How Entrepreneurship and Patient Capital Can Solve Our Biggest Problems

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back!

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Yasmina Zaidman, the Chief Development and Partnerships Officer at Acumen, a pioneer and global leader in social impact investing. Acumen—probably the coolest, most inspiring organization I’ve ever come across—is dedicated to using the power of entrepreneurship and patient capital to solve some of our world’s most intractable issues. Over the last several decades, they have invested $250M in over 200 companies and have materially improved the lives of an estimated 650M people all over the world.

Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.

I wanted to have Yasmina on the show to learn more about Acumen’s inspiring work, unpack her experiences working at the forefront of this incredible movement and see what lessons we can find to improve our own mission-driven efforts. As you’ll see in the episode, Yasmina is quite a passionate and inspiring leader and has a wealth of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to trying to solve big issues. Our conversation left me wanting to drop everything and join the team at Acumen 

 Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn: 

• Why Acumen is so focused on supporting entrepreneurship as a way to engage in philanthropy

• Why promoting agency and dignity is so important in the fight to eliminate poverty

• How Acumen uncovered the secret to building entrepreneurial capacity in the most economically disadvantaged communities in the world

• What patient capital is and how it can play a crucial role in the broader philanthropic and capitalist ecosystem

• Why Acumen is so focused on building sustainable businesses that promote energy access, education, and sustainable agriculture

  &

• Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to learn why Yasmina is calling for a new paradigm for global leadership, one that prioritizes collective needs over individual desires, and discover why she believes that the key to true and lasting success is to find ways to merge your values with your aspirations. 

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in! 

Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

Keywords

Acumen, poverty alleviation, dignity, entrepreneurship, impact investing, sustainable development, social enterprise, energy access, education technology, agency, social impact, patient capital, leadership, entrepreneurship, government collaboration, education, energy access, philanthropy, investment strategies, systemic change

Summary

In this conversation, Yasmina Zaidman, Chief of Development and Partnerships at Acumen, discusses the organization's mission to alleviate poverty through entrepreneurship and impact investing. She emphasizes the importance of dignity and agency in empowering communities, the principles of scale, sustainability, and innovation in their investments, and highlights the significant impact Acumen has had in sectors like energy access and agriculture. The conversation also touches on the role of education technology in bridging gaps in learning and improving lives. In this conversation, Yasmina and Nick explore the intricate relationship between social impact, entrepreneurship, and the role of leadership in driving systemic change. They discuss the importance of collaboration between government and private sectors, the concept of patient capital, and how innovative investment strategies can lead to sustainable solutions for pressing global issues. Yasmina emphasizes the need for a leadership framework that transcends individual interests, advocating for a collective approach to solving complex problems. The discussion also highlights the evolving landscape of philanthropy and investment, showcasing how creative capital solutions can yield significant social impact while addressing critical challenges such as education and energy access.

Takeaways

• Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, and philanthropists.

• Dignity is a core concept in understanding poverty.

• Agency is crucial for individuals to thrive.

• Listening to communities is foundational to Acumen's approach.

• Sustainable business models are essential for long-term impact.

• Acumen has invested $200 million in 215 companies.

• 650 million people have been impacted by Acumen's investments.

• Energy access transforms lives and communities.

• Entrepreneurs are key to addressing systemic gaps.

• Education technology presents opportunities for improvement. Understanding the role of markets in education and energy access is complex.

• Building capacity in communities is essential for sustainable solutions.

• Entrepreneurship often requires a blend of commercial and philanthropic support.

• The problems we face are intricate and require diverse capital sources.

• Investors need to balance financial returns with social impact.

• Leadership is crucial for fostering collaboration across sectors.

• Patient capital allows for long-term investment in social enterprises.

• Philanthropy can catalyze business models that address systemic issues.

• The future of investment lies in creative and flexible capital solutions.

• Combining values with career aspirations can lead to greater societal impact.

Titles

• Investing in Dignity: Acumen's Impact

• Innovative Approaches to Energy Access Leadership: The Key to Systemic Change

• Philanthropy Meets Investment: A New Era

Sound Bites

• "Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs."

• "Dignity can mean a lot of different things."

• "Poverty is relative; there's poverty everywhere."

• "It will take all of us."

• "They built a university."

• "These problems are so complex and intractable."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Acumen and Its Mission

02:49 The Concept of Dignity in Poverty Alleviation

05:56 The Role of Agency in Empowering Communities

09:07 Business as a Tool for Sustainable Change

12:11 Investment Principles: Scale, Sustainability, and Innovation

15:01 Sector Focus: Energy Access and Agriculture

18:07 Impact Stories: Transforming Lives Through Entrepreneurship

20:55 Education and Technology: Bridging Gaps in Learning

23:44 The Role of Markets in Social Impact

29:44 Bridging the Gap: Government and Private Sector Collaboration

30:40 Leadership as a Catalyst for Change

34:18 Understanding Patient Capital

40:01 The Future of Philanthropy and Investment