Impact investment, the support of social and environmental projects with a financial return, is the world’s hottest trend in philanthropy and development. It is poised to eclipse traditional aid by ten times over the next decade with over $1 Trillion dedicated to the practice globally.

Yet for all the excitement over impact investment, there is work to do to ensure it actually realizes its potential. Will impact investment empower millions of people worldwide, or just replicate the same challenges of the aid industry and other anti- poverty approaches?

Over the last decade, Morgan Simon has influenced over $150B in capital. As co-founder of three of its leading organizations -- the Responsible Endowments Coalition, Toniic, and Transform Finance—she has become one of the most respected voices in the field. Given we are all connected to financial institutions, we all have the potential to make real impact.

In this book, Simon introduces Transformative Finance, explaining how and why she developed it, showing where it is working, and offering guidelines for investors, entrepreneurs, activists, and everyday people to contribute to social change.

Morgan Simon

Simon is a widely-recognized leader in impact investment who builds bridges between finance and social justice. Over the past seventeen years, she has influenced over $150 billion in capital. Simon currently co-leads Candide Group, which supports two clients, including members of the Pritzker family on behalf of the Libra Foundation. She is also co-founder and chair of the non-profit Transform Finance.

Previously, Simon served as the founding CEO of Toniic, a global network of impact investors, and as the founding executive director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition. She has worked with the United Nations in Honduras, in corporate reform with ForestEthics, and in domestic microfinance with the Women's Initiative for Self-Employment. She currently serves on the boards of the Restaurant Opportunity Center, The Working World, and CARE Enterprises. A graduate of Swarthmore College, Simon serves as an adjunct professor at Middlebury College's graduate school program. She lives in the Bay Area.

Watch Morgan's Interview from the NYSE