Leading Venture Capital Towards Impact | Charlie Macdonald | Giant Leap Fund
“We benefit a lot from our network in all sorts of ways, particularly when we’re trying to generate maximum impact. We have an incredible advisory board and an incredible community of investors. A lot of our views are (drawn from) those different perspectives, to bring them into our decision-making. For an impact investor, you are working to strengthen the community, and you get strength from the community in that way.”
Charlie Macdonald, Investment Manager of Giant Leap invites us into the world of impact venture capital.
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Topics covered:
What is the purpose of money?
What is an impact VC versus a mainstream VC?
Is mainstream VC committed and ready to drive impact?
What capabilities do mainstream VCs need to have to lead impact genuinely?
Giant Leap's philosophy and approach to investment
The importance of collaboration in building a business reputation
Structure of impact VC firms vs mainstream VC firms
How Giant Leap identifies and invests in high-potential impact ventures
How does Giant Leap help its portfolio to embed impact after the funding round?
How Giant Leap helps its startups stay on track with their impact/purpose as they grow and scale
Assessing and navigating the potential unintended consequences of innovation
How does Giant Leap leverage network power to drive maximum impact
"Tell us a story only you can tell" - finding life-changing moments through painful experiences
"Teach us a lesson only you can teach" - The 101 lesson on pulling levers
"Envision 2050: what would you hope it to look like, sound like and feel like?"
About Charlie:
Charlie Macdonald is an Investment Manager at Giant Leap, an impact venture capital fund backing mission-driven founders addressing our most pressing challenges. Here, he is responsible for running the investment process, producing useful tools for impact founders, and impact measurement. Previously, Charlie helped early-stage founders find their first customers at Playbook Media and completed an MBA at Melbourne Business School.
Learn more about Charlie:
Charlie Macdonald’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-macdonald/
Giant Leap’s website: https://www.giantleap.com.au/
Giant Leap’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/giantleap-vc/
