Women in Impact: Climate

Greenwich, CT - April 11, 2025

INTRODUCTION  

On April 11, 2025, Foundation House welcomed a powerful community of visionaries to the Women in Impact: Climate Summit. As the inaugural event in our Women in Impact series, this summit spotlighted inspiring women leaders—fund managers, founders, and experts—who are mobilizing capital, launching sustainable initiatives, and designing financial models that promote both climate resilience and gender equity.

At Foundation House, we believe in the power of Convene, Community, and Catalyze. This gathering embodied all three, offering a catalytic space for bold dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and authentic connection. Against the backdrop of accelerating climate challenges, the summit reminded us that no one drives change alone—community is essential for all of us working in impact.

From scaling women-led innovations to structuring inclusive investment models, each session underscored a shared imperative: we cannot achieve climate resilience without centering gender equity and embracing diverse leadership. The conversations sparked throughout the day revealed not only the depth of experience and expertise in the room, but also a collective readiness to act. In the sections that follow, we share key takeaways from each discussion and highlight the actions and initiatives that are charting the path ahead.

IMPACT

The central message of Women in Impact: Climate is that addressing climate change effectively requires intentionally centering women's leadership, lived experiences, and perspectives throughout the entire climate solution ecosystem. Several powerful themes emerged:

Systemic Connection: Climate action and gender equity are fundamentally linked systems - progress in one area catalyzes progress in the other. As keynote speaker Zainab Salbi illustrated, addressing both simultaneously creates a powerful ripple effect across all Sustainable Development Goals.

Representation Gap: Despite bearing disproportionate climate impacts, women remain significantly underrepresented in climate leadership, funding, and decision-making. This is both a critical gap and a missed opportunity to accelerate impact through inclusive leadership.

Innovation Advantage: When women lead climate initiatives - whether as entrepreneurs, investors, or community organizers - they often bring unique perspectives shaped by lived experiences that result in more holistic, community-rooted, and effective solutions.

Financial Transformation: Redirecting capital flows toward diverse-led climate solutions isn't just about equity - it's about maximizing impact and returns. Gender-diverse teams consistently deliver stronger results, yet continue to receive a fraction of available funding.

Community-Centered Approaches: Women-led climate initiatives frequently emphasize community engagement, grassroots participation, and address interconnected challenges - approaches that prove particularly effective for lasting climate resilience.

The event ultimately demonstrated that closing the gender gap in climate leadership isn't merely about fairness - it's an essential strategy for accelerating and improving our collective response to the climate crisis. As one participant noted, "the scarcity of events highlighting women in climate and impact is very sad to hear." This statement underscores the importance of creating more platforms like this one to catalyze the necessary transformation in climate leadership. However, the expertise and commitment of the women in the room offered powerful proof that this transformation is not only possible—it’s already underway.

INITIATIVES

Throughout the summit, speakers and attendees emphasized the need for action at every level—from capital allocation and policy reform to capacity-building and narrative change. The collective message was that everyone, regardless of their role in the climate ecosystem, has opportunities to advance women's leadership and thereby strengthen overall climate action. Below are some of the actionable strategies shared to help advance diverse leadership and accelerate climate solutions:

Invest Strategically

• Direct capital toward women, youth, and indigenous-led climate solutions

• Support community-based financing models

• Evaluate the gender makeup of leadership teams in portfolio companies

• Explore financial tools that build long-term inclusion, like rent-reporting programs

Advocate & Amplify

• Raise awareness about the gendered impacts of climate change

• Elevate diverse voices in climate-related policy and investment spaces

• Challenge funding disparities in climate tech and clean energy

• Share stories of women-led success to inspire replication and support

Strengthen Capabilities

• Develop parallel go-to-market strategies for navigating regulated industries

• Refine how value propositions are communicated to funders and stakeholders

• Seek mentorship relationships with experienced women climate leaders

• Integrate gender-lens frameworks into program design, implementation, and evaluation

These actions don’t just reflect good intentions—they represent powerful levers for change. At Foundation House, we are committed to continuing the momentum sparked at the summit and growing the Women in Impact series as a platform for diverse leadership, visibility, and collective impact.

This event was made possible through collaborative partnerships and participation by ClimateHaven, Daughters for Earth, LEBEC, Acumen, Ban Ki-moon Foundation, Eki.Labs, Galvanize Climate Solutions, The CLEO Institute, AIon Grid, Arjuna Capital, Closed Loop Partners, Desert Bloom, Tony's Chocolonely.

For more details on the speakers and agenda, visit the event page.

This information is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including but not limited to investment, tax, legal, medical, or mental health. This information is not a substitute for professional guidance. Always consult with qualified professionals for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.The sender is not liable for any errors or omissions in this information.