Championing Diversity in Impact Investing: Nora Bavey’s Vision for Unconventional Ventures.
Nora Bavey, Founder and General Partner of Unconventional Ventures (UV), joins us from Stockholm, Sweden, to discuss diversity within an impact investing context.
UV stands out as Europe's pioneering impact fund with a diversity lens, focusing on startups led by diverse founders committed to scalable impact tech in the Nordics and beyond.
Key Discussions:
Unconventional Ventures - A New Impact Paradigm: Bavey shares her journey from a refugee to becoming a leading figure in impact investing. She outlines UV's mission to close the funding gap and champion startups from underrepresented groups, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and addressing pressing global challenges.
Challenges and Opportunities in Impact Investing: Nora highlights the struggles and successes of navigating the impact investing landscape. She candidly discusses the biases diverse founders face and the strategies UV employs to ensure their portfolio companies are not just "diversity tickets" but recognized for their true growth potential.
The Portfolio - A Testament to Diversity and Impact: Bavey introduces us to some of UV's portfolio companies, from Climate X's predictive climate tools to Ocean Oasis's sustainable desalination technologies. Each represents a commitment to environmental and social change, showcasing the power of diversity in driving impactful solutions.
Measuring Impact Beyond Dollars: The episode explores the complexities of impact measurement, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced approach that goes beyond financial returns to consider the broader social and environmental effects.
A Vision for the Future: Looking toward 2030, Nora expresses a cautious optimism. She advocates for a singular focus on equality as the key to addressing the broader spectrum of sustainable development goals, calling for more diverse fund managers and a greater sense of urgency within the impact investing community.
Nora Bavey's story is a powerful testament to the role of personal experience in shaping a more inclusive and effective approach to impact investing. Through Unconventional Ventures, she's not just funding startups; she's building a more equitable and sustainable future. Her call for equality and diversity in the investment world is a clarion call for change-makers everywhere.
About Nora Bavey
Nora is Co-founder and General Partner at diversity-focused impact fund Unconventional Ventures. Before moving into the VC industry, Nora founded an EdTech that built and launched concepts for supporting underrepresented founders in the Nordics as well as supporting boards and management teams with insights and learnings on DEI. Nora has been a global thought leader in the tech sector for the last 13 years.