Obey Martin Manayiti

Counter-programming. Many news outlets have been consumed with the implications of the verdict in the case of a certain candidate (and former president) on the upcoming U.S. election. As they zigged, ImpactAlpha zagged, to highlight instead the climate stakes in this week’s elections in Mexico, India and South Africa, with Jessica Pothering's dive into Mexican politics and contributing editor Shefali Anand's report from Delhi (where temperatures this week reached 126 degrees Fahrenheit). ImpactAlpha launched The Brief in January 2017, the same week that same former president was inaugurated, and grew up by (largely) avoiding being sucked into the vortex that followed. Steady on. This week, we bucked the trend toward polarization with my Agents of Impact podcast conversation with Lafayette Square’s Damien Dwin, who is trying to crowd in capital for working-class places and people. “We are betting on America. This is a pro-America agenda,” Dwin told me. “We believe you should run toward Washington, not away from Washington. We believe you should run toward public policy, not away from public policy. We believe you should run toward regulation, not away.” Agents of Impact operate within the same larger context as all investors and entrepreneurs, but are perhaps more apt to look beyond the daily headlines. Brian Wayne of CurvePoint Capital, which this week spun out of Aegon Asset Management, sees an opportunity for the firm’s brand of structured finance as government incentives, corporate demand and falling cost curves for climate solutions create what he calls “a snowballing effect.” In Brazil, VOX CAPITAL diversified its offerings across asset classes to accommodate investors’ appetites for liquidity, risk and time horizons, as Vox’s Daniel Izzo and Daniel Brandão explained. ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price has video interviews with a handful of other fund managers in Latin America who are likewise betting on the region’s entrepreneurial energy. Impact accounting that accounts for the value created (or destroyed) for all stakeholders finally appears to be converging on the simpler and interoperable standards that investors demand. As Dan Osusky of the International Foundation For Valuing Impacts (IFVI) concludes, “It isn’t the only solution to the world’s challenges, but it just might be a necessary one.” Amy Cortese Roodgally Senatus Isaac Silk Brian Walsh Cesar Chavez Lucy Ngige Christian Quiñonez Sol Aldo Soto Andres Baehr Justin Schwartz, CFA Ana Maria Aristizabal https://lnkd.in/gE6vxfPF

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The African Development Bank Group has underscored the critical role of public-private sector collaboration in transitioning #SouthSudan to clean energy. Under the overall Vision 2040, #SouthSudan adopted several climate change policies, notably the Environmental Policy (2015-2026), which led to the preparation of the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) in 2016, the first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2017, and the comprehensive Agriculture Master Plan (2015-2040), and subsequently the Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC) Report in 2021. However, translating these commitments into tangible actions requires strengthened coordination between the public and private sectors to attract additional and sustainable financing. 

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Geopolitical conflicts exacerbate global supply chain issues. In recent years, the Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted energy supplies and trade, while the Iran-Israel conflict threatens stability in the Middle East, impacting global markets. China’s military drills near Taiwan are being perceived as rehearsals for a potential invasion. If China were to invade Taiwan, it could pose a significant risk to the global semiconductor and electronics supply chains… a devastating and long-lasting impact. Here’s why. Neil Shah Dr. Danish Faruqui Semiconductor Nation - Campus Connect India Semiconductor Mission https://lnkd.in/gm9Dy__i #chipcrisis #taiwan #india #semiconductor #chishortage #china

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In This video, I talked about how the recent US Presidential debate's model revealed more than just candidate performance issues. It exposed the limited and flawed choices facing voters, especially undecided ones.  #DRconstanceikokwuinsights

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Back in the inaugural 1974 NACUBO report on US university endowments, all were small, pretty boring and roughly bucketed by three broad investment approaches: total return, balanced and income-oriented. Today, it’s fair to say that every single one can be categorised as “Swensenian”, with the entire $840bn industry to some degree a tribute act to Yale’s late endowment chief David Swensen. That has translated into eye-popping allocations to private equity and venture capital, which together with hedge funds, infrastructure and other "alternative" investments now accounts for over half the capital invested. This is already causing some headaches and could cause a massive migraine if public markets suffer another puke. Universities used to only derive a modest slice of their budgets from endowments, but today the big ones derive up to a fifth of their spending from investment returns...

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China uses an array of tools to further integrate itself into African media systems. • The China Africa Press Center places African journalists in Chinese media outlets on 10-month assignments where they work in Chinese news rooms and report on high-level CCP activities. • The Belt and Road Journalists Network connects African journalists to their counterparts in other developing countries. • The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) provides an estimated 2,000 slots to journalists and other African professionals triennially. • The All-China Journalists Association, which works closely with the CCP’s United Front Work Department, manages China’s outreach to the Federation of African Journalists, which has a membership of over 150,000 members. (The United Front Work Department coordinates China’s foreign influence operations.) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐂𝐏’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 The CCP’s Propaganda Department oversees China’s communications through the $6-billion “Voice of China” enterprise that consolidates news outlets into a single vehicle tasked with what China terms “seizing discourse power” (huayuquan; 话语权) , meaning “the right to speak and be listened to.” Chinese media entities support many African media houses struggling with poor equipment, low salaries, and tight budgets—but they expect favorable reporting in return. "Free Junkets" The CCP Propaganda Department provides free content, negotiates content sharing agreements with government and private broadcasters, pays handsomely for supplements, offers state-of-the-art equipment, buys stakes in leading media companies, and offers what top Chinese-trained Kenyan journalist Bob Wekesa calls “free junkets.” These entail a seemingly endless conveyor belt of African journalists going to China on fully paid trips where they receive first-class treatment and guided tours to instill positive images and experiences. According to Wekesa, “They [Chinese instructors] don’t tell you directly to be pro-China but, if you are discerning enough, you’ll understand that there are unspoken things expected from you in return.”

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I always say my “secret weapon” is the old fashioned phone call. Well, thanks to Matthew Boyle, my secret’s out! Of course, this only works when you have a really strong pitch. Also, he has a lot more to share in the original post, so be sure to check it out. But back to the phone call… The general “I hate to talk on the phone” crowd excluded, I think a lot of PR folks’ phone call hesitation stems from days when higher-ups demanded we pitch a story that wasn’t exactly newsworthy. Whatever the case, if you’re new to calling reporters, here are some tips to help you prepare: 1) Identify yourself and why you’re calling. Ask if they have a couple minutes for a quick pitch. This is common courtesy :) 2) Be extremely confident in what you’re pitching. Like, feel so good about it being the perfect fit for the reporter, their beat and the outlet/its audience that you genuinely believe they must have missed your original emailed pitch. 3) Have a written version of the pitch in front of you when you call, so you don’t forget details or lose the flow of conversation. (You’re calling a busy person and they need to know why, and fast!) And if you haven’t already sent it to the reporter, you’ll be prepared to do so immediately if they ask you to send more info. 4) Finally, know who they can interview. Have your experts identified ahead of the phone call. Know their availability, if possible. There are probably ten more tips, but these will get you out of the gate. And listen, not everybody wants to talk to you on the phone. Hearing “no thanks” is okay, and you’ll survive. But sometimes a busy reporter would rather hear it fast in two minutes than get one more cold pitch in their inbox! #prtips #mediarelations #pitching

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Self-citations exaggerate Chinese research prowess, scholars charge. In this week's Latitudes, a new paper suggests that China’s research preeminence is inflated by a disproptionate tendency among Chinese academics of citing one another’s work. Plus: • A U.S. House committee has voted to restart the China Initiative,  the federal-government investigation of academic and economic ties with China that cast a pall over international research collaborations. • A member of Congress accused Qatar of trying to “buy influence” in American higher education through partnerships with Northwestern University and other instiutions.  Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, has backed away from a proposal to bar or limit the ability of international students to temporarily work in the U.K. after graduation. #internationaleducation #intled #china #research #highereducation #highered https://lnkd.in/gvydFkxg

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Add concerns about this year’s presidential #election to the list of forces driving up securitization volume. At more than $200 billion, the amount of new asset- and mortgage-backed #bonds issued in the U.S. so far in 2024 is up nearly 35% from a year ago. And as issuers continue to flood the market, it’s becoming apparent that some want to lock in funding should the election results prompt a fresh round of market disruptions. Of particular concern is that a loss by #Trump could mean another contested election. Learn more about how issuers including BMW of North America and American Honda Motor Company, Inc. are preparing for that possibility at no change in this week’s issue of Asset-Backed Alert, a Green Street News title. https://lnkd.in/eVAf4Kmm

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What a treat to spend time in studio with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec for this Bloomberg Businessweek conversation about my new book, HOW THE WORLD RAN OUT OF EVERYTHING: Inside the Global Supply Chain. This episode really captures my book. #supplychain #China #shipping #rail #manufacturing #globalization #trade #manufacturing #JustInTime #labor #monopolypower

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IT firms are poised for a modest rebound during the April-June quarter, on the back of large deal ramp-up and moderation in discretionary spending cuts. The period is also seen as a seasonally stronger quarter.

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Despite the government's strong commitment to reforming the revenue and financial sectors, progress is hampered by a united front of loan defaulters, tax evaders, and anti-reformists. This alliance hinders institutional changes, creates roadblocks in implementing budgetary measures, and ultimately fuels macroeconomic instability. The country will fall in more strain in the next FY if the government does not address these ongoing challenges and take appropriate measures including institutional reforms in the revenue and financial sectors to bring the economy back on track and strengthen the economic pillars such as revenue, balance of payment, private investments and employment. Link is provided in the comment. #loan #tax #default #reform #budget #economy

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This is the latest Points of Return, on the extraordinary momentum rally, and also the ways politics is affecting markets on both sides of the Atlantic:

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Eurobond Debt Management President William Ruto underscored Kenya’s achievements in fiscal responsibility, emphasizing significant progress in managing the nation’s debt burden. “Out of every Kshs 100, we have been spending 61 shillings in debt service. We have successfully cleared Kenya’s Eurobond debt of $2 billion (Kshs 350 billion) incurred in 2014,” Ruto announced. This milestone marks a pivotal step towards enhancing financial stability and asserting Kenya’s sovereignty over its economic future. Looking ahead, Ruto expressed optimism about Kenya’s economic trajectory, citing a more sustainable debt profile that allows for increased investment in social programs and economic opportunities. “Today, Kenya’s debt burden is much […] Read full article by clicking the link below... https://lnkd.in/gDMfCbua #Economy #Eurobond #Kenya

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ICYMI: Buried under the many investment offerings in the vast financial market is Monetary Metals & Co., a company that offers a unique way for the gold treasure troves of investors to unlock productivity. Discover how this company is ushering in a golden era through its #GoldYieldMarketplace. #monetarymetals #gold #goldyield #goldbonds #goldlease #yieldongold #paidingold #goldounces #companies #investments #investingold

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