Getting Started
June 2020 - Yoxi Community of Practice Meeting
We can’t believe it’s been over a month since our first gathering to reimagine the future of investing! We’re thrilled to see that you subscribed to this discussion thread! As a reminder, we will be using this space to post our monthly discussions so even if you missed a meeting you’d still be able to catch up without getting your inbox flooded. As we push to “practice investing” differently, we will use this space to collectively envision new frameworks, models, vehicles and possibilities. We do not see ourselves as investors looking for deals. Instead, we are seekers eager to connect dots and weave opportunities into new resource constellations.
Our first monthly meeting took place over Zoom on Wednesday, June 17th. A few of us came together to explore possible directions that would allow this group to begin experimenting and prototyping. The three primary questions on the table were:
What is our investment criteria? (What imaginations do we spark? What pain points do we address?)
Who/what do we invest in? (People and projects that excite us)
Who wants to contribute capital to invest with us? (Light structure, focus on collective commitment and action)
We began by brainstorming a list of investment criteria. This list will continue to evolve to inform our initial structure as we start to “practice together."
Investment Criteria (work in progress)
Clear and concise inquiry
Early development (pre-structure or alternative structure)
Emergent networks that offer new structures (new ways of moving money - interested in new configurations combining philanthropy, impact investing and patronage)
Underserved and high impact (small amount of funding to catalyze pivotal impact)
Feminine energy/orientation (moving away from patriarchal mindset)
Systematic conditions over bandaid solutions
Transformational over incremental
PLEASE COMMENT: What are your thoughts on this initial list? Do you have anything to add? Can you point us to concrete opportunities that meet the criteria?
Next, we moved into a spirited discussion to surface “status quo” issues and power dynamics. Some questions we contemplated:
What does it mean to reimaging the relationship between the investor and investee?
How do we change the power dynamics of “pitching?” (Power is all on the investor side)
How can we push ourselves to follow a different process (instead of standard pitch, lengthy diligence, cookie-cutter metrics)
What about the concept of “fairness”? What is a fair deal? Why is it important for both the investor and the investee?
How do we build trust that allows us to reevaluate what it means to be fair to both parties as environments and contexts change?
How do we broaden our definition of “return?”
How do we invest in individuals? (A fellowship with blended investment and loan?)
PLEASE COMMENT: What are your thoughts on these questions? Do you think the term “investment” is too limiting?
Let’s also remind ourselves that we do not want to reinvent the wheel since we are not the only ones wrestling with these issues. How do we support existing structures that are already actively pursuing new frameworks and different approaches, such as Zebra Unite or Native Women Lead?
PLEASE COMMENT: Anything/anyone coming to mind? What/who can we learn from?
Chime in here by adding a comment and/or join our next meeting on Zoom this month (exact time/date will be updated in the comments soon).