Mindful Money Conference & Awards 2024

Following the success of the Mindful Money Conference and Awards over the past three years, we are excited to announce an innovative and exciting approach in 2024 - Building Community and Celebrating Excellence.

Attendees at previous conferences have particularly remarked on the way that the event has built community across ethical and impact investing - to learn, share, discuss, and network across the investment and finance world.

We will do this more intentionally this year. The 2024 conference aims to bring together the key actors in ethical and impact investment and accelerate the growth of positive impact investing into the fund's management mainstream. 

Following the conference, the fourth annual Mindful Money Awards ceremony will take place, honouring funds and individuals leading the movement to establish responsible investing as the new standard and positioning impact investing at the progressive forefront.

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Mindful Money Annual Conference: 2-5pm 

Keynote address: Dylan Lawrence, General Manager for the investments team at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

Panel discussion: ‘Mobilising Investment for Homes’. This panel will feature initiatives that are driving private sector funding into housing developments that meet urgent social needs. Innovative partnerships have been used to support community housing associations to scale up their provision of social housing, and to meet the urgent need for affordable rental homes. 

Panellists include:

• Shamubeel Eaqub (Community Finance)
• Sam Stubbs (Simplicity)
• Jodi Hayward (Te Pae Roa)
• Kay Saville-Smith (CRESA)
facilitated by Alastair Rhodes (BayTrust).

Panel discussion: 'Ramping up investment in Renewables' 

The private sector is driving the energy transition in New Zealand from coal, oil and gas to renewable energy. The panel, "Ramping up Investment in Renewables," will discuss the scaling up of mainstream finance for new solar and wind power developments as well as distributed solutions, such as the pioneering work of SolarZero in rooftop solar.

Panellists include:

• Matthew Ward (SolarZero)
• Bill Murphy (Purpose Capital)
•John Campbell (Our Energy Limited)
facilitated by Terina Williams (NZ Super Fund)

Roundtables with experts: Discussion, sharing, and exploring collaboration

A key highlight of the conference will be roundtable discussions, drawing on the interests and experience of the audience. They will be facilitated by some of New Zealand's leaders in mainstreaming positive impact investing. These structured discussions will bring diverse actors across fund management, financial advisers and wealth managers, private capital, venture capital, researchers and government to build a stronger understanding of how mainstream funding through KiwiSaver and managed funds can accelerate investment for positive impact. 

Feedback from Roundtables What are the most important levers to accelerate impact into the mainstream?

Networking & Platters

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Mindful Money Awards 2024

The Mindful Money Awards celebrate the role that ethical and impact investing are playing in making money a force for good. They reflect the growing movement to re-orient investment finance towards sustainability and well-being, providing solutions to the mounting crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality.

5.15 pm Introduction - Barry Coates

5.25 pm Keynote Address - Izzy Fenwick, founder of Futureful, an ESG-based recruitment website, an emerging director for the Aotearoa Circle and a passionate advocate for a youth voice in governance. 

5.40 pm Awards MC - Jesse Mulligan

5.45 pm Awards Ceremony

• Best Ethical Investor
• Best New Ethical Fund
• Best Overseas Fund
• Best Impact Investor
• Best Climate Action Investor
• Best Media Reporting on Ethical and/or Impact Investment
• Best Ethical Financial Adviser
• Best Ethical KiwiSaver Provider

People's Choice Award, An innovation this year is the exciting "People's Choice Award," voted on by members of the public. It is presented in honour of our former head judge, collaborator and friend, Rod Oram. This award allows all New Zealanders to have their say about their favourite ethical fund provider. Voting is open here. 

6.40 pm Closing and thanks

Networking, drinks, and nibbles until 7.30 pm 

A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors Which Make This Possible: 

Conference Sponsors: 
SILVER: NZ Super Fund
GENERAL: Artesian, Bay Trust, Booster, Craigs Investment Partners, First Sentier Investors, Generate, Milford, Moneyworks, New Ground, Stewart Investors & Trust Management

Awards Sponsors:
GOLD: Public Trust & Sustainalytics 
GENERAL: Australian Ethical,  Bay Trust, Craigs Investment Partners, Convergence, First Sentier & Stewart Investors, Milford & Trust Management

A huge thanks to our supporting partners: MinterEllisonRuddWatts,  The Impact Investment Network, RIAA, Sustainable Business Network, Centre for Sustainable Finance

Community partners: Foundation North and Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation