The Impact Ecosystem
Showcasing Luxembourg’s Diverse Impact Initiatives
On the 11th July 2017, we celebrated the Impact Ecosystem of Luxembourg
LMDF was proud to host the first event of its kind in collaboration with the Ville de Luxembourg. It was an evening of learning, sharing and celebration.
The resonating objectives and themes of the event included:
- Exploring the diverse and growing social and environmental impact sector of Luxembourg
- Recognising diversity – in all forms – as a powerful agent of change
- How business – finance – civil society work together to create true value
Highlights and Reflections
After a warm welcome from Colette Mart, Ville de Luxembourg, our moderator for the evening launched the event.
Hedda Pahlson-Moller, Business Angel/Impact Investor (LMDF/TIIME), described the opportunity and necessity of the impact economy – where finance and business models create societal value on multiple dimension.
She shared her hopes and journey to find entities that managed to combine the powerful mind-set of entrepreneurship (effectively identifying problems as opportunities) with social and environmental impact – and how that brought her to LMDF, where she learned about Microfinance and Luxembourg’s role in addressing poverty through innovative financial solutions.
Her call to action for the audience was to listen and learn about the exciting developments of the local ecosystem and to actively support it – as customers or as investors: “Impact investing is for everybody, that every penny we spend can drive value.”
The Pitches
We were delighted to host some of the most successful impact catalysts and initiatives of the Grand Duchy. Each organisation shared the innovative partnerships that drive the scope and depth of their impact.
The speakers had 5 minutes to present their organisation, the impact they have and how all of us can contribute to their respective work, before the crowed came to ask them more questions at their stands.
A special thanks to all the speakers that succinctly presented that evening:
- SOS Village d’Enfants Monde / BIL, Sophie Glesener
- Microlux / BGL BNP Paribas, Samuel Paulus & Karin Schintgen
- Etika asbl / BCEE, Ekkehart Schmidt & Dzemal Tomic
- 6zero1, Gontran Poirot
- LMDF, Kaspar Wansleben
- 123 Go Social / Nyuko, Martin Guerin
- Innpact, Adriana Balducci
- INDR, Norman Fisch
- Transition Minett / CELL, Norry Schneider
- OUNI, Vanessa Paul
- Friendship, Véronique Barbieux
This inspirational presentations were followed by the reactions of our expert panel composed by:
- Kenneth Hay, LMDF
- Larissa Best, Equilibre
- Romain Poulles, Luxembourg EcoInnovation Cluster
The experts all agreed that the sector is growing and professionalising, and how important awareness is to keep the momentum – and inspire others in the same direction. Yet there is more to be done, and each of these successful projects need to lead the way by showcasing how they are able to innovate and grow while maintaining their values and impact.
The evening ended with drinks and networking as all the organisations set up their tables to allow for more engaged interaction. And the celebration continued…
Until we meet again!
Team LMDF
