CommonGood Capital

As a resident of Florida for over 20 years I have become used to seeing alligators, hurricanes, and bugs. They are real, but if you watch the news you would assume no one should ever visit or live in Florida as they are one bite away from losing their life to an alligator, shark, or infected mosquito. Risk exists wherever you go, but to truly grasp it, you need to see and experience the situation firsthand—along with the unique wonders each place has to offer. On September 27th the government of Rwanda declared an outbreak of the Marburg virus, a deadly virus transmitted via bodily fluid. The CDC raised the travel alert to level 3, discouraging non-essential travel to Rwanda. Meanwhile, we had a due diligence trip scheduled for Oct 19th-25th to Rwanda and Kenya. After much deliberation we took the necessary precautions and headed to Africa, despite the risk. The on-the-ground fear of Marburg was minimal, with precautionary procedures like hand washing and a quick screening test when leaving Rwanda and reentering the US. Instead of fear, our visit was marked by incredible people and experiences like touring a run-of-the-river-hydro plant called Rwaza with its two large humming turbines creating electricity that feeds directly to the national grid, supporting all different types of businesses, schools, households etc. We also saw the Dian Fossey Gorilla Museum near Volcano National Park, the home of the Silverback gorillas. From there we spent some time at the Genocide Memorial learning the struggle between the Hutu’s and the Tutsi and the outside influences that fueled the fire. We visited Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, originally created for genocide orphans which today house, heals, educates, and empowers 500 vulnerable students each year between 14-18 years old. It was the vision of Anne Hamman from San Francisco which not only started ASYV, but also challenged the board to lease 50 acres next to the village as a place to build a solar plant to benefit the community. And finally, we saw Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, full of all types of development - from soccer and basketball stadiums, to hospitals and training facilities, to malls and housing. It is truly a story of ashes to beauty. Our time in Kenya... was totally unique to Kenya and for another time. Our typical view of Africa is safaris, political unrest, charity, and disease - but that is not the whole story. Africa is the second largest continent, with the youngest population, and expected to account for 50% of all global population growth over the next 25 years. Far from a charity case, Africa requires investment capital to ethically grow and develop. It’s easy to get sucked into the soundbite narratives we hear about Africa, but there is no replacement for being on the ground, getting to know the locals, understanding their culture, and seeing firsthand the transformation and growth across Africa for yourself. - Jeffrey R. Shafer CFP ?, ChFC ? CEO of CommonGood Capital

On the podcast this week we have?Shiri Sandler, Managing Director of Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), chatting about what the purpose of a “youth village” is and why Rwanda is ideal for such a model that provides a sense of familial love and opportunity, how her educational path in genocides of the past informs her current work, the importance of capital in rebuilding devastated communities both physically and emotionally, and much more. Don't miss it! FULL EPISODE:?https://lnkd.in/d7ga-xNj #RememberUniteRenew, #7april, #Kwibuka29, #PreventGenocide #powerafrica #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #solar #solarenergy #energy #solarpower #africa #energyaccess #electricity #renewable #hydropower #offgrid #renewables #electrification #minigrids #hydroenergy #africanpowerplatform #africapowerplatform

Join us NEXT WEDNESDAY for a FREE one-hour virtual educational session on "Why Africa is the Fulcrum of the Future" that qualifies for CFP Continuing Education Credit, pending approval. Hosted by Stephen Hester, CommonGood Capital's Head of Due Diligence, the session will discuss the most interesting findings from the research behind CommonGood Capital's latest whitepaper "The African Century." The session's learning objectives are to understand Africa's unique demographic profile, economic potential, infrastructure and capital markets development, and compare and contrast the continent's projected future with other modern periods of exceptional growth as experienced by China, post-WWII U.S., and others. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/evjF8iZ4

Don't miss Jeff's chat with Kendra VanderMeulen,CAP?, CEO of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) who embodies the spirit of pioneering leadership and generosity. Kendra’s remarkable journey began in the telecommunications industry with AT&T in the 70s and 80s, where she was already on the cutting edge of technology, working on what would eventually become the smartphone—years before the iPhone ever hit the market. But her story doesn’t stop there. Kendra’s passion for leveraging generosity for kingdom impact led her to found the National Christian Foundation’s Seattle affiliate office, and she later served as President of the Northwest region. Her work has been pivotal in building up the next generation of leaders in the Christian generosity space. Kendra will share insights from her incredible career, her deep commitment to helping others discover the profound joy of biblical generosity, and how our fostering a culture of giving can transform the world around us. FULL EPISODE: https://lnkd.in/dR3z_yPU

CommonGood is planning a Due Diligence trip to Africa in October to tour recently acquired hydropower and solar investment assets in Fortis Green Renewables Green Fund I, meet with co-investors and local partners, and see firsthand the day to day impact of these investments. We want to personally invite you to join us for this special trip! Learn more https://lnkd.in/ghw5XWHS This will be a small intimate group so there are only a few openings left. To give you an idea of what to expect, this brief video is from a similar trip we took back in April... #powerafrica #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #solar #solarenergy #energyaccess #sdg #africanpowerplatform #africapowerplatform #africabusiness #businessafrica #africanbusiness

Emmanual Nsanganwa, Investment Analyst at Fortis Green Renewables, joined Jeff on the podcast this week to talk about the importance of bringing power to small villages in Africa. After growing up in a small village in Rwanda with little access to power he has since become a model of success for others from similar beginnings, even going as far as to start his own non-profit to provide scientific education to African students. Emmanual's story is very inspirational, don't miss it! FULL INTERVIEW: https://lnkd.in/dPMJDJiJ #powerafrica #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #solar #solarenergy #energy #solarpower #africa #energyaccess #electricity #renewable #hydropower #offgrid #renewables #electrification #minigrids #hydroenergy #africanpowerplatform #africapowerplatform

Affordable housing is a foundational element for human flourishing especially when the whole person and community is considered into the equation. Quantifiable impact matters and Walker & Dunlop's Impact Report is a great way to see this in action.

Don't miss Jeff's chat with Dave Clark, CEO of Promising People?– which utilizes virtual reality training solutions for those struggling to find meaningful employment across the country. The guys chat about Dave’s background in real estate development, his time in prison after a 40-year Federal conviction and subsequent Presidential pardon, how VR-based training is a mental health game-changer for the incarcerated as well as their best chance at meaningful employment upon release, and much more. Full episode https://lnkd.in/e_fRm8Fg

CommonGood is planning a Due Diligence trip to Africa in early Fall to tour recently acquired hydropower and solar investment assets in Fortis Green Renewables Fund 1, meet with co-investors and local partners, and see firsthand the day to day impact of these investments. You are invited to witness the opportunity for yourself and join us for this special trip! To give you an idea of what to expect, the video attached to this post is from a similar trip we took in April. Learn More:?https://lnkd.in/ghw5XWHS The Fund currently consists of 4 investments representing 24+ hydropower and solar assets across 6 African countries, generating over 54,000 MWh of renewable energy. With one of the fastest-growing regional economies and the youngest populations, Africa is becoming a key player in the global economy. The opportunity for Impact Investing in the world’s second-largest continent is significant and growing bigger every day. *Private Offerings are illiquid and can lose some or all of your capital.

Don't miss Jeff's chat with Michael Spraggins about his career as an entrepreneur and business owner, how his personal faith motivates his decisions, the founding of LifeNet International – a transformative healthcare conversion-franchise network he founded after recognizing a need for quality access to healthcare in Africa, his latest venture into renewable energy in the same regions, and much more. Full episode https://lnkd.in/evrNgptz #africa #africahealth #impact #podcast #healthcare