Impact Investing and Financial Innovatio

This condensed course provides a solid understanding of impact investing and financial innovation at the intersection of public policy, development, entrepreneurship, finance, and law. We combine a theoretical approach, practical experience in emerging markets, and case studies (e.g., education in Brazil, microfinance in Mexico and India, FinTech in Kenya and Brazil). Students are expected to develop personal projects in lieu of the exam (papers or business plans). We welcome students from SIPA and other schools.

Within the larger category of Sustainable Finance, Impact Investing is attracting growing interest from investors, academia, and the third sector. Impact investing allocates resources with a financial, social, and environmental return, while the impact is both intentional and measured. We analyze the latest global trends in Impact Investing, its revolutionary proposal, and its limitations.

Financial innovation plays a central role in the impact agenda through innovative financial instruments such as social impact bonds or green bonds and through inclusive financial services boosted by FinTech.