PLY: A fascinating quotation to start the week, comparing SIBs to the space race:
“A lot of things don’t work at first…just because the first five rockets didn’t make it to the moon it doesn’t mean people gave up”.
Have a good week – oh and I look forward to seeing some readers at “Young Markets” my annual symposium on the future of finance, starting Wednesday in Warsaw.
Kevin Doyle Jones: No More Heroes Anymore
Ellie Ward – Pioneers Post
Markets don’t solve everything – co-founder of SOCAP and impact investing heavyweight Kevin Doyle Jones talks to Ellie Ward.
The looming mountains and vast expanse of water that provide the backdrop for this interview with Kevin Doyle Jones seem rather apt. His passion, intelligence and outspoken nature make him somewhat intimidating on first introductions, but as with many successful leaders, when speaking with him one-to-one Jones immediately becomes warm, honest and open.
Jones is the co-founder of the SOCAP network and annual conference, which brings thousands of entrepreneurs and investors who believe in the creation of a socially responsible economy together each year in the US. He is a heavyweight in the impact investment world, having worked in the sector for around 15 years and is the founder of Good Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in social ventures. Jones was also part of the team which launched the first Hub in the US.
He’s usually to be found in either Ashville, North Carolina (where his grandchildren live) or San Francisco but this week a new project aiming to disrupt the way foundations and social sector organisations work in order to encourage more collaboration has brought him to Lake Como in Italy. The project is Sphaera, a social enterprise that has the backing of The Rockefeller Foundation and which Jones is currently an advisor for.
On social impact bonds, Jones is pragmatic. Comparing them to the space race he says, “a lot of things don’t work at first” but “ just because the first five rockets didn’t make it to the moon it doesn’t mean people gave up”. The model is so complex and disruptive of current systems that it should be seen as an “evolution” he says.