20/30 Visions

If we're going to have any hope of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, business and enterprise clearly need to play a central role. So it follows that we need to get many more of the world's best entrepreneurs working on solutions to our biggest social and environmental challenges - and then give them the resources they need to succeed at scale.This week's guest is Ella Goldner, the co-founder and GM of UK-based Zinc, whose model offers an interesting exemplar of how to do this. Zinc gets would-be entrepreneurs excited about solving a pressing societal challenge, helps them identify a specific commercial solution, and then provides them with the capital, expertise, and connections they need to scale the business up.In our interview, Ella discusses:How to get the best talent focusing on big societal challengesThe importance of breaking down silosWhat to look for in a co-founderThe support these fledgling businesses needWhy ecosystems matterThe funding outlook for mission-driven businessesAnd moreProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

The world’s biggest asset managers control a significant portion of global AuM. If we want to supercharge the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive economy, we need them to direct more of this capital towards investing for impact.In recent years, almost all of the big money managers have been expanding their impact strategies, in response to rising investor demand – hiring dedicated teams and raising dedicated funds. But how do we make sure that this is more than just a marketing exercise; that it’s done in a considered, authentic, additive way? And critically, how do we make sure that impact becomes central to all their investment strategies, and not just a niche pursuit?To discuss this, we’re joined by Lisa Hall, a lynchpin of the impact investing movement who is now helping to steer Apollo Global Management’s first official foray into impact investment. She tells us:How (and why) Apollo designed its impact strategyThe benefits of operating within a larger platformWhy new entrants shouldn’t be ‘riding the rails for free’The dangers of proprietary approaches to impactWhat this means for Apollo’s other $500bn+ of assetsand more...Produced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

Buildings contribute up to 40% of global carbon emissions (even more in big cities) - and 80% of the buildings we see around us today will still be around in 2050. So if we are to have any hope of getting to Net Zero, we need to get much better at refurbishing and retrofitting our existing building stock to make it more sustainable.Our guest this week is Emma Hoskyn, JLL's UK Head of Sustainability. We discuss:The scale of the challenge with our existing building stockHow attitudes are changing among investors and asset ownersThe retrofit measures that really make a differenceThe value and rental premium for sustainable buildingsThe barriers preventing faster progressThe need for a clearer policy framework (and the threat of IRA)and more...Produced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

Our first episode features a legend of the impact movement and one of its greatest change-makers: Sir Ronald Cohen, chair of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (and, inter alia, Bridges' founding chair). In our interview, Sir Ronald talks about:The importance of bringing impact into financial accountingWhat the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative is revealing about 3,000 top companiesWhy he thinks this transparency will change the worldThe opportunity for $1bn+ outcomes fundsWhy governments can (and should) support the development of impact investingHow the energy crisis is sparking a wave of innovationAnd why this will lead us to a new impact revolutionProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

Governments around the world are grappling with a huge array of increasingly complex social challenges. Outcomes-focused projects - sometimes called 'pay for success', or previously 'social impact bonds' - have shown clear potential to help address these challenges, by creating innovative partnerships between governments, philanthropy, the social sector and the private sector, based on a shared vision of success. But globally, this market remains small, especially relative to the scale of the problem. Why is that? And what can we do to do unlock its true potential?To discuss this, we're joined by Kevin Tan of Tri-Sector Associates. Based in Singapore, Tri-Sector is working with various east Asian governments on outcomes-based projects - and experimenting with new ways of adapting the model so it is better aligned with standard government procurement and budgeting systems. In our interview, Kevin argues:Why pay for success can be a vital tool for solving big social challengesWhy it's hard for Governments to 'fail', especially in AsiaThe problems with the standard 'social impact bond' modelTwo modifications that can help solve the 'product/ market fit' issueThe importance of working within existing government systemsAnd moreProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

In this episode, we're exploring the fascinating topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the role it can play in helping us build a better future (or not!). Our guest is Dorothy Chou of DeepMind, one of the world's leading AI companies. In our interview, Dorothy discusses:How AI is already driving significant scientific breakthroughs that are helping to reduce emissions and improve health outcomesThe importance of ensuring these benefits are shared equallyThe problem with our current dataWhy technology requires a renegotiation of the social contractThe future potential of AIProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

Most people know Richard Curtis as the creator some of the most successful British films of all time. But he's also been an hugely important figure in the development world, dating all the way back to 1985 when he co-founded Comic Relief after witnessing the famine in Ethopia (Red Nose Day) has since raised over £2bn for charity). In the last decade he has been working with the United Nations to advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals - and his most recent venture is Make My Money Matter, a campaign to unlock some of the $50trn in our pension pots globally to invest for good.For our latest 20/30 Visions interview, we caught up with Richard to discuss:How he thinks we're doing with the SDGsWhy business has been an 'unexpected success'Why he got excited about pensionsHow the pension companies have responded to this challengeWhy we need to talk about the banksWhy investors are cooler than pop stars and movie-makers (kind of)and more...Produced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

It's clear that we cannot build a more sustainable and inclusive world without substantial investment in emerging markets - not only because of the need to improve access to services and opportunities for low and middle-income consumers, but also because many of these countries are on the front line of some of the planet's biggest environmental threats. Impact investing can help to direct capital towards these challenges - but in most of these markets, the sector remains small and nascent. So how do we scale it up?To discuss this, we're joined by Daniel Izzo, co-founder of Brazil-based VOX Capital. VOX has been a real pioneer of impact investing in Brazil over the last decade, focusing primarily (and very successfully) on the venture capital space. However in recent years it has been expanding its platform across other asset classes - in response to both the range of the challenges in Brazil, and also the urgent need to attract more capital into impact.Given VOX’s pioneering role in Brazil, Daniel is ideally placed to assess the challenges - and the opportunities - of scaling up impact investment in emerging markets. In our interview, he discusses:Overcoming investor scepticism in a nascent marketThe importance of good impact storiesWhy VOX is expanding into new asset classesThe compromises needed to attract retail investorsThe influence of politicsInvesting in the resilience of local systemsAnd moreProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

In this episode, we're talking to Charlie Green, co-founder of The Office Group. Charlie (with his partner Olly Olsen, and a little help from Bridges' first fund) was an early pioneer in recognising the value that a sustainability-led approach could create in the real estate sector.Charlie talks about:How TOG was one of the first to introduce green roofs, and the impact it had on the businessWhy occupiers value sustainability features in buildingsHow the pandemic has changed the game for commercial real estate The opportunities and challenges of using more sustainable construction materials like timberHow the sector needs to change Produced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions

In this episode, we're exploring another essential topic: innovation. If we are to have any hope of tackling the challenges we face, innovation is clearly going to be critical: not just inventing whizzy new technologies, but also designing better products and better services and better ways of working.Our guest is Ravi Gurumurthy, CEO of Nesta, which styles itself as "the UK's innovation agency for social good". In our interview, Ravi discusses:Why innovation is important - and why it's hardHow to accelerate the move to Net Zero homesThe key to tackling the expensive problem of obesityHow regulation can support innovationThe one area where Government is well-placed to drive long-term changeThe key policy levers for accelerating innovationAnd moreProduced & presented by James TaylorEditing by Jake Hatt @ Free Bird FilmWatch the videos at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com/2030visions