SVN and Investors’ Circle

Jay OwenSRI/ESG News

Investors’ Circle (IC) and Social Venture Network (SVN) have both been pioneers in the impact investing and social entrepreneurship fields, and we are pleased to announce that our organizations will merge effective January 1, 2018. IC and SVN share origins and a vision for a sustainable and just economy, but for 25 and 30 years, respectively, we have operated independently to serve the unique needs of impact investors and mission-driven business leaders. As the world changes and the social impact ecosystem matures, we can better serve our communities and the broader field by joining forces.

This combination creates a new approach to solving problems that is anchored in community and driven by collaboration. It enables us to break down silos to focus on the critical issues of our time and build the right market-based solutions. We see an opportunity to set a new norm of inclusiveness and collaboration among investors, entrepreneurs, donors, policy makers, and thought leaders—moving forward together as a single organization meets the needs of the field by capitalizing on this opportunity, and it positions us to boldly guide the industry going forward.

The IC-SVN merger embodies the spirit of the Investors’ Circle Good Companies, Good Jobs initiative, founded by a legacy gift from the The Hitachi Foundation, as we work to create change: through our investment portfolios, by partnering with entrepreneurs to promote mission-driven business models, and by integrating our values into the way business is done. The merger also elevates our strategic direction with more opportunities to engage locally, nationally, and virtually. From pitch meetings to peer circles, we will build upon the programs that our members value by honoring the connections within our existing networks and by creating new ways of collaborating across identities and interests. Combined efforts will allow us to accelerate and scale the collective power of our work.