Can social finance meet social need (podcast)

Funding conditions for social enterprises have become significantly more difficult in recent years as the amount of available grants has diminished. In their place, social finance markets have focused almost exclusively on the provision of debt finance on terms which are beyond the reach of most community-based social organisations. As a result, most social enterprises are struggling to get the essential funding they need to survive. This comes in the face of increasing demand for their products and services, driven by swelling social needs. This roundtable will discuss whether the social finance market is able to adapt itself to enable social enterprises to get the money they need, to ensure that investors get their money back and to develop a thriving market for social investment. In short, can social finance meet social need?
Speakers:
Julia Li
Senior VP, Seven Bridges Genomics; former Director, Global Health Investment Fund; PhD Technology Management (2009)
Noah Isserman
Director and Visiting Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Social Work; PhD Geography (2008)
Isaac Holeman
Cofounder at Medic Mobile; PhD Management Studies (2013)
Helen Heap
Founder and CEO Seebohm Hill Ltd