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Impact Investors to Gather in Boulder at the 2011 LOHAS Forum

Impact Investors to Gather in Boulder at the 2011 LOHAS Forum

Published 05-25-11

Submitted by LOHAS

The LOHAS Forum, an annual gathering of the leaders of the healthy lifestyles and green consumer goods industry, continues to redefine entrepreneurism and innovation in the LOHAS movement at the Impact Investment Collaboratory to be hosted in Boulder, Colorado on June 22nd, 2011.

"The LOHAS market continues to evolve as new products and businesses get created to serve this rapidly growing $300 billion sector of the economy," says Ning, "and as both a conference and a movement, it's important that we evolve with it. Simultaneously, the rapid global growth in impact investing has resulted in a need for both investors and entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and learn from each other's successes and challenges in a supportive environment."

The Impact Investment Collaboratory - produced in partnership with W1SDØM - provides that venue, with presenters and panels from Boulder's rich entrepreneurial ecosystem alongside national and international organizations. The event's keynote presentation will feature an interactive discussion between two giants of impact investing. Kimbal Musk, an influential investor with deep roots in Silicon Valley, and board member of transformative businesses including Tesla, SpaceX, OneRiot and The Kitchen, represents next-generation impact investors. Charly Kleissner, the co-founder of K.L. Felicitas Foundation, Social Impact International, and most recently, TONIIC, a global impact investing angel network, as well as an advisor to Acumen Fund and the Global Social Benefit Incubator, among others, represents the experienced impact investors who pioneered the field. The balance of the Collaboratory program will feature interactive discussions among the leaders in the field: investors and entrepreneurs active across the spectrum of fundraising, from crowd-funding and slow money to venture capital and corporate acquisition.

"The challenge with traditional venture fairs," says Greg Berry, W1SDØM's founder and president, "is that they are inherently restrictive. Because the impact investing field is so new, there are few experts, and many innovative investing themes which are not widely understood. We set out to serve a broader community, to provide an on-ramp for investors who are curious about the space, to facilitate conversation between early-stage and well-established ventures, and to provide established investors access to investment partners, and an introduction to the next generation of entrepreneurs."

The Impact Investment Collaboratory places a focus on real-world experience; all panelists and speakers have been party to some type of investment in the past year.

"Expanding the discussion provides opportunities for education and collaboration, while maintaining our track record of being a venue where deals get made," says Ning.

What: Impact Investment Collaboratory
Where: Boulder, Colorado
When: June 22, 2011
Program & Registration: http://www.lohas.com/impact-investing-collaboratory

LOHAS FORUM: LOHAS (an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) has catalyzed the adoption of sustainable living for the environmentally conscious business community. Since its inception in 1996, the annual LOHAS Forum draws influential speakers and opinion leaders, exploring innovative solutions and addressing challenges that face the global marketplace. Other events include workshops, networking receptions and musical performances. For more information visit http://www.lohas.com.

W1SDØM: Founded in 2010, W1SDØM is a comprehensive social network and exchange platform that serves the needs of ventures, advisors and investors committed to global social and environmental impact through entrepreneurship.

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Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) describes an estimated $209 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. The consumers attracted to this market represent a sizable group in this country. Approximately 19% percent of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers. This is based on surveys of the U.S. adult population estimated at 215 million.

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