Dear Impact Investing Community,
Spring may be slow to arrive, but at CIVIC we are already preparing for the season ahead! Discover our upcoming events, including our next Impact for Breakfast and the 2026 edition of our flagship event, ImpactFest. We’re also sharing key takeaways from CIVIC’s presence at ChangeNOW 2026 in Paris.
COMMUNITY & EVENTS
Mark your calendars: June Impact for Breakfast
Where Impact Gets Real: AI, Risk & Systems Change
For our Impact for Breakfast on June 2 (8:30–11:30 AM), kicking off the 2026 Sustainable Finance Summit, CIVIC will revisit key insights from the 2025–2026 Impact Investing Circles. Topics explored throughout the year include AI and responsible AI, risk assessment, and systems change investing, featuring speakers actively engaged in impact investing.
This event will highlight impact investing across the investment value chain as a lever for societal change.
More information on panelists and registration details will be shared soon.
👉 Revisit our most recent Impact for Breakfast (March 23) on Impact Fundraising.
ImpactFest 2026: When Impact Outperforms
The 3rd edition of ImpactFest, organized by CIVIC, will take place on July 9 as part of Startupfest.
Under the theme “When Impact Outperforms”, ImpactFest 2026 brings together leading voices from across the impact ecosystem — investors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries — around a bold conviction: purpose-driven capital doesn’t just compete, it redefines performance.
We are pleased to announce that Sam Hasty (Active Impact Investments, Vancouver) and Trish Nixon (Amplify Capital, Toronto) will serve as curators and hosts of the event.
“We are thrilled to be part of this edition as hosts of this fundamental event for the Canadian impact investment community.” — Sam Hasty
For a second year, CIVIC and its partners will present Canadian Impact Investment Awards for impact entrepreneurs. Details on how to apply will be shared in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, save the date: July 9, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Participation is subject to obtaining a Startupfest pass.
ChangeNOW Paris 2026: A turning point for impact investing — and an opportunity for Montreal
At ChangeNOW 2026 in early April, where CIVIC was represented by its co-director Naouel Hanani, one thing became clear: impact investing has entered a new phase.
The challenge is no longer innovation, but deployment — directing capital, structuring effective mechanisms, and scaling solutions. Through her meetings with international stakeholders, Naouel witnessed a more demanding and competitive landscape, where value lies in connecting the right actors and orchestrating alliances.
For Montreal, this is a pivotal moment: seize the opportunity or risk falling behind.
Read more about this shift and what it means for our ecosystem in our latest article on our website.
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE
CIVIC’s Impact Investing Circles offer investors a confidential peer space for reflection and exchange, aimed at advancing the practice of impact investing.
The first cohort, launched in June 2025, will conclude this year with a session on AI and impact. This virtual (free) session was exceptionally open to impact investors interested in joining the next Circles starting in September 2026.
This was a unique opportunity to experience the Circles from the inside, alongside fellow impact investors, both senior and emerging.
At CIVIC, we are committed to elevating the practice of impact investing to drive greater social and environmental outcomes across Canada. Our mission is to support the ecosystem by accompanying impact investors and developing clear insights on the state of impact investing. Through our activities and partnerships, we aim to amplify knowledge and crystallize expertise across the field.
Support CIVIC
CIVIC brings together those who seek to place impact at the heart of investment decisions, maximizing returns for both people and the planet. We equip and convene the impact investing ecosystem to transform capital into lasting change.
Thanks to our partners
