G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce SymposiumSocial Businesses Created through Investment: Achieving Meaningful Social Impact along with Economic Return

Time: May 29-30, 2015 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: Tokyo Stock Exchange (Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

The Nippon Foundation, together with the Japan Impact Investment Task Force and the SROI Network Japan, will hold a symposium on May 29-30 as outlined below.

As social issues including social welfare for the elderly and childhood poverty become increasingly diverse and complex, many problems cannot be solved by governments alone. Overseas, investors are stepping up by entering the social impact investment* market to come up with ways to resolve social issues while also generating an economic return. This symposium will introduce leading examples of impact investment overseas and recent developments in Japan, to examine what needs to be done to cultivate a market for social impact investment in Japan, and what role investment can play in resolving Japan’s social issues. The symposium will also formulate recommendations for investors, intermediaries, investment recipients, and policymakers, for the expansion of the social impact investment market. Sir Ronald Cohen, who is known as “the father of social investment,” will be the keynote speaker.

  • Investment activities that resolve social issues in areas like education and welfare while also generating an economic return.

1. Schedule

Day 1

May 29 (Friday) 10:00 – 17:30

Day 2

May 30 (Saturday) 13:00 – 17:30

2. Location

Tokyo Stock Exchange

3. Program (simultaneous translation available)

Day 1

  • Opening remarks
    Shuichi Ohno, Executive Director, The Nippon Foundation
  • Keynote address on global trends and future prospects for social impact investment
    Sir Ronald Cohen
  • Panel discussion featuring Sir Ronald Cohen and Hiroshi Komiyama (Chairman, Mitsubishi Research Institute), etc.
  • Networking lunch
  • Working group 1
  • Working group 2
  • Closing session
    Masataka Uo, Founder and CEO, Japan Fundraising Association, etc.

Day 2

  • Opening remarks
  • Keynote address introducing case studies of social impact bonds in the United States
    Tim Pennell, Director, Third Sector Capital Partners
  • Update on social impact bond project in Japan
    Yuto Yoshida, Mayor, Yokosuka City
    Nanako Kudo, Associate Director of Social Finance, The Nippon Foundation
  • Panel discussion
    Yuto Yoshida, Mayor, Yokosuka City

    Tsutomo Horiuchi, CFO, Mori Building Co., Ltd., etc.
  • Policymakers’ discussion on use of unclaimed funds from dormant bank accounts
  • Closing remarks
    Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

About the G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce

The Taskforce was launched at the call of British Prime Minister David Cameron following the Social Impact Investment Forum, held in conjunction with the June 2013 G8 Summit. The Taskforce brings together leaders from G8 countries in fields including government, finance, business, and philanthropy, for the purpose of discussing measures to promote the development of social investment markets. The Taskforce comprises one representative each from the government and private sector of each of the G8 countries. The Japanese members are Seiichiro Takahashi, director of the OECD Division, International Economy Division, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the government representative, and Shuichi Ohno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation representing the private sector. The Taskforce released reports simultaneously in each country in September 2014, summarizing policies and structures for the development of social impact investment markets. National advisory boards function as sub-organizations within the Taskforce, and the Japan Impact Investment Task Force was launched in July 2014, comprising the following members.

Japan Impact Investment Task Force

  • Dr. Hiroshi Komiyama, Chairman, Mitsubishi Research Institute
  • Masataka Uo, Founder and CEO, Japan Fundraising Association
  • Yoshiyuki Nojima, General Manager, CSR and Environmental Affairs Department, Mitsubishi Corporation
  • Ken Shibusawa, Chairman, Commons Asset Management; Board of Directors, Eiichi Shibusawa Memorial Foundation; Director, Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives)
  • Tomoya Shiraishi, Chairman, Social Investment Partners
  • Dr. Junichi Yamada, Senior Special Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency
  • Shuichi Ono, Executive Director, Social Innovation Program Division, The Nippon Foundation

Keynote speaker: Sir Ronald Cohen, Chair, G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce

A graduate of Oxford University and Harvard Business School, Sir Ronald is the Chairman of Big Society Capital, Founder Chairman of The Portland Trust (2003-) and Bridges Ventures (2002-2012); Founder Director of Social Finance Ltd (2007-2011) and Social Finance USA (2010-).

He was a founder director and past chairman of the British Venture Capital Association and a founder director of the European Venture Capital Association. He was also a founder and former Vice-Chairman of EASDAQ and former director of NASDAQ Europe. At the age of 26, he co-founded the firm that became Apax Partners. When he stepped down from the chairmanship thirty-three years later, Apax was the largest global private-equity firm based in Europe, with an impressive investment record, more than $40 billion under management, offices in eight countries, and more than 300 staff.

Contact

Public Relations Section, Communications Department
The Nippon Foundation

E-mail
cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp