2023 AIF Institute Sustainable Investing Symposium
December 14 | One Vanderbilt | New York City
On behalf of AIF Global, we hope you will make plans to join us for the 3rd annual 2023 AIF Institute Sustainable Investing Symposium to be held on December 14 in New York City.
The comprehensive agenda will kick off with an opening academic keynote by Michael Goldhaber, Senior Research Scholar, NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, and feature academic primers by Lakshmi Balachandra, Policy Fellow, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Babson College, and Robert K. Massie IV, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
The morning sessions will be followed by a luncheon Keynote Fireside Chat featuring State Treasurer and Receiver General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Deborah B. Goldberg and AIF President Melissa Waller, who will discuss part II of the Aggregate Confusion Project—a collaboration between MassPRIM and MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Interested in participating? Please complete this brief online form.
Agenda at a Glance
Thursday – December 14
8:00–8:45 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:45–9:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions
- Melissa Waller, President, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
- Andrew Messer, Executive Director, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
9:00–9:20 a.m.
Academic Opening Keynote: Making ESG Real: A Return to Values-Driven Investing
- Michael Goldhaber, Senior Research Scholar, NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights
9:20–10:15 a.m.
Sustainable Investing, Opportunity and Risk: Industry Leaders Discuss the Current Market Environment
Moderator:
- Bhavika Vyas, Managing Director, StepStone Group
Panelists:
- TJ Carlson, CIO, Missouri Employees Retirement System (MOSERS)
- Michael Goldhaber, Senior Research Scholar, NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights
- Terrence Keeley, CEO, 1PointSix
- Andrew Siwo, Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
- Lisa Williams, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
10:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
The Road Ahead: Investing in Climate Solutions, the Environment and Clean Energy
Primer Speaker:
- Amy Jaffe, Director, Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab, NYU School of Professional Studies
Moderator:
- Rob Brown, Senior Fellow, Sorenson Foundation
Panelists:
- Colleen Denzler, Head of ESG, Loomis Sayles
- Sasha Brown, Partner, Ecosystem Integrity Fund
- Rob Day, Partner and Co-Founder, Spring Lane Capital
- Ben Meng, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chairman of Asia Pacific, Executive Sponsor of Sustainability, Franklin Templeton
- Nehan Naim, PhD, ESG Strategy Officer – Bureau of Asset Management, New York City Office of the Comptroller
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Luncheon Fireside Chat
Part II: Aggregate Confusion Project—A Collaboration between MassPRIM and MIT's Sloan School of Management Sustainability Initiative
Maria Garrahan, Director of Research, Senior Investment Officer, Massachusetts Public Reserves Investment Management (PRIM)
Deborah B. Goldberg, State Treasurer and Receiver General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Melissa Waller, President, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
1:30–2:45 p.m.
The Case for Diversity: Investment Opportunity and Delivering Results and Outcomes
Primer by:
- Lakshmi Balachandra, Policy Fellow, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Babson College
Moderator:
- Jessica Droste Yagan, CEO, Impact Engine
Panelists:
- Lakshmi Balachandra, Policy Fellow, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Babson College
- Bhakti Mirchandani, Managing Director, Responsible Investing, Trinity Church Wall Street
- Gitanjali M. Swamy, Ph.D., Senior Legislative & Policy Advisor, Massachusetts State Senate
3:00–4:00 p.m.
Public Policy Discussion: How Government Actions are Helping to Create Opportunities for Sustainable Investments
Moderator:
- Drianne Benner, Managing Director, Appomattox
Panelists:
- Erin Bigley, Chief Responsibility Officer, AllianceBernstein
- Jeremy Keele, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Catalyst Impact
- Josh Mendelsohn, Partner, Hangar
- Chintan Panchal, Founding Partner, RPCK Rastegar Panchal LLP
- Michael Weinberg, Adjunct Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School
4:15–5:30 p.m.
Shareholder Engagement and Corporate Governance: The State of Play and What Comes Next
Overview and Primer by:
- Robert K. Massie IV, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Moderator:
- Imogen Rose-Smith, Research Director, AIF Institute
Panelists:
- Courtney Birnbaum, Director of Sustainability, Corbin Capital Partners
- Marianne Dwight, Chief Sustainability and Risk Officer, Strategic Insight Group
- Robert K. Massie IV, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- Gianna McCarthy, Director of Corporate Governance, New York State Common Retirement Fund
5:30–5:35 p.m.
Closing Remarks
- Melissa Waller, President, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
- Andrew Messer, Executive Director, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
