3 Ways to Get Impact Done Right

In a world grappling with complex social and environmental challenges, the pursuit of genuine impact has never been more critical. With the dismal statistics on climate change, the persistent lack of access to capital for BIPOC and women founders, the increasing confusion around ESG and impact measurement — it is becoming apparent that we need to fundamentally change our approach to impact if we want to make progress.

After 17+ years of pursuing social impact across a broad range of advocacy initiatives and in both nonprofit and for-profit roles, I have come to the conclusion that there are two essential ingredients in order to really get impact done right: capital + collective. No matter what kind of impact we are trying to achieve, but especially when it comes to systemic change or dismantling barriers that have historically excluded women and those from underserved communities, we need to connect real capital to an investable collective.?

An investable collective is a purposeful group of unconventional yet strategic partners that can unlock access to real capital — not the slivers of capital often given to impact initiatives. For example, when it comes to moving the needle on women’s rights, I have become convinced that the alliance between prominent political advocacy organizations partnering with top women investor groups will unlock much more funding than each individual organization seeking funding on their own.?

As I continue to work on building investable collectives, I have realized the importance of ensuring that they are built in a way that is empowering and transformative for everyone involved — this is when impact is truly done right. Wherever you are in your impact journey, here are 3 practical ways to get started on doing real impact:?

1. Forge strategic partnerships that catalyze the ‘Medici?Effect’

One of my favorite books on innovation is the Medici Effect by Frans Johansson. He argues that just as the Medici dynasty brought artists, philanthropists, scientists, architects, and financiers together in Florence to usher in the Renaissance, disruptive innovation happens at the intersection of diverse disciplines and industries. Divergent perspectives from different industries can help catalyze new ways of thinking and new approaches to longstanding problems. This is the power that can be unlocked by forging strategic partnerships.

As a human rights lawyer turned venture capitalist, I have seen the transformative power of the ‘Medici effect’ firsthand. By bringing my perspective from years of social justice advocacy into my venture capital work, I was able to position impact investing as a tool to enable more equitable access to capital with the goal of empowering communities while dismantling colonial patterns of capitalism. I realized that communities traditionally labeled “underserved” were in fact “underinvested,” lacking the relationships to access investment capital that power economic progress.?

Ultimately the pursuit of justice, and all systemic change, is collective. No single entity can solve the complex problems facing our society alone. Meaningful impact requires cross-sector collaboration and collective action: an investable collective. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, such as investors, philanthropists, technologists, creatives, and community leaders, we can leverage our resources, expertise, and ideas into collective win-win strategies. Strategic partnerships can break us free from industry or organizational silos and help develop innovative and scalable solutions that maximize our collective impact.?

Impact done right, and the first step in building an investable collective, starts with forging the kinds of relationships and partnerships that can catalyze the ‘Medici effect’ and drive us all towards finding the solutions we need to move the needle on real impact.?

2. Center the voices of those with lived experience

Throughout my advocacy journey, I have learned many lessons that have shaped my understanding of what it takes to create real impact. But one lesson stands out as particularly crucial: centering the voices of those with lived experience. The face of any movement should always reflect the lived experience of the cause.

True impact can only be achieved when we prioritize and center the voices of those most affected by whatever change and impact we are trying to achieve. Instead of imposing solutions, it is essential to actively listen and invite community members most impacted by the change we seek to have a seat at the table. Impact done right is when those with lived experience are empowered to co-create the solutions we seek to find.?

This is how many investors, no matter how well-intentioned, are getting impact investing wrong — particularly when they themselves do not come from historically marginalized communities. Rather than measuring impact with frontline community-centered experience, these impact investors are restricting their understanding of impact with unnecessary jargon and financial models that have nothing to do with truly empowering the people and communities they claim to help.

Whether we are investing or advocating for impact, we must recognize the power of lived experience and embrace the wisdom and insights of those who have lived through the very challenges we are attempting to solve. Together, we can build a credible collective and reimagine a future where the impact is not only measurable and sustainable but can empower communities and transform lives.

3. Make impact inclusive and accessible to?all

As we strive for impact, it’s easy to get caught up in complex terms and jargon-filled frameworks. But oftentimes the unnecessary jargon and complexity only serve to exclude others.?

Impact done right should be accessible to everyone — regardless of background or expertise. Only by being inclusive and accessible, by inviting as many people as possible to get involved, can impact initiatives truly access the kind of real capital that can help move the needle on the social and environmental challenges we are facing in our world today.?

To make impact accessible, we need to simplify our approach and use clear language. We’ve bogged ourselves down with jargon and acronyms when impact is really about just doing good. And doing good starts with each of us striving to be a good person: being kind, sharing, helping others. Each of us has the power to make a difference, to use whatever privilege and power we have for good, by first and foremost just being good humans.

We need to make impact more understandable in order to inspire others to take action. So may we include and empower as many people as we can to join us in driving the social, civic, and corporate change that we seek. May we embrace the simplicity of doing good and focus on the things that really matter like kindness, empathy, generosity, and meaningful connection. Let’s strive for real impact, making it understandable and inclusive for all.

I may not have all the methods or answers to getting impact done right, but I do know that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and somehow expecting a different result. Rather than continuing with the status quo, we need to fundamentally shift how we are approaching social and environmental challenges — challenges that are only becoming more complex and urgent with each passing day.

My proposed solution, and one that I am actively practicing with my fellow ‘rebels’ for good, is to build an investable collective; groups of unconventional and strategic partners that can access real capital and usher in the systemic changes we so desperately need. My hope is that others will join me in not just building these collectives but in building the right collectives — ones forged by strategic partnerships that can catalyze the ‘Medici effect’ of fresh ideas and solutions all while centering the voices of those with lived experience. We can then ensure that this collective is inclusive and accessible to all — especially to the decision-makers of real capital.

May we strive for a world where ‘impact’ is not just a buzzword, but a transformative force that can bring positive change. May we get impact done right — not just to create a better future for ourselves and for generations to come — but because, now more than ever, we need more people to pursue real impact and to do real good.