ImpactPHL

An Alliance for Growing Philadelphia's Impact Economy

Abstract

There is a growing sense among entrepreneurs, investors, and philanthropic and corporate leaders that the traditional ways of doing business aren’t the only ways of doing business. As we struggle to address intractable social and environmental challenges and people increasingly consider how well their spending and investments align with their values and with the values of a new generation, new business and investment models have arisen. What is emerging is what can be called the impact economy—a new ecosystem built on the notion that there is both economic and social impact to be found in the ways in which we address the challenges facing our communities and organizations. Proponents describe it as seeking to “unlock greater amounts of private capital to do public good” and “creating shared value.”