TLDR: Investing in Humanity: How VCs Are Pioneering Social Change With Carry4Good’s Pledge
- Elena Gibson, partner at Ashoka Europe and Director of Carry4Good, has introduced the Carry4Good pledge, a community of general partners (GPs) who pledge a percentage of their carry to Ashoka, a global network of social entrepreneurs.
- Carry4Good supports Ashoka’s Fellowship, which consists of nearly 4,000 social entrepreneurs operating in over 90 countries.
- Carry4Good has selected many social innovators into its Fellowship, including those working on the ethical concerns of technology for humanity and climate change.
- Several VC funds, including Acton Capital, Redstone, and Idico, have joined the Carry4Good initiative.
- The biggest challenge in getting more GPs to pledge is the psychology of economic downturn, as many people are hesitant to donate during down markets.
- Carry4Good aims to double the number of pledgers and expand its impact in the investment industry.
Elena Gibson, partner at Ashoka Europe and Director of Carry4Good, introduced the Carry4Good pledge at a conference in Zurich, Switzerland. The pledge is a community of general partners (GPs) who pledge a percentage of their carry to Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs. Carry4Good aims to build a growing network of pledgers who provide funding for Ashoka’s Fellowship, which consists of nearly 4,000 social entrepreneurs operating in over 90 countries.
Carry4Good has selected many social innovators into its Fellowship, including those working on the ethical concerns of technology for humanity. One example is Hadi al Kathib, who verifies and archives graphic social media content from conflict areas, and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, founder of HateAid, who challenges big tech and defends the rights of users. Carry4Good also supports social entrepreneurs working on climate change initiatives at a societal or legal level, such as James Thornton, founder of Client Earth, and Bart Wentjens, founder of Apopo, who trains rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis.
Several VC funds, including Acton Capital, Redstone, and Idico, have joined Carry4Good’s initiative and have pledged their support. However, the biggest challenge in getting more GPs to pledge is the psychology of an economic downturn, as many people are hesitant to donate during down markets. Despite this challenge, Carry4Good aims to double the number of pledgers over the coming years and expand its impact in the investment industry. Carry4Good believes that social entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in investing for a better future and hopes to inspire more people in the investment industry to support social entrepreneurs.
