Innovative Finance Spotlight

Join SV2 Donor Partners, funders, and ecosystem leaders for an interactive gathering dedicated to exploring catalytic capital and alternative financing tools that extend beyond standard grants and traditional equity. Whether through emerging financial structures, blended-finance mechanisms, or community-centered investment models, this session will look at how impact dollars can be creatively deployed to drive equitable, systems-level change. Speakers: Four distinguished leaders will each share a brief talk on their approach. Paul Belknap of Miller Center will discuss how low-interest loans support growing social enterprises. Vivienne Hsu of LENDonate will explore how lending can strengthen nonprofits beyond what grants alone provide. Deb Parsons of Kiva will share how small loans are repaid and redeployed to reach entrepreneurs around the world. Justin Steele of Kindora will offer a founder’s perspective on raising capital through revenue share. What to Expect Speakers with hands-on experience designing and using returnable grants A candid look at the mechanics, risks, and lessons learned Open discussion and Q&A with peers exploring similar tools Time to connect with funders and partners across the Bay Area ecosystem Who should attend Funders, philanthropists, impact investors, and ecosystem partners curious about flexible capital, plus nonprofit and social enterprise leaders who want to understand whether returnable grants could be a fit for their work.