Abstracts

 

Panel 1: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
09.30 – Geneve Hall

Mobilizing Private and Public Capital in Innovative Ways for the Social Good 

Now is the time to focus on developing new ways to finance social investments. The World Business Angels Investment Forum brings together angel investors, corporate venture executives, fund managers, stock exchange executives and public institutions at WBAF 2019 to discuss the increasing need for innovative and effective approaches to solving social and environmental issues. This panel will focus on new ways of cooperation between governments, NGOs, corporates, and private investors that combine the forces of entrepreneurship, innovation, and capital to improve peoples’ lives. Such cooperation leads to increased awareness and can expand the investor base, which in turn fosters more inclusion and more sustainable societies as they develop action plans for impact investment. 

Moderator 
Ozlem Dalga, Corporate Communications Consultant, Turkey

 

Cyril Gouiffès, Investment Manager, European Investment Fund (EIF), Luxembourg
Dražen Mršić, Member of the Board of Directors, WBAF Croatia
Sanem Oktar, President, KAGIDER - Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey

Panel 2: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
10.30 – Geneve Hall 

Empowering Women Financially: The Why and the How 

Women are the future of the world’s economies. They control more than $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, a figure that is expected to rise to $28 trillion by the end of 2019. By 2019, women will control 75% of discretionary spending worldwide. The proportion of working women carrying the primary financial responsibility in their families rose from 23% in 1996 to 33% in 2013. Consequently, there has never been a more opportune time for women to get serious about understanding their finances and for the industry to start serving them better. This panel will focus on ways to empower women financially.

Moderator 
Tuba Terekli, International Executive Consultant and Angel Investor, Saudi Arabia

Gordana Nikolić, Founder of Par University  College and Business Academy Rijeka, Croatia
Leyla Alaton, President  of Alvimedica, Board Member at Alarko Holding, Turkey
Tijen Mergen, Founder and President, Power of Happiness Platform, Turkey

Panel 3: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
11.30 – Geneve Hall 

How Can We Help Women Take Action Through Innovation?

Financial literacy is important, but it is only one part of a much larger picture. Effectively empowering women and helping them take action will have a direct impact on their financial independence and a positive influence on their lives. We first need to consider the gap in financial advice and recognise that innovation is imperative for bridging this gap. This panel will focus on the question of how financial institutions can meet the demands of women in such a way that solutions will be cheap, relevant, and accessible. 

Moderator 
Ghada Teima, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Group, USA

Maria Hala, Founding Partner, MH Partners, Greece
Rina Neoh, Co-founder, Ficus Venture Capital, Malaysia
Zehra Taskesenlioglu, Parliament Member, Republic of Turkey

Panel 4: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
14.30 – Geneve Hall 

Developing a Collaboration Model for Impact Investors and Fintech Start-Ups to Create More Social Good for the Unbanked 

Financial technologies can address a wide array of socio-economic problems, including gender inequality to slavery. The roots of such problems in developing countries lie in poverty and low education levels. The best way to lower cultural barriers and resist traditionalism seems to be globalization, which brings with it access to education, healthcare and financial inclusion. Globalization, however, sometimes has unintended consequences. In developing regions, globalization has created an ecosystem where citizens are often forced to work in harsh and unhealthy work environments for very low wages. Fortunately, the tide is gradually turning, with the rise of the notion of ‘impact investment’ and with the general trend of commercial enterprises that work not only to turn a profit, but to do so in a humane manner. ‘Fintech for social good’ denotes the use of emerging fintech solutions that will enable greater access to basic human amenities for their populations. This panel will focus on ways impact investors can collaborate with fintech start-ups and scale-ups for the social good and how they can develop solutions for the unbanked segment of the world’s economy – around 2 billion people. 

Moderator 
Tal Garih, Strategic Planning Manager, Alarko Holding, Turkey

Barbara Lang, Managing Partner, InnoExc, Switzerland
Renata Brkic, Founder, Feelsgood Social Impact Investment Fund, Croatia
Tahir Mahmood, Head of Business Development, Nasdaq Dubai, UAE

Panel 5: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
15.30 – Geneve Hall 

Responsible finance and impact Investment: The future of smart finance for social entrepreneurs

There is an increasing trend in capital markets to use responsible finance to search for – and fund – solutions to many of the pressing social or environmental issues of our time. Corporate ventures also intend to invest up to 10 percent of their private equity investments with private equity fund managers whose investment strategies they expect to generate positive social and environmental outcomes, and who are willing to report on non-financial impact metrics. This trend is important for shaping the future of smart finance in capital markets. This session will be essentially a think-tank session for the future of responsible smart finance in impact investments.

Moderator 
Pierre, Matek, Member of the Board of Directors, WBAF Croatia

Deniz Misir, Family Officer - Financial Wellbeing Consultant, V22 Int. Adv. J. S. Co., Turkey
Ozlem Denizmen, Founding President of FODER, Financial Literacy and Inclusion Association of Turkey
Mulemwa Moongwa, Social Impact Investor, Zambia

Panel 6: 
19 February 2019, Tuesday
16.30 – Geneve Hall 

Women leading the way in impact investing

More high net worth women have engaged in impact investing, inspired others, influenced advisors, and served as champions of change to accelerate the development of an inclusive and vibrant impact investing ecosystem. As a result, there is in an expansion of sustainable capital to address the most pressing social and environmental issues worldwide. This session will discuss how global capital markets can include more women in the impact investing ecosystem and what the benefits from the network of women investors are. Panellists will discuss the growing influence of women (those who earn as well as those who inherit) over the world’s wealth as investors as well as influencers in the financial, philanthropic and corporate sectors.

Moderator 
Renata Brkic, Founder, Feelsgood Social Impact Investment Fund, Croatia

Hauwa Yabani, Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Technology Village FZ, Nigeria
Dr Sabetha Mwambenja, Country Director, World Business Angels Investment Forum Tanzania
Sebahat Isik, Managing Director and Partner of YSM Consultancy, Bahrain