Press Release: 2019 International Gathering

Washington, D.C. March 26, 2019 --

The Impact Angel Network (IAN), a global angel network dedicated to investing in high-potential companies across the continent of Africa, has announced the IAN’s 2019 International Gathering. This year, the Gathering will be held on May 17th, 2019 at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.

The event’s keynote speaker will be David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-executive chairman of the Carlyle Group. Join us for a fireside chat as he shares his story about building one of the world’s most successful private equity firms and how he views opportunities in Africa. Attendees will also interact with other special guests and dignitaries, and hear IAN members’ personal stories about how they help finance companies managed by smart and successful Ethiopian entrepreneurs for impact and financial returns.

Organized by RENEW, an impact and investment advisory firm which manages IAN, the annual Gathering convenes IAN members and guests to explore the dynamic investment landscape in sub-Saharan Africa, through the lens of SME investing. Guests will spend the evening at the Embassy of Canada, overlooking the Capitol Building, with other like-minded individuals, business executives, thought leaders and experts in the impact and angel investing space. RENEW aims to elevate angel and impact investing and how the private sector is driving growth. The Gathering is a great opportunity to have important conversations related to impact investing and how we’re all contributing to an entrepreneurial culture on the continent and to Africa’s growth story.

Tickets for the event are available until Monday, May 13th and can be purchased at this link. For more information about sponsorship opportunities please visit our website. Additional events will be held exclusively for IAN members throughout the weekend. If you’re interested in learning more about the IAN or joining the network please visit the following link.

We’d like to thank the following partners and sponsors for making the 2019 International Gathering possible: The Embassy of Canada (co-host), Faegre Baker Daniels (platinum sponsor), LimaLimo Lodge, Enlightenment Wines and KANTER.

The Impact Angel Network is one of the most active private equity investors in East Africa. Its members seek to make both social impacts and financial returns through investments in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a proven engine of economic growth and job creation, but lacking capital in Africa due to their size. They believe that targeting employment through SMEs, dollar-for-dollar, can help reduce poverty in a more sustainable way than charity.

RENEW, with its largest office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, manages the IAN’s investment operations and provides investment advisory and consulting services in support of its investments. RENEW’s work in Ethiopia was piloted with USAID and is currently undertaken with financial support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. The project, Accelerating Business Growth, aims at sustainable job creation for low-skilled workers, including women and young adults, through a dynamic and growing small and medium business sector in Ethiopia.