After 5 years of placing dozens of funds in social venture companies, I’m keen to expand our impact. Renewal2 offers friends, colleagues and mission based private foundation investors in Canada and the USA, access to this exciting emerging field.

Carol Newell financed Renewal Partners in the early 90's and we launched it together with the help of long time colleague Martha Burton. Later joined by Paul Richardson, our mandate was to place funds in the emerging field of patient, triple bottom line investing. Our intention was to learn this field, get to know the players, and use Carol's risk tolerance to prove the concept. Great entrepreneurs with a mission focus can make great money.

We found that this investing philosophy has outperformed many venture funds over the last ten years. I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive opportunities in the middle of the return range. These companies can have a powerful stabilizing impact on community and economic activity with their steady growth pace.

There is a sweet spot where capital with social values can reach important under financed sectors.

I am certain there is a new boom economy underway. This Solutions Economy will alter the face of capital placement.

The world condition demands more intelligence about externalities, about long term thinking, about the health families, and about social equity on the planet. Renewal2 will draw on some of the best companies in our existing portfolio ready for larger growth capital. Our extensive networks in the sector will expose us to a superb pool of the up and coming future stars in natural foods and lifestyles, energy, independent media, smart real estate, and other essential sectors. There are far more worthy deals than investors to support these arenas.

I’m pleased with the early response. Most express further interest. Some give immediate soft commitments. I’m looking forward to the chance to meet with people keen to place fractions of their portfolios into Solutions businesses.

Paul Richardson will lead the Fund as President. Nicole Bradbury has joined us from international finance firm experience as a Senior Advisor. Pamela Chaloult, who joined Renewal after Co-Directing the Social Venture Network (SVN) out of San Francisco, will lead marketing and communications. Jim Morrisey, a senior Partner at Ernst & Young Canada will lead design of our structure and financial services. Martha Burton will take a role in Client Relations. Carol Newell will be a lead investor and partner in the Management Company. I will serve as Chair.

Close colleague Funds across the continent are in various stages of implementing variations of high impact models. Together we help seed an emerging asset class of mission based investing.

It will be thrilling to live through this next 5 years as the sector emerges towards its potential. We will together prove that investing with your values can generate strong financial returns. Even more meaningfully are the community and natural capital returns.

Want to hear more about Renewal2 and the new world of mission investing? Call or email Nicole Bradbury at 604.844.7474 ext 626 or nicole@renewal2.ca.