In the pursuit of social change, every bit of investment can make a difference. Learn how Social Finance is leading the charge through social impact bonds.
Today, I’m interviewing Adam Swersky, CEO of Social Finance (UK), the non-profit enterprise responsible for creating the world’s first social impact bond. He’s here to talk all about social impact bonds and has been at the forefront of designing solutions that bring together finance with social impact since he joined the organization in 2014.
After studying economics at Cambridge, Adam became a project leader at the Boston Consulting Group, where he advised private, public, and not-for-profit organizations on strategy and transformation. There, he was seconded to the Clinton Health Access Initiative in West Africa to support Niger in accessing a subsidy for malaria medication.
Now as CEO of Social Finance, Adam shares how this organization, which predates the term "impact investing," leads the effort of designing solutions to solve social challenges beyond mere investment. He also details how they have broadened beyond investment to involve data collection and analysis, philanthropy, building new ventures, government advisory, and beyond.
From the mechanics of how social impact bonds function to several real-life examples of social bonds at work, this episode delivers a deep look into social impact financing.
We also touch on the capabilities and limitations of private capital in addressing social challenges, and Adam’s insights on leading an impact-focused business.
This conversation is a deeper exploration of how social impact bonds serve as a partnership between social investors, governments, and providers to design solutions to social challenges.
Feeling intrigued? Listen now to learn how Adam and Social Finance are pioneering the path for impactful investing.
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Show notes: https://sri360.com/podcast/https-sri360-com-podcast-adam-swersky/
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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes.
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Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Adam Swersky’s background and start at Boston Consulting Group (03:03)
An overview of Social Finance: How they began & what they do (18:07)
How Social Finance produces transformative social impact (30:11)
A look into the world’s first social impact bond for Peterborough inmates (35:59)
The Mental Health and Employment Partnership Program (45:51)
A detailed look into the workings of social bonds (50:39)
Measuring outcomes and managing risks for social impact bonds (57:58)
The evolution of social impact bonds (01:07:57)
Adam’s thoughts on leadership & rapid fire questions (01:19:54)

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Additional Resources

Learn more about Social Finance here.

Connect with Adam Swersky:

LinkedIn

X/Twitter

Medium