Opinion: A New Era for ‘Impact Investing’

A San Francisco social-entrepreneurship conference and new funds that encourage so-called impact investing show “genuine progress” in efforts to marry profit and social missions, The Bay Citizen’s editor says in a New York Times opinion column.

“You could feel the energy among the amalgam of philanthropists, foundations, investors, and idealistic entrepreneurs” at least week’s Social Capital Markets conference, attended by more than 1,300 people who paid up to $1,395 for a ticket, Jonathan Weber wrote.

Mr. Weber characterizes impact investing as a potential new “asset class,” citing funds such as Ignia Partners, which tout strong returns while financing businesses with a social mission, and emerging efforts to certify and rate socially oriented investment vehicles.

Read The Chronicle’s coverage of the social-investing meeting our Conference Notebook.