Caspian and Grassroots work closely together on project development and management, sharing staff and resources between their New York, Massachusetts, Hyderabad and Delhi offices. For more information about Caspian please visit Caspian’s web site.

WHAT’S NEW:

• Paul DiLeo will attend the SPTF’s Social Investor and DFI Meeting on Responsible Finance to be held in London, February 12-13 and will chair a discussion of “How is the field developing and understanding the topic of balancing financial and social returns? How do asset owners and managers align their investment strategy?“ See link.
• Caspian Advisors Managing Director and Grassroots Partner, Viswanatha Prasad will attend the joint Harvard Business School / Kennedy School India Conference February 15-16 in Cambridge MA, and participate in a panel on “The Future of Impact Investing in India” moderated by Michael Chu of HBS and the Ignia Fund. See Link.
• While in the States, Prasad will also present a panel on microfinance and impact investments “What’s Happening in India?”  at the Microfinance Club of New York on February 18th. For upcoming registration details please see link.
• Grassroots Social Performance Manager Anna Kanze will initiate a Grassroots initiative to more effectively integrate SPM into governance and management of MFIs and other impact companies with a trip to India in February.  Follow on visits to additional MFIs in Asia as well as Africa and Latin America are planned for this spring and a report on the project pilot phase will be issued around mid-year. This program is part of a larger initiative to introduce an impact first fund investing primarily equity and debt in exemplary socially performing MFIs.
• Grassroots is supporting expansion of an African microfinance network by assisting in developing tailored credit policies and procedures.
• The Slow Money Pioneer Valley Chapter is hosting its first Entrepreneurship Showcase on January 28, 2014. Six local food system entrepreneurs will tell their story, offering you an opportunity to align your dollars with your values. Read more about this event on the PVGrows website.
• Since September 2013, Paul DiLeo has been part of team developing recommendations for how the small and micro business sectors in the US can better support job creation and boosting incomes, drawing on international experience in building the microfinance industry.  In February, the project team will present preliminary recommendations to stakeholders and an Advisory Board convened by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity see link, which together with the Calmeadow Foundation, is funding the project.
• In February, Paul DiLeo will attend the final Board meeting of Emergency Liquidity Facility. The ELF was launched in 200, with the Grassroots managed Gray Ghost Fund as a founding investor, see link.
• For the third consecutive year, Grassroots Capital Management PBC has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 2013, see link. The IA50 is an annually updated list of experienced private debt and equity impact investment fund managers.  The IA 50 serves as a gateway for those interested in achieving social and/or environmental, as well as financial, returns on their investments.  Fund managers included in the IA 50 2013 manage a combined $10.8 billion in assets within the impact investing market. Firms were chosen based on experience, impact, and with an eye toward reflecting the diversity of impact investment opportunities. For Grassroots’ profile click here.
• Grassroots has become a sponsor of the Money and Impact Investing Directory which aims to foster learning and engagement for people interested in aligning money and values, see link.
• What’s New Archive click here