Presents
PANEL: INVESTING FOR IMPACT
Join us as we delve into the captivating world of ‘Investing for Impact.’ In an era when financial decisions carry the power to shape not only the financial landscape but also the future of our planet and society, this panel will explore the vital role that impact investing plays in creating positive change.
Our expert panelists, will share their insights and strategies on navigating this dynamic landscape, shedding light on how to balance profit with purpose. Whether you’re a seasoned investor, an eager entrepreneur seeking funding, or simply intrigued by the potential of investment to drive change, this panel will provide a compelling perspective on the exciting opportunities and challenges in the world of impact investing.
WENDY HOWELL
Wendy Howell is the CEO at Executive Council Network. Previous roles include Chief of Staff at Cisco and executive roles in M&A and Strategy at Symantec and VERITAS.
Wendy is a people alchemist, a true connector, a community builder “for good”. She is a staunch advocate for giving back. She is deeply involved in non-profit as a Managing Director of Girls In Tech, Co-Chair 50/50 Women On Boards, passionate supporter of Code To College, board member of The Kindness Campaign and Wonders & Worries, former chair of Girl Scouts of Central Texas Women Of Distinction, and a judge for TiE Young Entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, she is particularly passionate about supporting females, underserved and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She considers herself a “rebel with a cause” and is known for her dogged tenacity and creativity to support her passions for giving back! Nothing excites her more than creating positive social impact and helping to catalyze the next generation of empowered leaders.
Moderator: Wendy Howell, CEO Executive Council Network
Avni Trivedi
Panelist
Avni has more than 17 years of experience in technology Sales and Operations.
She was most recently the VP of Global Solutions Consulting at Ellucian, an ed tech B2B SaaS company, where she led a large global team spanning all continents and markets. Prior to that she spent 11 years building her career at Intel corporation where she started as a financial analyst and built her way to be Director of Americas region for one of Intel’s largest customers, Dell.
Avni is from Mumbai, India and a graduate of University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business. Having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs and having built her own fashion business that she exited in 2014, she is well versed in the importance of small business growth being the backbone of societal progression.
Avni has been very involved in various avenues of impact investing with the belief that community upliftment is every individual’s responsibility. She first started her community involvement with engaged philanthropy work with Social Venture Partners, a DEI based nonprofit where members invest both time and money into the Austin non-profit collective. She continues to work with VC’s (EVF) and Angel investors, along with PE firm (LFM capital) in diversifying her portfolio and overall reach beyond the nonprofit world.
She is currently based in Austin, Texas with her two little girls, ages 8 and 11. She is an avid dancer who also enjoys traveling, golf and exotic food.
Chelsea Toler
Panelist
Passion for supporting impact movements and accelerating impact journeys through unique platforms has been the driving force behind Chelsea Toler’s career.
Chelsea has always been excited about lifelong learning and helping the learner’s journey to ensure they have access to the mentorship, capital, technology, and tools they need to succeed. Chelsea serves as the Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer for Logictry alongside Chief Logic Officer, Chris Fronda, and is the President of her Family Foundation, KFG Foundation. A true Longhorn, Chelsea grew up in Austin, TX where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas. Chelsea is currently pursuing her PhD in Professional Adult and Community Education with a research focus on the impact sector.
Chelsea has been able to help move $100+ million towards impact initiatives in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and served as the first fundraising team member for I Live Here I Give Here where she helped to raise $20+ million in 24 hours for 750 nonprofit organizations as a part of the Amplify Austin Day campaign. Chelsea continued her philanthropic journey by starting the KFG Foundation which focuses on educating and empowering young leaders pursuing impact and philanthropy, co-lead the creation and deployment of the United Nations SDSN Youth Seed Fund in partnership with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, joined the NEXUS community and conference circuit where she was recognized as a Profile in Power by Lifestyle Magazine, and co-lead the first ever global Next Gen campaign for Giving Tuesday alongside Olivia Dell.
It is most important to Chelsea that people have access to the information, education, technology, communities, resources, and platform’s necessary to reach their full potential and to share their purpose with the world. Most recently Chelsea organized a partnership between Logictry and the United Nations to host UN World Logic Day as the only US corporate partner, championing better knowledge sharing amongst top thought leaders to create a more peaceful and just world. UN World Logic Day has scaled to bringing together 1,500+ decision makers annually and will be hosted this year on January 21st at the Long Center’s Dell Hall.
Jim Brown
Panelist
Jim has over 20 years of experience investing in private companies across a broad range of sizes and transaction structures in several industries, including enterprise software, cybersecurity, fintech, ecommerce, telecommunications software and hardware, SaaS, healthcare, retail, and technology-enabled businesses and platforms. Jim has also served as a CEO and as a director in several private companies.
Jim is a Founder & General Partner of Arena Growth Partners, and he serves as an Executive Advisor for CenterGate Capital. Jim previously served as the Managing Director of Meaningful Ventures, and as a General Partner at Polaris Venture Partners, where he identified, led, and actively participated in investments. Jim also actively participated in developing firm strategy and in fundraising activities.
During his tenure, Polaris grew from $85M to over $3B in assets under management (AUM). Representative investments include: Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM); Antenna Software (acquired by Pegasystems [NASDAQ: PEGA]); Avici Systems (NASDAQ: AVCI); Crimson Solutions (acquired by Experience, Inc.); Exchange.com (acquired by Amazon [NASDAQ: AMZN]); InvisibleHand Networks; Linguateq (acquired by Sonus Networks [NASDAQ: SONS]); MarketXT (acquired by E-Trade [NYSE: ET]); and Watchfire (acquired by IBM [NYSE: IBM]). These companies represent over $20B in enterprise value on less than $75M in investment, and significant outsized returns for investors. Jim began his private equity career at J.P. Morgan Capital. Jim’s operating experience includes his tenure as President & CEO of Dynamic Light; Sparkphone; and InvisibleHand Networks.
Jim’s career began with service to the nation as a Captain and Aviator in the United States Army, duty for which he was awarded the Meritorious Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Army Achievement Medal, among others. Jim holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was President of the student body; a JD from New York University School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Law Review, a Root-Tilden Scholar, and an International Fellow; and a BS in Engineering and Political Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was an intercollegiate varsity athlete, and where for four years he made Dean’s List.
Jim has been named to Boston Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40,” and Boston Business Forward Magazine’s “The Next Network” (Cover Feature).