He is appointed as Senior Research Adviser to the UN's Social Impact Fund (UNSIF), for whom he leads a global research consortium to improve the analytical framework for social impact investing; a member of Groupe d'Experts de la Commission sur l'Entrepreneuriat Social (GECES), which is appointed by the European Commission to advise on its Social Business Initiative; sits on the OECD expert group on social impact investing that reported to the Group of 7 advanced economies (G7); Senior Fellow of the Finance Innovation Lab, which was set to explore, innovate and evolve the financial system to sustain people and planet; Adviser to the Global Value Exchange, which is an open source database and platform for measuring social and environmental values.

Karl has been invited by civil society organisations, academia, governments and the media across Europe, Asia and USA to speak on social impact investing. He has delivered guest lectures to MBA students at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; advised HM Treasury on EU social investment regulations; was invited to submit evidence regarding alternative finance to the UK's Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards; been asked by the UK Cabinet Office to represent the UK on social investment at EU level; and was invited by US Secretary of State to speak on a plenary panel at the Global Impact Economy Forum in 2012.

In 2011, he co-authored ‘Making Good in Social Impact Investment: Opportunities in an Emerging Asset Class'. Karl has also written articles for magazines and journals, which you can read a selection of on his blog.

Karl holds an MBA specialising in entrepreneurship and project management. He started his career as an architect, then project manager for multidisciplinary design teams and development leader for public and private sector construction projects. Karl volunteers in his community and was the founding Chair of Friends of the Crystal Palace Subway, which is a community-led initiative to reopen a historic community asset to the public.

Karl is fluent in English (native speaker), German (very good) and Dutch/ Afrikaans (basic).

  @KarlHRichter

  Read more about Karl on LinkedIn

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Ben set up Ziggy’s Wish in 2014, an enterprise for public engagement projects and multi-stakeholder involvement; been a consultant for Solve, a social enterprise accelerator, where he undertook the financial modelling for their investment fund; volunteered for Finance Matters, a London-based social enterprise working to put sustainability at the heart of finance.

He has taken part in the On Purpose programme for early-career professionals identified as future leaders in social enterprise. As an On Purpose Associate he led a review of the strategy and funding model of Bonsucro, the roundtable for sustainable sugarcane, he also worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Social and Community Capital Fund, where he led on the preparation of their first impact report and reviewed loan applications.

Ben qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO, the world’s fifth largest accountancy network, where he worked for 5 years, including a secondment to BDO Argentina.

  @ben_haber

  Read more about Ben on LinkedIn

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Alexia set up her own Virtual Assistant (VA) business in 2006. Within the first year she had won the 2007 National VA of the Year Award. Alexia has also been featured in articles, undertakes speaking engagements and contributes to books written about the VA industry.

As a self-confessed perfectionist and born organiser, the role of a PA is ideally suited to Alexia who provides her clients with a highly efficient and proactive service, from being a professional public face of the organisation through to organising itineraries and juggling hectic diaries. Working with each client individually, Alexia undertakes particular tasks on their behalf, enabling them to focus entirely on their specific areas of expertise.

Alexia is a member of the East Kent Women in Business, and joint founder of the Kent VA Exchange, a not for profit networking group that encourages Kent based Virtual Assistants to create strong collaborative links with each other to help learn and grow successful businesses.

Alexia lives in a Kentish village with her husband, their daughter and an extremely cute Cavalier King Charles spaniel. When not in the office, she can be found walking the fields, socialising with friends and family, sampling foreign cultures, and attempting rock chick status playing her electric guitar (strictly within the confines of her home!).

Read more about Alexia on her website

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