Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

What’s NEW for SOCAP15? ... A message from SOCAP Convener, Kevin Jones:

Expanding from our roots in venture capital, SOCAP15 will span the entire breadth of all asset classes as we highlight the new economy that’s emerging to replace the old, extractive one of traditional capitalism. In addition to all you have already come to expect to find at SOCAP, the Divest/Invest movement will be a new entry this year into public equities; stocks the average person can buy. And thanks to funded research, we will be able to help you separate the real players from the posers. SOCAP will point you to the best NGOs, the ones getting it done as activists and individuals. We will also highlight some fossil-fuel-free wealth managers who are truly compliant with the spirit of the movement to move money to save the planet.

From there, we move to where TO invest. Where do you put your money once you take your money out of funds that are hurting the planet? After we influence foundations, colleges and religious endowments to join the true blue foundations and money managers who have divested their money from an economy that’s killing us, how do we help them move to investments that help make the changes we, and our planet and communities need? We will be pointing you to top venture capital investment opportunities in financial inclusion; not making money off the poor, but opportunities that reduce the cost of being poor, opportunities that link top tech entrepreneurs with major financial platforms like American Express, Pay Pal and Master Card. We will also point you to the myriad ways entrepreneurs are helping communities invest in the places where they live, taking control of their local neighborhood economies to create places that are healthier and the community is wealthier. SOCAP will be suffused with the members of an emerging network of resilient small towns and cities forming in a peer learning network that is actively making it happen. Coming together to move the new economy forward.

SOCAP and the movement at the intersection of money and meaning has grown to focus on what we do with all of our money; what we invest in the stock market, what we invest in our local communities, what we give to the non profits and churches, synagogues and other houses of worship we love, and philanthropic investing through Donor Advised Funds.

We are looking forward to being with you in October, and hope you are excited to see how this year’s event it taking place. SOCAP Open (our open submissions process) will be launching soon, and we are also looking forward to hearing from you about what YOU want to bring to SOCAP15.Be sure to buy your ticket while prices are low.

See you in October,

Kevin Jones, Convener SOCAP15