We're excited to introduce the newest member of our Advisory Board, Liz Michaels!
Liz is a leader in the responsible investing industry, most recently as Managing Director at BlackRock (after Blackrock acquired Aperio, one of the first providers of values-aligned portfolios in the public markets, where she was co-CEO). We are thrilled to formalize Liz's role as a supporter and advisor.
Global Impact Investing Network | 2025 State of the Market
IE VP Ander Iruretagoyena writes: At Impact Engine we are privileged to have our CEO in the board of arguably the largest and most well known impact investing organization in the world, GIIN. This organization recently released their 2025 State of the Market report and it was great to see that Impact Assets Under Management has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 21% over the past six years. This impressive growth signal, despite a year of significant global economic volatility, provides enduring confidence in our market. A key finding of the report is that investors consistently set higher financial targets for their impact investments than for their traditional assets across almost every asset class.
Priya Parker | The Art of Gathering
IE CEO Jessica Droste Yagan writes: I found The Art of the Gathering to be a well-written and practical reminder of how much intentionality and thoughtfulness can improve gatherings of all types, from team meetings to birthday parties and beyond. Come to think of it, intentionality and thoughtfulness can improve most things!
Bloomberg | There are 19,000 private equity funds in the US. There are 14,000 McDonald's in the US.
IE Analyst Demetrius Palmer writes: I came across this article and thought it offered a creative, insightful take on what we’ve been seeing play out across private markets. The landscape has grown increasingly crowded, with more capital chasing a smaller pool of standout deals. The proliferation of funds reflects a shifting risk environment and has created greater pressure on returns. As competition intensifies, overlap increases, valuations rise, and the urgency to deploy capital often overrides discipline—eroding margins across sectors. With so many funds pursuing a finite set of opportunities, identifying top performers has become both more critical and more challenging for limited partners. Many investors are now watching closely to see which managers can sustain momentum—and which may struggle to raise follow-on capital in a more selective market.
Retirable, the financial planning helper, was prominently featured on ABC's Good Morning America as part of a report on planning for retirement at any age. "It's never too late to start making better decisions," says founder and CEO cofounder Tyler End. Watch the full segment.
Pear Suite, the community health supercharger, announced it has raised $7.6 million in Series A funding. "Pear Suite isn’t just a technology company—we’re leveraging our platform to build a national provider network and deliver the contracting, clinical, and claims infrastructure that community-based providers need to thrive," Says co-founder and CEO Colby Takeda. "With this financing, we plan to 10x the size of our provider network, continue expanding our reach into the Medicare market, and cement CHWs [Community Health Workers] as a foundational part of the healthcare system.”
Town Hall Ventures, a health VC fund investment of ours piloted by former Medicare & Medicaid chief Andy Slavitt, announced a $440 million raise for its fourth fund. The latest fund, which intends to invest in early stage tech health companies innovating in underserved and low income communities, brings their total assets under management up to $1.4 billion.