The talk of social and environmental impact may sound generic. But when we look at the ecosystem that has been formed around solutions to the great challenges of our time (inequality, climate emergency, devaluation of cultures and territories), we realize that there is a gear in the making, and that it depends on many players.
An impact ecosystem is exactly that: a set of people, organizations, policies and investments that work together to generate positive changes in society and the environment through purposeful businesses and initiatives.
Terms like “impact businesses”, “enablers”, “socio-environmental venture capital” or “impact investments” may sound technical, and they are. But they need to be understood, appropriated, and disseminated if the ecosystem is to grow and diversify.
It is in this field that Raízes Desenvolvimento Sustentável positions itself: as an articulator between territories, businesses and investors, connecting ends and widening paths so that impact solutions flourish where they matter most.
What makes up the impact ecosystem?
According to the Institute of Corporate Citizenship (ICE), the impact ecosystem is made up of different types of actors:
- Impact businesses, which propose solutions with socio-environmental intent and a sustainable business model;
- Impact investors, who contribute capital with the expectation of a financial return and positive transformations;
- Dynamizers, which are intermediary organizations with the role of strengthening and connecting these two poles;
In addition to universities, governments, civil society organizations, consultancies and collaborative networks that create the environment for all this to happen.
The Alliance for Impact, a multi-sectoral network that works to strengthen this ecosystem in Brazil, reinforces the importance of dynamic organizations in mobilizing knowledge, technical support and capital. They help translate the needs of territories and entrepreneurs into viable and accessible proposals for investors and public policies.
Raízes as a catalyst for impact
Raízes acts precisely in this strategic role of dynamizer. This means that we are at the center of the ecosystem, creating bridges between those who have a transformative idea and those who can help make it viable, whether with resources, knowledge or networks.
In practice, this happens through sustainable territorial development methodologies, technical support for community impact businesses, mediation between investors and entrepreneurs, knowledge production and coordination with other players in the field.
Let’s look at how this happens with a real example: the Socio-Biodiversity Business Acceleration Project. In this project, we have the Humanize Institute and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) as impact investors, the 30 ventures we selected and mentored as impact businesses and Raízes as the driving organization that provided technical support so that the benefits of the resources invested by the investors could successfully reach the social ventures at the cutting edge.
More than an organization that provides services or develops projects, Raízes sees itself as an active part of building a new development paradigm. More collaborative, inclusive and regenerative. For us, being part of the impact ecosystem means recognizing that no transformation happens in isolation.
We connect businesses that make a difference with the resources they need to grow; we translate the language of the investor to those at the cutting edge; we create strategies that respect local knowledge and integrate innovation with tradition.
Our place in the ecosystem is in the middle, at the heart of the transformation process. And it is from there that we continue to act, connect, strengthen and inspire.
Take a look at our showcase and get to know the socio-environmental businesses we’ve already supported! Visit the projects page and find out who is funding these transformations!
