SALT LAKE CITY – SOCAP Global and the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business today announced a groundbreaking partnership transitioning the leadership and day-to-day operations of SOCAP to the Sorenson Impact Center. The arrangement merges the Center’s management and multidisciplinary impact expertise with the preeminent convening platform in global impact, both meeting at the intersection of capital and impact. This transition is part of a restructuring of SOCAP, which includes a refinancing of the business and new management and leadership. Robert Munson, Managing Director at the Sorenson Impact Center, will lead SOCAP and oversee its day-to-day operations as he continues in his role at the Center.
“We have made this commitment to SOCAP because we believe in its uniquely influential role in the field of impact and know that in partnership with the Sorenson Impact Center, SOCAP will meet the demands of a new era of impact investing,” says Jim Sorenson, President of the Sorenson Impact Foundation. “Impact is in need of a north star, a galvanizing force that can catalyze the sector to greater action, and through our partnership, we can ensure that SOCAP will play this role. I know that working as one we can achieve much more than the sum of our parts. The future is bright for impact investing, and we’re going to build it together.”
“We love SOCAP, and this partnership will reimagine it for the next stage of impact investing,” says Sorenson Impact Center CEO Geoff Davis, who will join the SOCAP Board of Directors as co-chair. “By combining what Sorenson Impact and SOCAP do best – catalyze and spotlight impact innovation and adoption across sectors – we will maintain SOCAP as a vibrant and vital community for impact investing and crucial convening space for the leading minds in impact.”
Since its inception in 2008, SOCAP has brought together a global ecosystem of social entrepreneurs, investors, foundations and nonprofit leaders, government and policy leaders, creators, corporations, and academics, through live and virtual experiences. Now in its 15th year, SOCAP is the leading convener in the space, bringing together more than 100,000 people in impact over its history.
“SOCAP, since its inception, has been on the vanguard of the emerging field of impact investing, and this strategic partnership will ensure SOCAP continues its important work for many years to come,” said Robert J. Caruso, who will continue to serve as an advisor to the SOCAP Board. “We are so pleased to turn over the management of SOCAP to the Sorenson Impact Center, who is well equipped to take SOCAP to the next level. Sorenson’s expertise, insights and knowledge make them uniquely qualified to manage and grow SOCAP. I’m excited about the future of SOCAP and know it is very promising and bright.”
“SOCAP has done so much good work to advance impact, and SOCAP plays a leading role in growing the field by enabling innovation, social entrepreneurship, the impact ecosystem and the capital markets to come together to cross-pollinate and learn from one another,” said Munson. “Our two organizations are aligned in our goals to engage with and build the community in order to help to meet the urgent social and environmental needs of our world. We are all excited to build on SOCAP’s visionary work in this space and are committed to protecting and preserving SOCAP’s culture while evolving the platform to reflect the rapid transformation of impact.”
SOCAP 2022
SOCAP22 will take place on October 17-20, 2022, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA). The new location places SOCAP at the heart of San Francisco’s vibrant art district and increases accessibility for attendees.
Registration for SOCAP22 is now open. Opportunities for sponsorship are available. Please email sponsorships@socapglobal.com for more information.
Further updates on the future of SOCAP, and plans for SOCAP23, will be released in the coming months.
SOCAP Leadership Transition
The partnership between SOCAP and the Center is effective immediately and transitions are underway. SOCAP is working to restructure its governing board and re-establish an advisory board made up of preeminent leaders in global impact. In a letter to shareholders announcing the partnership with Sorenson, Tom Balderston, Managing Principal at SustainVC and Board member of SOCAPl, said the COVID pandemic highlighted the need for a new partner. “As we emerge from the pandemic and re-start physical convenings, we need a strong partner who can help us scale, grow and engage our community most effectively,” said Balderston. “The important partnership between SOCAP and the Sorenson Impact Center will stabilize the current operations and provide us the ability to grow in the years to come. We are glad to be investors and supporters.”
ABOUT SOCAP
SOCAP is the thought leadership platform for the accelerating movement towards a more just and sustainable economy. We convene a global ecosystem and marketplace – social entrepreneurs, investors, foundation and nonprofit leaders, government and policy leaders, creators, corporations, academics, and beyond – through live and digital experiences that educate, spur conversation, and inspire investment in positive impact. SOCAP’s mission is to unlock the power of markets for impact. Learn more at SOCAPGlobal.com
ABOUT THE SORENSON IMPACT CENTER
The Sorenson Impact Center helps organizations achieve their impact vision by connecting capital to social and environmental solutions, helping organizations measure, report, and improve impact, and integrating data science and people-centered storytelling into all that we do. Along with our clients and partners, we share a vision of an equitable and thriving world where everyone is valued, communities prosper, and the measured impact of our actions guides decision-making. As part of our mission to train future impact leaders, the Center integrates academic programming and experiential learning into each of its practice areas. The Center is proudly housed at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. Learn more at sorensonimpactcenter.com.
