This conference will feature several featured Social Investors, who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience to share and discuss with conference participants. One featured Social Investor is Oliver Karius, a Partner at LGT Venture Philantrophy. His background and experience working in the field bring an important voice to our discussions.

Oliver Karius, Partner
Oliver is a partner at LGT Venture Philanthropy responsible for the Africa region, sustainable investment as well as clean tech/climate change and research into market based solutions. Oliver has over 12 years experience in sustainable/socially responsible investment, venture philanthropy and corporate sustainability strategy consulting in both developed and developing countries. He is the co-founder of the WEF aligned African Social Entrepreurship Network (ASEN), DeRisk, VantagePoint Global, and worked previously for SAM Sustainable Asset Management, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), F&C Investment Management (formerly ISIS) and MunichRe. Oliver holds an MSc in Global Environmental Change and Policy, Imperial College, UK and MSc (Dipl. Biol.) from Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany.

LGT Venture Philanthropy (LGT VP) (www.lgt.com)

LGT Venture Philanthropy Foundation’s mission is to improve the sustainable quality of life of less advantaged people in the developing world by selecting and supporting both non-profit and for-profit organizations active in the areas of alleviating human suffering, education and creation of sustainable livelihoods in Africa, China, India, Latin America and South East Asia.

LGT VP applies a venture philanthropy approach, an innovative approach to philanthropic giving based on venture capital principles. These include the provision of targeted and long-term support to organizations in the forms of financial capital, intellectual capital, as well as access to relevant contacts and networks. Depending on the business model of the supported organization, LGT Venture Philanthropy provides grants, loans or equity; any generated profit is channeled back into the fund and will be used for additional investments.

To ensure that the funds entrusted are allocated effectively and generate maximal positive impact, each engagement is subject to detailed due diligence and evaluation, as well as an ongoing mentoring, measurement and reporting process. LGT VP was founded in 2007 by the initiative and funds of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, to become the preferred partner for philanthropic engagement for LGT clients, LGT employees and the Princely Family.