1st Edition
The elea Way A Learning Journey Toward Sustainable Impact
Social entrepreneurship and impact investing contribute to a more inclusive capitalism and bring innovative solutions to global challenges, such as fighting poverty and protecting planet earth. This book offers practical advice on how to best integrate entrepreneurship and capital for impact and innovation by using elea’s philanthropic investing approach to fight absolute poverty with entrepreneurial means as an example.
Written by two leading experts, the book summarizes insights from elea’s 15-year pioneering journey, from creating an investment organization, choosing purposeful themes, and sourcing opportunities, to partnering with entrepreneurs for impact creation. This includes suggestions on how to lead impact enterprises in such areas as developing strategies, plans, and models; building effective teams and organizations; managing resources; and handling crises. Using real-life examples, this is valuable reading for entrepreneurs, investors, executives, philanthropists, policymakers, and anyone curious about entrepreneurship and inclusive capitalism.
Introduction: Reinventing Capitalism
1. Searching For Enterpreneurial Qualities
2. Impact Investing on the Rise
3. elea’s Foundation and Operating Model
4. elea’s Investment Focus
5. Building and Leading an Impact Enterprise
6. Sustaining Impact and Innovation
Biography
Vanina Farber, PhD, is an economist and political scientist with 20 years of teaching, researching, and consultancy experience. She holds the elea Chair for Social Innovation at IMD. Previously, Vanina was Dean of the Graduate School of Business and Associate Professor at Universidad del Pacífico in Peru.
Peter Wuffli, PhD, is a senior leader and entrepreneurial philanthropist. He is the Founder and Chairman of elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization and the Honorary Chairman of IMD. Previously, Peter was a partner at McKinsey & Company, the CEO of UBS Group and the Chairman of Partners Group, respectively IMD. In 2015, he published the book Inclusive Leadership.
"elea’s innovative approach reinforces convergence across corporations, investment organizations, and entrepreneurs toward social impact and meaningful purpose. Its lessons are valuable for corporate executives as they realize strategies that benefit societies." Paul Polman, Chair of IMAGINE, former Unilever CEO
"The elea Way shows how to mobilize capital for social impact by reshaping market-based models. It contributes to harnessing the efforts of complementary actors, such as investors, entrepreneurs, response agencies, and governments, who have the people most affected by poverty and crisis in mind." Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross
"This book is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the mind of an experienced impact investor. elea’s connectedness with our team, which goes far beyond its contribution of financial capital, has been instrumental on our path as impact entrepreneurs, particularly when facing the Global Covid-19 Crisis." Divya Vasant, Amazi Founder and CEO
"elea’s pioneering combination of impact investing and philanthropy inspires both private and public-sector initiatives for economic development. Its ethical foundation in liberalism and its values of inclusive capitalism are hallmarks of Swiss identity." Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Federal Councillor - Minister for Foreign Affairs
"IMD is delighted to host the elea Center for Social Innovation. The elea Way will help in the development of thoughtful and ethical leaders broadening their horizons toward new forms of capitalism and deepening their understanding that they can do well by doing good." Jean-Francois Manzoni, IMD President
