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SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

Hosted by Scott Arnell

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Episodes

135

Latest episode

May 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

SRI360 explores how professional and institutional investors use impact investing and sustainable finance to shape real-world outcomes. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a leading investor in public or private equities, public or private debt, venture capital, or real assets. We focus on the mechanics of investing: how strategies are designed, how capital is allocated, how impact is achieved and measured, and where incentives succeed, or fail, within asset-owner systems. If you want clear, honest insight into the future of sustainable & responsible investing from the people shaping it, this show is your competitive edge. Learn more at SRI360.com .

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60 recent
May 20, 20261 hr 39 min

Africa’s Unbanked: Where FinTech Is Finding the Most Resilient Returns | Mohamed Okasha, DisrupTech Ventures

What does it take to build a billion-dollar fintech company and then walk away from it to start over during a global pandemic? In this episode, Mohamed Okasha shares the story behind helping to build Fawry into Egypt’s first tech unicorn—and then leaving shortly after its landmark IPO to launch DisrupTech, a first-time venture capital fund during COVID-19. He breaks down what matters more than big ideas and what is often the ultimate competitive advantage in Africa’s startup ecosystem. If you're curious about what helps founders grow stronger companies, don’t miss Mohamed’s practical lessons on investing, leadership, and decision-making from both an operator and investor perspective. Tune in to learn more about:[00:03:30] Why Mohamed decided to leave Fawry after its billion-dollar IPO to start a venture fund during COVID.[00:05:05] The importance of making decisive moves during pivotal moments in life.[00:08:54] The role Mohamed’s parents played in encouraging risk-taking.[00:18:53] How routine and discipline help Mohamed succeed.[00:20:45] What Mohamed saw at Vodafone that no one else could see.[00:25:45] How his team built trust with their clients.[00:31:27] Why Fawry kept “one leg in the physical world and one leg in the digital world” during the transition to digital payments.[00:52:30] What makes a good founder in Africa versus a good founder in the USA.[01:03:00] The importance of advisory rather than relationships.[01:06:40] How Mohamed builds startups that make each other stronger.[01:09:15] How he encourages collaboration between founders without forcing partnerships.[01:15:00] What backseat leadership looks like to Mohamed.[01:21:37] What people should expect as an investor in African companies.[01:30:16] Why many global investors could be overlooking major opportunities in underserved markets.Resources:Mohamed Okasha: LinkedInDisrupTech VenturesFawryConnect with SRI360°:Sign up for the free weekly email updateVisit the SRI360° PODCASTVisit the SRI360° WEBSITEFollow SRI360° on X:   Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK   Scott Arnell’s Book: Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360

May 6, 20261 hr 43 min

VC for Learning: How Outcome Funds Are Transforming Education in Emerging Markets with Amel Karboul

Impact investing is entering a more disciplined, outcomes-driven phase, and it’s more complex than it first appears. In this episode of Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360, I sit down with Amel Karboul, Founder and CEO of the Education Outcomes Fund, to explore how capital can be tied directly to measurable results.Drawing on her experience working with governments, philanthropies, and impact investors, Amel explains why traditional funding models often fail to deliver real impact, and how outcomes-based financing aims to realign incentives across the system. Rather than paying for activities, this model pays for results, introducing both greater accountability and new challenges.We explore the tensions at the heart of this approach, from balancing different stakeholder expectations to addressing concerns around investor returns in low-income markets. We also discuss the risk of narrowing impact to what can be measured, and how thoughtful design can mitigate those trade-offs.Looking ahead, we examine what it will take for outcomes-based models to scale, from simplification and standardization to the potential emergence of more tradable forms of impact.Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly email update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on X:   Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK   Scott Arnell’s Book: Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360Amel Karboul on LinkedInAmel Karboul: Ted TalkEducation Outcome Fund Website

April 24, 20261 hr 10 min

Impact Investing in 2026: What Survives, What Scales, and What Changes with Eric Rice

Impact investing is entering a new phase, and it’s more nuanced than the headlines suggest. In this episode of Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360, I sit down with returning guest Eric Rice for his third appearance to unpack what’s really happening across global markets.Drawing on his experience at Wellington Management and BlackRock, and now in private markets with SEAF (Small Enterprise Assistance Funds), Eric explains why this moment reflects divergence rather than decline. While the US has stepped back from ESG language, Europe, Japan, and other regions are accelerating capital deployment and regulatory support.We explore the limits of impact capital in replacing development aid, especially in the wake of shifts at USAID, and why commercial discipline remains central to the model. We also discuss the growing role of pension funds, the expansion of investable opportunities, and the shift toward financial materiality.Looking ahead, we turn to climate adaptation and resilience as emerging areas of focus, offering opportunity, but still evolving in terms of scale and structure.Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly email update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on X:   Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK   Eric Rice Episode 009: https://sri360.com/podcast/eric-rice/ Eric Rice Episode 088: https://sri360.com/podcast/eric-rice-2/ Scott Arnell’s Book: Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360

April 15, 20261 hr 28 min

Storage Enables, VC Proves, Science Validates: The Full Case for Climate Investing

What does climate investing look like when it actually delivers returns?In this special compilation episode of Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360, I bring together three investors approaching the climate opportunity from very different angles, yet arriving at a similar conclusion.First, Ben Guest of Gresham House explains why battery energy storage is the missing piece of the renewable energy transition. As intermittent power sources like wind and solar scale, storage becomes essential to balancing the grid, and a compelling infrastructure investment with double-digit return potential.Next, Nancy Pfund, founder of DBL Partners, shares over two decades of experience in what she calls “double bottom line” investing. As an early backer of companies like Tesla, she demonstrates that incorporating environmental and social considerations doesn’t dilute returns; it can enhance them by expanding the opportunity set.Finally, Lena Thiede of Planet A Ventures introduces a more rigorous approach to impact. With an in-house science team conducting lifecycle assessments on every investment, her firm ensures that climate impact is not just intended, but measurable, and tied directly to performance.Three perspectives across infrastructure, venture capital, and science.Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly email update https://sri360.com/newsletter/Visit the SRI360° PODCAST https://sri360.com/podcast/Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE https://sri360.com/Follow SRI360° on X:   https://x.com/SRI360Growth/Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK   https://www.facebook.com/SRI360Growth/Ben Guest full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/ben-guest/Nancy Pfund full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/nancy-pfund/Lena Thiede full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/lena-thiede/Scott Arnell’s Book: Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360

April 7, 20261 hr 6 min

The Catalytic Capital Playbook: How £10M Unlocked £2B in Private Investment

What if the real constraint in impact investing isn’t a lack of capital… but how that capital is structured?This is a compilation episode built from three conversations, each tackling a different part of the same question. What is catalytic capital? How do you create the conditions for it? And what happens when you deploy it at scale?You’ll hear from Yasemin Saltuk Lamy, Head of Investment Strategy at Legal & General, who helped define impact investing during her time at J.P. Morgan and later led the Catalyst portfolio at British International Investment. She breaks down catalytic capital as capital that steps into spaces others won’t, and explains how structuring it as junior or first-loss capital can transform “too risky” opportunities into investment-grade assets for institutional investors.From Stephen Muers, CEO of Better Society Capital, who shares how the UK built the infrastructure to support this kind of investing. Drawing on a unique funding model that includes dormant bank accounts and private bank capital, he explains how catalytic capital can be used to grow entire markets, not just individual portfolios, and why the UK’s social impact investment market has expanded more than 12-fold.And from Michele Giddens, Co-Founder and CEO of Bridges Fund Management, who shows what execution looks like in practice. Starting with a £40 million fund anchored by £10 million of government catalytic capital, Bridges has gone on to mobilize over £2 billion in private investment while delivering competitive, often double-digit returns.If you’re thinking about how capital can be deployed more intentionally, whether as an investor, policymaker, or operator, this episode offers a clear and practical lens into how catalytic capital works, and why it matters.Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly email update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on X:   Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

March 26, 20261 hr 21 min

In Case You Missed It: Must-Hear Conversations Shaping Impact in 2026

Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak with four leaders working at the intersection of capital, climate, and system-level change, each bringing a distinct perspective on what it takes to move from intention to real-world impact. Across these conversations, we explored everything from outcomes-based financing and government-backed impact models to regenerative finance and ownership structures, to early-stage climate investing in Southeast Asia. What connects them is a shared recognition that the current system, whether ESG frameworks, traditional venture capital, or public spending models, isn’t quite delivering on its promise.Here are the guests featured in the episode:Francisco “Chico” Jardim, General Partner at SP VenturesWe talked about how this model has scaled globally, why it works best in complex social challenges like homelessness and criminal justice, and what still needs to happen to move from pilots to true system-wide adoption. Chico also shared his perspective on impact transparency and why better data and accountability are critical to unlocking larger pools of capital.Full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/francisco-jardim/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFFg26zo6E&pp=0gcJCdgKAYcqIYzv Nick Hurd, Chair & Senior Adviser, GSG ImpactNick brings a deeply critical lens to traditional ESG and even parts of the impact investing ecosystem. His core argument is simple but uncomfortable: doing “less harm” isn’t the same as creating meaningful positive change.Full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/nick-hurd/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bagsC5n6sDs Laura Ortiz Montemayor, Founding Partner at SVX Mexico & Managing Partner, Regenera Venture FundLaura is focused on one of the most underfunded areas in climate investing: adaptation. While most capital continues to flow toward mitigation, she’s working to back founders building solutions for the climate impacts that are already here.Full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/laura-ortiz-montemayor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlLOScRChwk Alina Truhina, Founding and Managing Partner at Utopia Capital ManagementThroughout these conversations, Alina plays a critical role in connecting the dots, probing where ideas hold up, where they fall short, and how they translate into real-world investment decisions. Alina shares insights about climate adaptation, impact investing, and how venture capital often struggles to understand and engage with regions where climate risk is already part of everyday life.Full episode: https://sri360.com/podcast/alina-truhina/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olIygxJSpMI&t=2s Taken together, these four perspectives offer a window into a field in transition, one that’s moving beyond labels and frameworks toward deeper questions of structure, accountability, and long-term impact.

March 18, 20261 hr 33 min

AgTech Profits Meet Planet: Where Climate Impact and VC Returns Align | Sarah Nolet, Tenacious Ventures (#128)

In climate investing, credibility is often associated with breakthrough technologies or large-scale energy infrastructure. This episode challenges that assumption by asking a different question: what if some of the most compelling climate investment opportunities lie within the everyday realities of farming?My guest this week is Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and General Partner at Tenacious Ventures. With a background that spans systems engineering, hands-on farming experience, and venture capital, Sarah now leads an investment firm focused on building climate resilience across global agri-food systems.In our conversation on Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360, Sarah explains why traditional venture capital models often struggle in agriculture, and why solutions must be designed around the physical constraints farmers face every day.We also discuss:Why the “productive middle” of commercial agriculture offers significant climate and investment return potential How organizing investment theses around enduring market needs helps avoid technology hype cyclesWhy measuring real climate outcomes, not just sustainability practices, creates stronger alignment between impact and financial performanceThe conversation reframes climate-smart agriculture as a pragmatic investment opportunity, one where improving farmer economics can drive both measurable climate outcomes and competitive venture returns.Featured Guest Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and General Partner, Tenacious VenturesEpisode Resources:Sarah Nolet on LinkedInTenacious Ventures WebsiteConnect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly Email Update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on X:   Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

March 11, 20261 hr 26 min

From Mud Huts to Brick Houses: Venture Capital & Climate Resilience in Africa

Climate finance conversations often focus on mitigation. However, the question Tamer El-Raghy raises is more structural: what if one of the most compelling climate investment opportunities lies in helping smallholder farmers adapt?In this episode of Sustainable & Responsible Investing 360, I’m joined by Tamer El-Raghy, Managing Director of the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF).Tamer leads one of the first investment vehicles dedicated to climate adaptation in agriculture across Africa, backing early-stage companies that help farmers improve productivity, stability, and resilience in the face of changing climate conditions.We discuss why agriculture remains chronically undercapitalised despite its central role in global food systems, and how blended finance structures, including first-loss capital from development institutions, can unlock mainstream investment into frontier markets.Tamer also explains why successful agribusiness models often function as platform businesses, bundling financing, inputs, technical support, and market access to solve multiple farmer constraints at once.What stayed with me is the simplicity of his impact lens: when farmers move from mud huts to brick houses, it signals something deeper than income growth. It reflects stability, dignity, and the foundations of long-term resilience.Featured Guest Tamer El-Raghy, Managing Director of the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF)Episode Resources:Tamer El-Raghy on LinkedInAcumen Resilient Agricultural Fund Website.Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly Email Update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on XFollow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

March 5, 2026Episode 1261 hr 42 min

Alpha Strategy: Eliminating Bias to Unlock 4X Venture Outperformance

In venture capital, credibility is often framed around access, networks, and pattern recognition. This episode challenges that foundation by asking a harder question: what if the industry’s biggest blind spot is also its most persistent source of mispriced opportunity?My guest this week is Sharon Vosmek, CEO and Managing Partner of Astia. With more than two decades of early-stage investing experience, Sharon has built one of the most structured bias-mitigation processes in venture through Astia’s Expert SIFT methodology. A documented and disciplined system designed to eliminate individual, network, and process bias from investment decisions.Sharon explains why the gender gap in venture funding is better understood as a market inefficiency, and how removing warm-introduction gatekeeping meaningfully expands high-quality deal flow. We also discuss:  How to recognize and eliminate pattern-matching bias in investment decisionsThe alpha thesis: Why inclusive teams generate 4x average returnsHow to reframe impact investing in the U.S. market by emphasizing values-based returnsThis conversation examines inclusive investing not as concessionary capital, but as a rigorous venture discipline designed to capture overlooked alpha.Featured GuestSharon Vosmek, CEO & Managing Partner, AstiaEpisode Resources:Sharon Vosmek on LinkedInAstia WebsiteAstia on InstagramAstia 25th Anniversary White PaperPrevious SRI360 episode with Sharon Vosmek: Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly Email Update Visit the SRI360° PODCAST Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE Follow SRI360° on XFollow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

February 26, 2026Episode 1251 hr 39 min

Scaling Impact & Alpha: Inside T. Rowe Price’s Myth-Busting Impact Fixed-Income Strategies | Matt Lawton

In fixed income, credibility is tested differently, and real world metrics like liquidity, scale, and benchmark scrutiny leave little room for storytelling. This episode examines how impact strategies can operate inside mainstream credit markets without weakening financial discipline or diluting measurable outcomes.My guest this week is, Matt Lawton, Matt is the Head of Impact Fixed Income at T. Rowe Price, where he leads global credit and emerging market blue bond strategies. With more than 15 years across credit research and portfolio management, Matt has helped build one of the industry’s most structured approaches to impact investing in public markets.Matt explains how narrowing a broad benchmark to impact-aligned issuers creates focus without conceding returns, and why additionality must be identified ex ante, and not assumed.Tune in to learn more about:Why a 60/40 primary-secondary split protects credibility How the five dimensions of the impact framework for underwriting dual objectives What a four-pillar ESG bond test reveals about greenwashing Why impact must deliver market-rate returns by 2030This conversation is impact investing applied with credit discipline, measurement rigour, and institutional accountability.Featured guest:Matt Lawton, Head of Impact Fixed Income at T. Rowe PriceAdditional Resources:Matt Lawton LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mattmlawton/ T. Rowe Price Website: https://www.troweprice.com/ T. Rowe Price ESG: https://www.troweprice.com/en/uk/about-us/esg/esg-investing T. Rowe Price on https://linkedin.com/company/t--rowe-price/ Connect with SRI360°: Sign up for the free weekly email updateVisit the SRI360° PODCAST: Visit the SRI360° WEBSITEFollow SRI360° on XFollow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

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