[ad_1]
ladder construction is a diverse picture book and online curriculum publishing platform with a mission to empower over 1 million children to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interplanetary journalist Spiffy’s interviews with inspiring social entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship ecosystem builders and changemakers driving the United Nations SDGs forward.
Welcome back! In high spirits, your interplanetary journalists report from Earth, highlighting the entrepreneurs working to make our world more just. Today I’m very excited to talk with Justin Schwartz, his managing partner at IMPAQTO Capital.
Spicy: Thanks for joining us, Justin! What challenges is IMPAQTO Capital addressing?
Justin: I’m glad to be here, Spiffy! IMPAQTO Capital’s mission is to support entrepreneurs in the Andean region of Latin America who are solving social and environmental problems with their startups. We provide these entrepreneurs with capital, support and connections, enabling them to scale their businesses and create a deeper positive impact in the world.
Spicy: That is wonderful! What is your motivation for doing that?
Justin: I am passionate about the power of entrepreneurship to solve the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems, and Latin America has huge opportunities for this type of innovation. I love working with entrepreneurs and helping them in any way I can, especially investing in their startups and seeing their passion come through.
Spicy: How is your organization working towards a more just world?
Justin: The startups we invest in use innovation to create a better world. One of our portfolio companies, Fibrazo, provides home internet services to poor urban families in Colombia and Argentina. Otherwise, you will have to pay a lot of money to access the Internet. Bridging this connectivity gap will have a huge positive impact as kids can get their homework done, adults can work remotely, and families can better connect across distance.
Spicy: Please tell us about some recent organizational milestones and initiatives. How does it impact your audience and community?
Justin: In addition to the Impact Investing Fund, our organization is working to build social entrepreneurship and impact investing ecosystems across Latin America. One way to make these connections is through an impact investing conference called CLIIQ. In September, we held our 6th conference, which brought together over 200 entrepreneurs, investors, and others who support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. These spaces, where people can meet others who share a common purpose and mission and explore opportunities to collaborate, enrich people and inspire new ideas, initiatives and investments.
Spicy: wonderful! Tell us about an exciting startup that you helped grow its impact.
Justin: We recently invested in Sinba, a circular economy startup working to promote a waste-free world. The company collects and processes organic waste from hotels and restaurants and recyclable materials from low-income, informal waste pickers. By educating and encouraging businesses and individuals to separate their waste and utilize reusable parts, we can minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills. This initiative is not only important for the city’s environmental health, but also reduces carbon emissions and contributes to climate change mitigation. We are excited to support Sinba’s mission and grow its business and impact.
Spicy: Justin, thank you for speaking with us today, it was an honor!
Justin Schwartz is impact capital, an impact investment fund that invests in early-stage startups in the Andean region. He has his nine years of experience working in investments and entrepreneurship on three continents. Justin is also the President of ECUACAP, the Ecuadorian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. (Recommended by Josef Scarantino from Hubspot Ventures. First published on his Ladderworks website on February 9, 2024.)
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Ladderworks LLC.
© 2024 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Sujit Kunte. Spiffy’s illustration Shreyas Navarre. For more information about Ladderworks digital curriculum that helps kids from kindergarten to high school advance the United Nations’ SDGs, visit: Spiffy’s Launchpad: Creative Entrepreneurship Workshops for K-12 Kids and Their Parents here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
[ad_2]
Source link
