Impact Investing in Asia | Impact Investing Series

Impact Investing Hub is hosting an impact investing series for social enterprises, not-for-profits, foundations, institutional and impact investors and professional advisors. This series aims to enhance understanding and practical applications of impact investing. This session is 2 of 3.

Buy tickets to the other two sessions here: 

Impact Investing 101 | Friday 31 October, 12.00-1.00pm AEDT

Finance, Acquisitions, and Mergers | Friday 14 November, 12.00-1.00pm AEDT

Impact Investing in Asia | Friday 7th of November, 12.00PM - 1.00PM AEDT

Explore how Asia’s dynamic markets and innovations are shaping new frontiers for impactful investment.

Learning Outcomes

In this session you will:

• Gain an introductory understanding of the impact investing landscape in Asia, including emerging trends and opportunities.

• Recognise the value of looking beyond familiar markets to identify innovative and high-impact opportunities in new regions.

Facilitator

Rebecca Parkinson - SIH Professional Impact Network Member

Rebecca is an experienced impact investor having spent over 15 years deploying impact oriented capital into mission driven businesses and social enterprises in in Australia and South and South East Asia She is passionate about effective impact investment strategies that advance financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, forest and landscape restoration, sustainable food production, and nutrition and food security.

Rebecca has worked across private, NGO, finance and government sectors offering practical experience investing capital across the risk-return-impact spectrum, designing alternative financial instruments and blended finance structures for projects. Recently Advisor to DFAT's' Blended Finance and Investor Engagement Unit, scaling blended and climate finance mechanisms and impact investor collaborations. Previous roles include fund manager of Social Ventures Australia's Diversified Impact Fund, and Director, Innovative Finance with Singapore's IIX, overseeing portfolio origination and management of the Women's Livelihood Bond Series, and Investment Services Director with Opportunity International Australia.

Panellists

Shane Nichols - Good Return

Shane Nichols is CEO at Good Return - a social purpose organisation that enables women and their families across the Asia Pacific region to access economic opportunities and build financial security. Good Return received the Emerging Markets Impact Investment of the Year award at the 2025 Impact Investment Awards.

With over two decades of social finance and enterprise development experience, Shane has worked with dozens of financial service providers and social enterprises across the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Good Return, Shane worked on rural development and microfinance programs for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in China and Mongolia.

Shane has degrees in Behavioural Science and Social Science, is a non-executive director of Palmera Projects and serves as Vice President of the Australian Council for International Development, and an Advisory Committee member for the Cross Sector Partnerships Initiative.

Jennifer Buckley - Sweef

Experienced private equity investment professional with a 20-year track record in Europe and Asia across direct, co-investments and funds. Founded Sweef Capital, a women's led investment firm investing in scalable private equity growth capital solutions meeting the needs of women and driving value through diversity and inclusion.

Early career spent in leadership roles in GE Capital focused on growing mid-sized businesses where I operated both as an investment leader and board director. Through these initiatives I developed deep practical experience in applying GE’s extensive management best practices to developing opportunities and solving business challenges, spanning strategic & operational planning, financial & risk management, leadership & organisation design, salesforce effectiveness and M&A execution & integration.

Melissa Yeo - Leap Frog Investments

Melissa leads the External Affairs function at LeapFrog Investments, driving strategic communications and thought leadership to strengthen the firm’s visibility and influence in global impact investing. She blends a journalist’s instinct with strategic focus and data-driven insight to craft narratives that resonate with investors, entrepreneurs, and global institutions. Her work positions LeapFrog as a trusted voice in the industry while reinforcing its mission to deliver Profit with Purpose.

Melissa’s news sense was honed over a decade as a business and economics journalist, including roles as a daily business columnist and markets reporter at The Australian and as a founding team member at Stockhead. Today, she partners with internal leaders and international organisations to refine LeapFrog’s storytelling, strengthen global reach, and build the relationships that shape the firm’s growth.