Kickstarting the third day of the Youth Global Forum 2018, participants and investors enjoyed an interesting and encouraging masterclass by Ms Anne-Louise Thon Schur. In her presentation, she outlined, in detail, the current challenges and opportunities that exist between social impact investors and social start-ups. Ms Schur brings more than 20 years of sustainability experience from a variety of countries and sectors. Furthermore, she has founded two unique concepts within sustainable and impact investing: Firstly, “SDG Invest”, the first global, sustainable equity investment fund in Europe, that uses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as a proactive tool to invest in listed large-cap funds, and secondly “The Global Impact Club” (GIC), a network of families that want to co-inspire, co-educate and co-invest in impact cases and programs (a brief video interview with Ms Schur, summarizing her ideas and concepts, can be found within this orange magazine-edition).
Subsequently, Ms. Aurelia Attipoe, the winner of last year’s Youth Time Idea Grant, reported about the progress of her project, training young entrepreneurs in Ghana. This approach was awarded by Youth Time last year, and thanks to the support, she managed to train successfully around 320 participants, instead of the originally planned 50 participants.
Finally, the heart of the event was reached: the presentations of 15 investees, striving towards sustainably developing their environment. These projects are planned to take place in a number of (partly) developing countries, such as Ghana, Russia, India, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Indonesia or South Africa. The effort and passion of the presenters were undeniable. With structured cost and business plans, preparing since months for their project pitches, they aimed at convincing the six-headed jury. Ms Julia Kinash, president of Youth Time International Movement (see video interview), and Dr Vladimir Yakunin, sponsor and Head of the Department of State Politics at the Faculty of Political Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University, headed the jury. After every 3 presenters, an extensive Q&A-round took place, requesting the investees to defend their ideas.
The contents of the projects were multifold: children houses, installation of light bulbs to ease study conditions, generation-connecting networks, mediation or Urban Hanging Gardens – the selection of the final presenters showed the wide reach of projects admitted being considered at the Forum. Afterwards, the audience had the chance to give a public vote on their personal favourite. Great exercise for this demanding presentation was a networking dinner which took place the night before. Here, participants hat the chance to present their passion in a pressure-free environment.
Concluding the day, attendees participated in two different workshops, furthering the Forum’s theme of Impact Investment. Relieved to have successfully finished their presentations, but also tired from two dance and socializing events the days before, the enjoyed relaxing whilst highly qualitative speakers widened their knowledge in current challenges. Mr Rakesh Biswas was talking about new technologies being developed and implemented to support renewable energy, whereas Mr Khalid Garba Mohammed was relating the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals to Impact Investment.
Exhausted, but satisfied: during the evening, the participants and jury enjoyed their time to relax and unwind for the upcoming Closing Ceremony.
Report by Berenike Vollmer.
