in Miami for an important conversation on public and private sector solutions to the global water and climate crisis. Alix moderated a multi-faceted discussion with experts across the capital continuum – from the corporate and non-profit sectors to philanthropy to public-private partnership – on what it will take to solve the global water crisis in our lifetime. Special guests included Miami-based leaders from I Squared Capital, World Climate Tech Summit, Handshake, Wells Fargo, and Waterfront Alliance, among many others. 

Panelists included:   

7th Annual Innovation Awards

In March, in celebration of International Women’s Day, the 7th Annual Innovation Awards honored some of Miami’s most prominent female moguls and changemakers in industries such as law, finance, real estate, government affairs, philanthropy, media, healthcare, and more. Alix, alongside Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, was awarded the Outstanding Service and Innovation Award in Philanthropy and Finance. The Lebec team is grateful to Christine Perrin-Stocco for nominating Alix and to Nicole Shelley Greenidge Prattico for bringing this inspiring platform together.

PARIS

OECD netFWD Annual Meeting and Gender Working Group

In March, Lebec’s Chief Strategy Officer, Europe, Rafia Qureshi, moderated a panel discussion on gender lens financing at the 2023 OECD netFWD Annual Meeting and Gender Working Group. The Network of Foundations Working for Development (netFWD) convenes leaders in philanthropy and connects them with policy makers and OECD experts to address the world's most pressing development challenges. The all-women panel made up of experts from the gender financing and funding space spoke about the needs of organizations in the field, how more foundations can finance gender equality, and what success ultimately looks like.  

Make Good Famous Summit - May 2023

Alix is looking forward to facilitating two masterclasses at The Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit next month. This summit will bring together winners of The Elevate Prize–an extraordinary group of leaders, visionaries, and activists–as well as CNN Heroes, philanthropists, and changemakers who are solving some of the world’s most critical challenges. 

LONDON

Water, Climate, and Catalytic Philanthropy: Unlocking Solutions to a Sustainable Future

In March, on the heels of World Water Day, Lebec, in partnership with Water.org, brought together its global community at The Conduit to explore how flexible and long-term grant funding and investments in clean water and sanitation can accelerate progress towards climate change. Alix moderated a solutions-oriented discussion with the panelists, diving into the ways in which catalytic philanthropy is uniquely positioned to unlock investment capital at scale to solve the global water and climate crisis.

Panelists included:  

 

This element is critical to human flourishing — yet missing from the news – The Washington Post  

A much-needed op-ed by journalist Amanda Ripley, who writes about how traditional news coverage often overlooks and underplays three key storylines and dimensions that humans need to thrive: Hope, Agency, and Dignity.

Starbucks Commits Over $50 Million to Sustainable Waste and Water Funds Toward a Resource-Positive Future - Starbucks

A new round of investments, part of a collective private and public sector collaboration, is a major step to scale innovative solutions to advance water access and reduce waste sent to landfill. This includes an initial investment by Starbucks of up to $25 million into WaterEquity's Global Access Fund IV.

Implications of the Outperformance of Active Sustainable Investing - Illuminem 

Studies have demonstrated over 3-, 5-, 10- and 20- years that active sustainable investing outperforms financially more often than not at a time when most active managers underperform their benchmarks after fees. This fully refutes arguments that ESG leads to lower financial returns and makes active sustainable investing the strategy of choice for investors.

UK’s top asset manager warns of ‘bumpy ride’ through green transition  - The Financial Times 

The UK’s largest asset manager has warned that businesses and financial institutions are failing to price in the risks of climate change, telling investors to strap in. Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM), which oversees more than £1.2tn in assets, said a delayed shift to a low-carbon economy could leave global equities more than a third lower than in a rapid transition.  

 Women Drive Wealth. So Why is Equity Still Inequitable? - TIME

Women drive wealth. So what's the problem? Looking at the VC world, Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient, says that we're asking the wrong question. "It should not be: Why is only 2% of VC funding going to women founders? The question should be: Why are only 16% of decision-makers at VC firms women?” 

Etsy Launches $30 Million Impact Investment Fund – ESG Today

Handmade craft marketplace Etsy announced the launch of the Etsy Impact Investment Fund, allocating $30 million to impact investments targeting economic empowerment and sustainability. Etsy’s investments through this fund are intended to accelerate the development of the creative economy, support financially underserved communities, and promote environmental sustainability.  

Lebec Partners

About Lebec Consulting  

Lebec Consulting is a women-owned and led company working across philanthropy, impact investing, and ESG. We help clients break with conventionality and think outside the box to achieve their greatest social impact. With over two decades of experience, Lebec supports clients with their strategy, core messaging, and leveraging every tool in the capital toolbox. With our community of partners and clients, we are ecosystem builders, co-creators, disruptors, collaborators, and storytellers.

Lebec-Consulting.com | Meet the Lebec Consulting Team

Watch season one of our show, Women+ We’ve Been Waiting For: Conversations on Wealth, Power & Social Change with Alix Lebec on YouTube!