In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the most prevalent issues we face are not limited by borders. The consequences of climate change, rampant poverty, and conflict cannot be addressed by any individual or organization alone. Never before has it been more relevant to ensure that all parties participate in creating solutions at the smallest and largest scales.
The Innovation for Inclusive Impact Asia 2019 (IN_PACT) Forum and Awards was conducted to bring together key actors from different sectors to discuss and celebrate the overarching theme of “Convening for Collective Impact.” The forum was led by the Asia Society for Social Improvement (ASSIST), AsianNGO, and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Hub of Innovation for inclusion (HiFi), together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), last May 28, 2019 at the ADB Headquarters. IN_PACT Asia brought together more than 300 delegates from government, private sector, NGO and civil society, academe, youth groups, and venture philanthropy.
Discussions during the day revolved around the latest innovations from social entrepreneurs and the best way to kickstart collaboration between various actors. Titon Mitra, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program Philippines, informed the participants that “the main drive of innovation is how countries build their connections, and it is not about the diversity of your networks, but about the quality of your connections.”
One of the most popular segments of the IN_PACT was the Fireside Chat, featuring a powerful all-woman panel that discussed how women could be successful change agents and powerful voices in driving innovation in their respective fields. While interacting with the audience, the CEO of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Anna Green advised, “To all the women, take a risk on yourselves because you have the capacity to be successful by whatever means there can be.”
Young entrepreneurs also had a chance to present their creative solutions to potential investors and partners during the #InnovASIAN Showcase portion of the event. Each innovator shared their inspiring story of finding their purpose in generating positive and widespread impact through their sustainable and socially conscious organizations and products.
The event closed with the awarding of businesses, startups, academic institutions, accelerators and incubators who have done the most to create positive social impact with their own sustainable and responsible practices. While not everyone walked away with an award from this year’s IN_PACT, all participants had a chance to come together, forge new partnerships, and leave with confidence in a more inclusive and innovative Asia.
