3.3. Finding the sweet spot: investors, financial services providers, and client needs

How can social impact investors remain genuinely client-focused while still meeting their investment mandates and performance targets? 

This session will explore the often-overlooked tension between investor-driven social goals and the lived realities of end clients — particularly those in vulnerable or underserved communities.

Through dialogue and case-based reflection, the session will unpack:

- How investment design and due diligence can better incorporate client feedback,

- Where social performance metrics align — or clash — with client needs,

- What funders and financial service providers can do to co-create solutions that deliver both impact and sustainability.

Participants will engage in a forward-looking discussion on how to build better bridges between boardrooms and the field — ensuring that financial inclusion stays grounded in the real needs of the people it aims to serve.

Format: Parallel session