Shared Interest

Voices of Change: Amplifying the Impact of Extraordinary Women! We’re honored to spotlight Carron Howard, the visionary founder of Lead Impact Capital. With over 12 years of expertise in high-impact investments, Carron has a proven track record in managing portfolios that deliver exceptional returns and preserve capital. Her journey from law and corporate strategy to founding Anela Capital and LEAD Impact Capital showcases her commitment to impact investing. Through our partnership with Carron and her team at Lead, we have been able to support ventures like Bitprop, which empowers women homeowners and fosters job creation. Curious to learn more about how she is a voice of change? Read through her insights in our exclusive Q&A below 👇 #VoicesOfChange #ImpactInvesting #WomenInFinance #SocialImpact #SharedInterest

On Friday, June 21st, Shared Interest hosted its HBCU Social Impact Leaders Forum and Nasdaq Bell Ringing Ceremony at Nasdaq headquarters in Times Square. The event highlighted the power and potential of Black emerging business professionals in increasing diversity within the fields of social impact investing, corporate sustainability, and entrepreneurship in the US and Southern Africa. They were thrilled to convene a cohort of over 20 HBCU students, as well as leaders from HBCUs, Nasdaq, Henry Schein, Inc., and other community partners. This event was part of our 30th Anniversary Voices of Change Campaign, where we commemorated Youth Day in South Africa and Juneteenth in the US by amplifying the voices of those who are investing in and empowering the next generation of Black social impact leaders and entrepreneurs in the US and Southern Africa. Several Clark Atlanta University School of Business students joined Dr. Mesfin Bezuneh on behalf of Dr. Silvanus J. Udoka for this event.

We are excited to share a special message from Tim Smith, Shared Interest’s Board Chair Emeritus who participated in our 30th Anniversary Voices of Change Video Campaign. Here is an inspiring message from Tim who is celebrating his birthday this month with a special campaign.   Dear Friends and Colleagues,   It is increasingly popular for people celebrating birthdays to step back and ask friends to help you celebrate by contributing to a special organization close to them. Now that I am over 8 decades old, I am working to live up to the motto “when you are over the hill you pick up speed”. In short, I am not retiring but “rewiring.”   For over 30 of my past years I have been privileged to sit on the Board of Shared Interest, a remarkable organization reflecting the best in Impact Investing , helping conscientious investors put capital to work to empower black communities in Southern Africa by providing guarantees for loans that helped empower women and young people with no access to capital, build affordable housing or support women led agricultural co-operatives. When a U.S. investor buys a note in Shared Interest, they provide guarantees that make loans available and affordable.   Both Archbishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela reminded us after the fall of apartheid just how important it was to help build a just and equitable economy, a necessary building block for racial justice. I was pleased to serve as the Chair of Shared Interest for over a decade and have watched as our mission expanded to include eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. All these countries face the effects of climate change and Shared Interest embraced this as a priority in its programs.   And there are significant signs of impact by Shared Interest which has supported over 2 million beneficiaries and with $34 million of guarantees issued has unlocked $131 million of local capital providing loans for projects that most banks would not loan to. Enclosed with this email is also a helpful short description of Shared Interest and it’s work and a link to a series of videos entitled Voices for Change which I was pleased to participate in. So in celebration of me launching my 81st year on Sept 15, I am reaching out to friends, family and work colleagues to invite you to help me celebrate by making a financial gift to Shared Interest .Last year contributions overwhelmingly exceeded expectations.   All contributions are tax-deductible. And since Shared Interest is entering its 31st year I think it is particularly timely to help launch them into a new decade of work.   I invite you to join me in investing in a more just and equitable Southern Africa. You can donate by clicking this link or visiting https://lnkd.in/eG8qpmhj. 

Voices of Change: Amplifying the Impact of Extraordinary Women!! As we conclude South African Women’s Month, we pay tribute to the pioneering women honored at the Women’s Monument in Pretoria: Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, Lilian Ngoyi, Rahima Moosa, and Helen Joseph. Their courageous actions in 1956, particularly the march against apartheid pass laws, established South Africa’s National Women’s Day on August 9th, a day now celebrated annually to honor their legacy and the ongoing fight for gender equality. Over the next few weeks, join us as we spotlight influential women from our network who continue to carry forward the spirit of these remarkable leaders. Discover their stories, learn about their impactful contributions, and see how they are shaping the future as voices of change. #VoicesOfChange #WomensLeaders #Inspiration #SocialImpact #SharedInterest

Proud to share the impact of our Empowering Future Social Impact Investing Leaders from HBCUs Program!!! Learn how 22 extraordinary student leaders engaged with top global executives, participated in Nasdaq’s Closing Bell Ceremony, and gained the skills to drive social change. This program is just the first step in our ongoing efforts to continue partnering with HBCUs across the country and diversify the finance and social impact investing fields. Click the link to read the full article. #HBCU #SocialImpactInvesting #StudentLeaders #SharedInterest #FutureLeaders https://lnkd.in/eJk_ANbz

Exciting news! Our Executive Director, Ann McMikel, will be speaking at the Africa Diaspora Invests. Summit from August 28-30, 2024, at the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia. Under the theme ‘Unlocking Diaspora Wealth: Bridging Continents for Shared Prosperity,’ Ann will provide insights on impactful investments driving change in Southern Africa. Register today: https://lnkd.in/d7CSA7wA

"Wathint'abafazi, wathint'imbokodo." This powerful isiZulu phrase translates to: "You strike the women, you strike the rock." It’s a historic rallying cry that celebrates the strength and resilience of women, emphasizing their unyielding spirit and determination in the face of adversity. At Shared Interest, we’re committed to supporting this spirit by breaking down the barriers that women in South Africa face in accessing finance. For the past 30 years, we’ve been mobilizing funds and providing guarantees to unlock capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those that are black-owned and women-led. Through nearly $34 million in guarantees, we’ve unlocked $131 million in local capital, benefiting more than 2.3 million black and economically disenfranchised Southern Africans. By providing capacity-building technical assistance to marginalized SMEs, we’re helping women-owned businesses, which are vital to lifting household and community livelihoods, overcome formal and social barriers. A News24 South Africa article titled 'SA's gender pay gap is getting bigger' was published yesterday, highlighting the troubling fact that the gender pay gap in South Africa has worsened, with women earning 78 cents for every rand earned by men in 2021—a decline from 89 cents in 2008. This disparity is most pronounced at both the lower and upper ends of the income scale. Occupational segregation and inequalities in higher-paying management positions contribute significantly to this gap. Shared Interest is actively addressing these challenges by empowering women-led businesses, enabling them to create sustainable livelihoods and close the income gap. Moreover, we recognize the unique challenges women face in both the formal and informal sectors. By facilitating access to finance for women-led enterprises, we help women compete on equal footing, improving their economic standing and contributing to community wellbeing. Our work aligns with the need for comprehensive solutions to the gender pay gap, advocating for equal opportunities and supporting the economic empowerment of women in South Africa. As we continue our mission, Shared Interest is committed to bridging these inequalities by supporting women entrepreneurs, promoting gender parity in income, and contributing to the broader fight for gender equality in South Africa. This Women’s Day, let’s unite as imbokodo—the rocks of our society—and continue to break barriers, uplift one another, and create a brighter future. Learn more about our work in Southern Africa on our website 👉 Shared Interest #HappyWomensDay #WomensDaySA #SharedInterest #WomenOfCourage #WomenEmpowerment #ImpactInvesting #Entrepreneurship #GenderEquality #ClimateChange #SocialEnterprise #FoodSecurity

💥 $34 million in loan guarantees. 🌟 $131 million in unlocked capital. 🎉 Delighted that Shared Interest is ringing the Closing Bell to celebrate their 30th anniversary! 🌍 Founded in 1994 by US-based anti-apartheid activists and socially responsible investors, Shared Interest continues to invest in Black-owned businesses across Southern Africa. 🙌 Thank you for empowering future social impact leaders and supporting the Nasdaq Foundation's work to advance inclusive economic progress!

So excited and proud of Shared Interest. I had the pleasure of taking part of a professional panel at Clark Atlanta University this year with Ann McMikel. Although I wasn’t able to be there to celebrate, I am always cheering the vision on! Congratulations on 30 years 🎉

Thank you Nasdaq for recognizing the hard work and dedication Shared Interest puts in to the social impact and investment industry. This was such an experience!