Inclusive Business Calendar

This event will gather 250 of the African private sector’s most influential women, with three objectives: 1. Promote female leadership issues in the business world and help address the continent’s economic and social challenges 2. Prepare women for leadership and governance through high-level training courses and exposure to some of the most inspiring global role models 3. Facilitate business meetings and network development.

Organised by the European Commission, the European Development Days (EDD) bring the development community together each year to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. The EDD is a participatory programme. EDD 2019 overarching title is "Addressing inequalities: building a world which leaves no one behind".

Now in its seventh year, the AVPN Conference will bring together a diverse group of funders and resource providers from around the globe to take part in the largest gathering of social investors in Asia. Recognising that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will only be met if mainstream private investors are also mobilising capital towards impact, AVPN is seeking to break down barriers to bring in the broader capital markets into the social investing network.

There are huge business and investment opportunities in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. But even the boldest ideas and most inspiring partnerships are struggling to move beyond the pilot phase - to scale the impact of their strategies. Why is this and what can you do differently? 

The annual summit brings together business executives, governments, and investors to share practical ideas, tools and approaches to business strategies that help solve some of the world’s most pressing needs - sustainably and profitably. We’ll explore the challenges organisations face implementing these business plans and how to overcome them, moving large-scale projects from strategy to pilot to execution at scale.
 

The Blended Finance Africa 2019 will bring together DFIs, MDBs, Institutional investors, Foundations & Philanthropists, Private Equity & Venture Capital Firms, Banks, NGOs, Governments and Corporates to discuss the latest developments and opportunities in blended finance in Africa, then explore the increasing role of private finance in meeting Africa’s sustainable development agenda.

Small farmers need an efficient and accountable aggregation partner to access markets and services in a way that aggregates their products and demand to negotiate for better prices and stable markets. While it is not the only route to market, being a member of a mature, professional farmer organization can be a critical element of economic viability for smallholders. What are the ways farmer organizations build profitable business models for viable trade and high quality service delivery to their farmer members? What are the tools supply chain partners can use to assess and support this process? The webinar will feature SCOPE Insight and their partner about their experience developing these tools over the last decade and supporting their roll-out across many supply chains and geographies. Speakers include John Cherek (SCOPE Insight) and Mark Blackett (AMEA Network/ Rikolto). The webinar will take place 9:30 am - 10:30 am EDT. 

The ILO’s Impact Insurance Academy is a unique opportunity to learn from more than ten years of experience and innovations in inclusive insurance facilitated by the ILO’s Impact Insurance Facility. By combining plenary sessions with specific electives by the choice of participants, participative activities, case studies and intensive discussions, the Academy offers a dynamic learning environment for participants and experts from all over the world to discuss ways of developing inclusive insurance.

There is a clear and deepening frustration amongst some with the rhetoric of “purpose”, “sustainability” and the notion of “business as a force for good”. For those of us who believe in the power of business to do good, this is an opportunity for some honest self-reflection. The common ground between those within the business and purpose world, and those who criticise it, is the desire for authenticity; the recognition that we need to move beyond the rhetoric of purpose and embed it meaningfully and consistently across business. We need an honest discussion about how this can be done, recognising where progress is being made and where actions are falling short.

Join an invited audience of 300 professionals and practitioners working to embed purpose authentically within business. Engage with peers from leading global companies, civil society and government who are pioneering new ways to harness companies' products, services, value chains, and voice to have a positive social impact.

The ANDE West Africa Regional Conference is a gathering of ANDE members and partners in the region including leading investors, capacity development providers, foundations, banks, corporations, academic and research institutions. In 2019, the 2-day highly interactive conference will feature sessions on ecosystem opportunities, solutions to SGB common challenges, networking meetings and plenaries with leading thinkers in the SGB sector.