Collection: The Impact Papers
Social enterprise and impact investing events in 2025
Ready to network, learn and get inspired? Don't book your diary without the Pioneers Post roundup of social impact events coming soon – for social entrepreneurs, impact investors and all those working within the global impact economy.
|
This page is updated regularly – check back soon for more events. To submit yours for consideration on this list, contact our news team, or get in touch to find out about promotional opportunities! Pioneers Post is a social enterprise, so working with us means you’re buying social too. |
11-13 February
ANDE Pan-Africa Conference
What: Two days of sessions and networking events to discuss the future of inclusive entrepreneurship across the continent, followed by a day of off-site visits and excursions to meet local entrepreneurs. This year's edition will have a focus on empowering youth, leveraging digital innovation, fostering diversity and uplifting cultural enterprises. Organised by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs.
Who: Leaders, innovators and change-makers in the African entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Where: Dakar, Senegal.
Tickets: Start at USD$750 for regional members of the ASPEN network. Book here.
14 February
Humanitarian Finance Summit
What: A day of discussions and networking to explore practical approaches to developing new financial strategies to address humanitarian challenges, examine current investments (including impact investments, insurance products and capital markets issuance) and consider how to address significant funding gaps in the humanitarian sector.
Who: Representatives of NGOs, philanthropy, government bodies, multilateral banks, development finance institutions, academics and investment managers involved in development aid.
Where: London, UK.
Tickets: Free for state and government agency representatives; then prices vary according to sector – from £75 +VAT for NGOs to £300 +VAT for private sector tickets. Register here.
24-25 February
AVPN Southeast Asia Summit
What: A summit focusing on Southeast Asia’s role in global challenges, emphasising climate change, gender equality, healthcare resilience, and youth empowerment, organised by AVPN, the Asian network of impact investors.
Who: Social investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs and impact-driven organisations in Southeast Asia.
Where: Singapore, in person.
Tickets: Start at US$150. Details and registration information are available here.
26-27 February
Sankalp Africa Summit 2025
What: The twelfth edition of one of Africa’s largest networking and investing summits of entrepreneurs and impact investors, focusing on sustainable development and social entrepreneurship.
Who: Entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders from over 65 countries dedicated to driving regional and global sustainable development.
Where: The Edge Convention Center, Nairobi, Kenya, in person.
Tickets: Ticket sales will be announced soon. For updates and more information, visit the Sankalp Africa website here.
25-27 February
FLII 2025: The Latin American Impact Investment Forum
What: A gathering of a diverse community of leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators discussing creating positive social and environmental impact across Latin America. Organised by New Ventures Group.
Who: Social entrepreneurs and investors.
Where: Merida, Mexico, in person.
Tickets: Start from US$1,392 and are available here.
26-28 March
Anthropy 2025
What: A three-day, in-person event that will incorporate over 180 sessions focused on creating dialogue and addressing questions on themes such as the quality of life in future Britain and the future of the planet in regards to poverty, climate change, and human rights.
Who: Leaders, founders, thought leaders and those who wish to contribute to improving Britain.
Where: Cornwall, UK.
More information here.
|
|
1-4 April
Skoll World Forum
What: An annual conference that brings together global leaders to collaborate on social change, spotlighting promising solutions and impactful social innovations. Organised by the Skoll Foundation.
Who: Social entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders driving social progress worldwide.
Where: Oxford, UK, and online.
Tickets: Invitations are issued by the Skoll Foundation, with free virtual participation open to everyone. Details available here.
24-26 April
21st Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference
What: Annual gathering for social entrepreneurship educators, researchers and advocates organised by EGADE Business School in partnership with The International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Who: Academics and advocates in social entrepreneurship.
Where: Mexico City, Mexico, in person.
Tickets: Not yet available. Details available here.
24-26 April
ChangeNOW 2025
What: This three-day summit is returning for its 8th edition, bringing together stakeholders from across the impact sector to plan innovative and sustainable solutions through workshops, conferences and networking opportunities. Echoing the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and inspired by World Expos, the summit aims to unite representatives of 140 countries.
Who: Open to all.
Where: Grand Palais, Paris, France.
Tickets: Super early-bird tickets are currently available from €270 for the full summit, with further discounts available for startups, self-employed people, students and jobseekers. Register here.
21-22 May
Upstream Festival 2025
What: A community-driven festival where innovation meets community, offering a blend of inspiration, collaboration and forward-thinking. The event focuses on providing startups with the resources they need for growth, including access to capital, markets and talent. Organised by Up!Rotterdam.
Who: Founders, investors, corporate changemakers and other stakeholders in the startup ecosystem.
Where: Rotterdam, Netherlands, in person.
Tickets: Early bird ticket sales will commence soon. To be among the first notified when sales start, you can fill out the form on the official website.
2-5 June
Philea Forum
What: An annual gathering organised by Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea), bringing together philanthropy professionals to explore the theme ‘Power and Equality: A Balancing Act’.
Who: Philanthropy professionals, foundation representatives and stakeholders in the European philanthropic sector.
Where: Lisbon, Portugal, hosted by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Tickets: Details and registration information will be available on the official Philea Forum page from the first week of February.
3-4 June
Annual Conference on Legal Issues in Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing
What: Legal-focused conference addressing issues in social entrepreneurship, hosted by New York University’s Grunin Center.
Who: Lawyers, policymakers and impact investors.
Where: New York University, New York City, in person.
Tickets: Not yet on sale. Details available here.
4-5 June
The Latin American Impact Investment Summit (CLIIQ)
What: A conference aiming to activate the impact investment community to address key social and environmental issues in Latin America. Key themes for the 2025 event are the intersection between climate and gender; technology for sustainable development and construction of impact ecosystems through collective action.
Who: Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, policy makers and other members of the impact community.
Where: Quito, Ecuador.
Tickets: Available from $550 via the event website.
4-7 June
45th Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC)
What: An academic conference on entrepreneurial research, hosted by Babson College.
Who: Scholars and researchers in entrepreneurship.
Where: Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, in person.
Tickets: Not yet available. Registration information available here.
11-13 June
3rd Africa Impact Summit
What: Event organiser the Africa Impact Investing Group says the event will emphasise building platforms to mobilise capital at scale for impact, especially for small and medium enterprises, policy action to accelerate and scale progress and research and knowledge capture to inform action and enable scaling of what works. The summit will include a pre-event tour of relevant organisations for delegates to learn about the region’s impact economy, and deal rooms facilitated by Deal Source Africa.
Who: People who work in the impact sector from around the world.
Where: Accra, Ghana
Tickets: Register here
21-29 June
London Climate Action Week
What: A platform for individual organisations to host their own events, which can take place at any time and place during the LCAW dates. Its aim is to bring together London’s climate professionals and communities to find solutions to climate change.
Who: Individual organisers will decide whether their event is open to all or directed at a specific group.
Where: London, UK and online
Tickets: Registration will open early 2025. More information here.
30 June-3 July
4th International Conference on Financing for Development
What: The UN-organised conference will address new and emerging issues, the urgent need to fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals and support reform of the international financial architecture. It will also assess the progress made on international commitments, and result in an internationally-agreed outcome.
Who: Global state representatives.
Where: Seville, Spain.
More information here.
|
|
4-5 July
Co-op Congress
What: Co-operatives UK’s annual event will feature sessions and speakers to discuss priority topics for the co-operatives community, with more details to be announced in early 2025. It will also celebrate the UN Year of Co-operatives, which launched in December 2024, in the birth town of the movement, Rochdale.
Who: Co-operators working to build a better economy.
Where: Rochdale, UK.
Tickets: More information to come.
31 August to 3 September
Impact Minds 2025
What: The annual event run by Latimpacto, Latin America and the Caribbean's network for social investment. Further details to be released.
Who: Capital providers from the global social and environmental impact ecosystem, with a special focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Where: Medellin, Colombia
Tickets: Not yet available, more information on the Impact Minds conference website.
9-11 September
AVPN Global Conference 2025
What: The annual gathering of AVPN’s network of Asian impact investors, hosted in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Attendees can expect talks, networking opportunities and cultural experiences.
Who: Impact investors, philanthropists, and the social impact investing community.
Where: Hong Kong.
Tickets: More information to come.
17-18 September
Impact Festival 2025
What: Focusing on sustainable innovation, this event features keynotes, expert talks, panel discussions and networking opportunities focused on driving the green transformation. Organised by Neosfer.
Who: Impact entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, policymakers and other stakeholders committed to sustainability and innovation.
Where: Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Tickets: Start at €99 and are available on the Impact Festival website.
19-20 September
International Conference on Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ICSEI)
What: Academic and practitioner-focused conference on social innovation, organised by The International Conference on Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ICSEI).
Who: Academics, practitioners, and policymakers.
Where: To be announced, online and in person.
Tickets: Start from US$200. Available here.
7-9 October
GIIN Impact Forum
What: A global impact investing event including keynote speakers, panel discussions and interactive sessions. Organisers the Global Impact Investing Network anticipate more than 1,600 impact investors will attend.
Who: Impact investors from a range of financial institutions, including pensions, venture capital funds, government agencies and NGOs.
Where: Berlin, Germany.
Tickets: To be published on the event website in due course.
27-31 October
Social Enterprise World Forum and SEWF Week 2025
What: The forum (29-30 October) is the world’s biggest gathering for the social enterprise community, providing an opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers from around the world to learn from each other, connect and get inspired. SEWF 2025 Week (27-31 October) will include social enterprise tours in Taipei and other locations, Fringe Day and evening activities.
Who: Open to all.
Where: Taipei, Taiwan; online and at Community Hubs (locations to be announced).
Tickets: Super Early Bird tickets are now available here, NT$4,500 (US$140) for in-person attendance and NT$585 (US$18) for an online pass.
27-29 October
SOCAP25
What: SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) convenes a diverse group of impact investors, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, business leaders and innovators to accelerate progress in addressing the world’s toughest challenges through market-based solutions. The conference features keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at fostering impactful collaborations.
Who: Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, business leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders committed to social and environmental impact.
Where: San Francisco, California, USA.
Tickets: Are available at US$1,099, visit the SOCAP25 ticket page to purchase here.
29-31 October
Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum 2025 (GSEF 2025)
What: The 7th edition of the Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum (GSEF), a biennial international event that brings together stakeholders from the social and solidarity economy (SSE) ecosystem. The forum aims to share visions and practices to position SSE as a standard for the economy of tomorrow, emphasising the primacy of people and collective projects over capital. Organised by The Global Forum For Social and Solidarity Economy.
Who: Local and national governments, institutions, networks, SSE practitioners and civil society organisations from all continents, with strong French and European involvement.
Where: Bordeaux, France, at the Palais 2 l’Atlantique, with additional events at Hangar 14 in the city centre.
Tickets: Registration for the forum will open in spring 2025. Details will be available on the official event website.
3-5 November
AVPA Conference
What: AVPA’s annual conference bringing together thought-leaders, innovators and changemakers shaping the future of impact investment across Africa to interact, learn and network.
Who: The African impact community.
Where: Nairobi, Kenya.
Tickets: More information to be released.
3-7 November
10th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise
What: Research-focused conference hosted across two cities to advance the field of social enterprise studies, organised by EMES.
Who: Researchers, academics, and social enterprise practitioners.
Where: Rotterdam and Utrecht, Netherlands, in person.
Tickets: Not yet available. Information available here.
10-21 November
2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30)
What: The 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This conference will bring together global leaders, policymakers, scientists and stakeholders to negotiate and advance international climate action, building upon the commitments of the Paris Agreement.
Who: Representatives from UNFCCC member countries, including government officials, climate experts, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders dedicated to addressing climate change.
Where: Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Tickets: Participation typically requires accreditation through the UNFCCC. Details on registration and observer status will be provided on the official UNFCCC website.
19-20 November 2025
Impact Week 2025
What: Impact Week 2025 is organised by Europe’s impact investing network, Impact Europe, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to discuss and promote impact-driven initiatives across the continent. The event aims to foster collaboration, share best practices and drive the impact agenda forward through workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
Who: Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, policymakers, corporate leaders, foundations, and other stakeholders committed to creating positive social and environmental impact across Europe.
Where: Malmö, Sweden.
Tickets: Registration details and ticket information will be announced closer to the event date. Interested participants can sign up for updates on the official Impact Europe website.
Thanks for reading our stories. As an entrepreneur or investor yourself, you'll know that producing quality work doesn't come free. We rely on our subscribers to sustain our journalism – so if you think it's worth having an independent, specialist media platform that covers social enterprise stories, please consider subscribing. You'll also be buying social: Pioneers Post is a social enterprise itself, reinvesting all our profits into helping you do good business, better.
