S4E1: Helping Companies Do Good While Doing Well feat. Jim Sorenson

Welcome back to a brand new season of the Eccles Business Buzz!
In Season 4, we explore the Eccles School Value of Confidence to
Impact Your World. We'll hear from students, alums, and other
friends of the David Eccles School of Business, all about the
people and experiences that have impacted them, the ways they are
impacting others, and what we can all do to build confidence in
our own ability to make a difference.


Today, we kick things off Jim Sorenson. Jim is a world renowned
entrepreneur, business leader, and impact investor. He has built
highly successful companies and industries ranging from
technology and life sciences to real estate and private equity
investment, and he is celebrated as a pioneer in the impact
investing sector.


In 2013, Jim provided the David Eccles School of Business with a
$13 million endowment to create the Sorenson Impact Center, with
the mission of cultivating impact investing expertise in students
and building the social impact fields. And thats just the tip of
the iceberg when it comes to Jim’s contributions to the Eccles
community and beyond. 


Jim joins host Frances Johnson to talk about how his parents
& family inspired his line of work and giving back, the
intersection of business and social impact, how the Sorenson
Impact Center & their experiential learning opportunities are
helping the next generation of impact investors, and his latest
endeavors with Catalyst Opportunity Funds and Enable Ventures.


Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Episode Quotes:

Student desire for social impact today


[21:18] I think the students of this generation come much more
aware of the human condition. I think they are more interested in
utilizing their talents, abilities, and time to contribute to and
address these things, particularly things of inequality or things
that affect our planet and the risks that we face in the world
today.


On building his microfinance venture


[13:07] I realized also that you really needed an ecosystem
ultimately to be able to engage capital, educate investors, and
create a marketplace, and there weren't intermediaries or places
to go for this type of expertise.


The key to advancement on impact investing


[27:07] If you can engage the sectors of academia, government,
nonprofits, foundations, and impact investors in a common effort,
you can really move mountains in terms of advancing impact
investing.


On creating a sustainable and equitable


[24:17] To be able to address these factors of zero poverty, no
hunger, and equitable access to education. I'm really heartened
that with the progress we're making in impact investing, if we
continue on this trajectory and path, and it's a growth rate of
about 40% a year, we're going to be able to make a meaningful
dent and create a much more sustainable and equitable world that
we live in.
Show Links:

Sorenson Impact Center

Sorenson Impact Advisory

Impact & Prosperity Epicenter at Eccles

Lassonde Studios

Bob and Lynette Gay Health and Prosperity Center at Eccles

Sorenson Capital

Catalyst Opportunity Funds

Enable Ventures

Muhammad Yunus

Paul Farmer