Three Days of Light:

Where Action Flips the Switch

Programme Preview

Over three days, a faint glow grows brighter. Impact Week begins with a pre-event day (18 November) of meetings, mingling and Malmö. After that: two days of keynotes, workshops, sessions and safe spaces to ask the questions that keep us up at night. Programme tracks offer guidance to help find which topics are most relevant for your impact, but we encourage all attendees to customise between them (we make it easy with the Impact Week app).

By the time the sun sets on 20 November, we’ll have illuminated every angle of our greatest challenges – and solutions – in a coherent structure – with flashes of inspiration along the way.

18 November

Pre-events and learning opportunities — a first spark in Malmö’s impact space. In the morning, we’ll run our much-loved crash course. After that, the City of Malmö will host a deep-dives on food system transformation and introduce us to the Malmö Generate District. Networking and dinner will take place in Malmö's most impactful sites and spaces, introducing attendees to what sets Malmö apart as an impact city.

19 November

– “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Morning Spotlight: Legacy & Context

We'll greet the day by confronting uncertainties head-on, exploring the new era of investing for impact while examining how Europe's democratic values can thrive in the age of AI. Jean-Marc Lieberherr, grandson of Jean Monnet, will deliver a keynote connecting post-war European unity to today's complex challenges. After that, conversations will address critical tensions — from ESG backlash to patient capital evolution — ensuring all voices contribute to understanding our present moment (even the darkest parts of it). By lunchtime, we’ll have established challenges and contextualised them. Big questions will meet the first sparks of answers.

How do leading impact players navigate uncertainty?
How can AI help safeguard democracy in Europe?
Should impact investors invest in defence?
How can our community accelerate the green transition?

Afternoon Spotlight: Emerging Collaborations

The afternoon shifts to actionable solutions. We’ll demonstrate how scaling capital from foundation silos to blended finance ecosystems multiplies impact through collective action. We’ll explore collaborative science and food systems transformation as catalysts for resilience. Sessions on public-private-philanthropic partnerships and cross-border investment will prove that collaboration drives both climate action and stability. The afternoon will culminate with a standing dinner for the 800+ participants to continue conversations, allowing the day's insights to spark new partnerships in an informal, energised atmosphere.

How do we scale impact capital in 2025?
How can we navigate crisis-level cuts to funding?
What are the unique benefits of public-private-philanthropic partnerships?
What can today’s successful collaborations teach us about tomorrow’s?

20 November

– “Do not go gentle into that good night.”

Morning Spotlight: Competing for Good

Day two launches with Merete Clausen, Deputy CEO of the European Investment Fund, whose keynote will explore how Europe can honour democratic values while competing in a rapidly evolving world. Morning sessions will examine the role of investing for impact in closing Europe's capital gaps; building on the Draghi report, we'll showcase how growth and catalytic capital can boost competitiveness. We’ll dive deeper into ethical AI governance, social housing innovations and partnerships for education, while our joint session with Philea will demonstrate how foundations are embracing holistic approaches beyond traditional grants.

How can Europe remain competitive in the next century?
How can our community help fill Europe’s growth capital gap?
How can AI investors embed ethics in their decisions?
How are leading philanthropic institutions approaching investing for impact in 2025?

Afternoon Spotlight: Horizon Light

The afternoon transforms insights into action through hands-on collaboration. Our Youth Alliance will take centre stage alongside sessions connecting social and climate capital, creating safe spaces for foundations and institutional investors to explore partnerships. A dedicated Impact Measurement and Management workshop will deliver practical tools, while sessions on youth mental health, ecological restoration and health innovation will demonstrate real-world applications of collaborative capital.

Together we’ll prove that when we combine European values with innovative capital deployment, we illuminate pathways to a competitive, fair and democratic future. A closing plenary will synthesize key insights and form our collective call to action. We won’t “go gentle into that good night” but go with purpose, resolve and the strength to face whatever new darkness the world may have in store.

What needs to happen for asset managers, institutional investors and foundations to come together and collaborate?
How can smart partnerships drive positive change for youth?
What can impact leaders working in health learn from each other?
What is our shared call to action?

Over three days, a faint glow grows brighter.

Be Part of the Light

Becoming an Impact Week sponsor gives your organisation unparalleled access to Europe’s most influential capital providers, thought-leaders and changemakers. Position yourself at the forefront of impact investing innovation through speaking opportunities and content contributions.

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