“Impact investing is about creating opportunities for those who don’t have them. Having an opportunity or not makes all the difference for these people. What they do with that opportunity is a different thing. ”
— Rochus Mommartz
Rochus Mommartz has spent decades creating opportunities for people in emerging markets. Today, he’s with us to share his insights and his experiences from that incredible journey.
Rochus is the CEO of responsAbility, a pioneer in impact investing that has evolved from a leader in microfinance to a prominent force in impact investing across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It is known for its investment approach, using sustainability-based assessments that have been proven and refined over many years.
ResponsAbility has played a crucial role in building financial inclusion frameworks, helping microfinance institutions evolve into sustainable, profitable businesses that serve the underserved.
As part of the founding team and later as CEO in 2016, Rochus has been instrumental in shaping responsAbility’s success.
Few people were involved in microfinance before it even became an industry, but Rochus was pivotal in working with governments to create the frameworks that turned it into a profitable business in emerging markets. He had a front-row seat, witnessing firsthand how microfinance evolved from a charitable initiative to a sustainable, for-profit sector empowering the underbanked.
With such a wealth of experience, our conversation ended up being so packed with insights that we’ve split it into two episodes.
In this first part, we talk about Rochus’ journey in impact investing, in microfinance, and the development of microfinance regulatory frameworks in emerging markets. He explains how creating opportunities for underserved populations through responsible investments can drive sustainable change.
In the next episode, we’ll dive even deeper into responsAbility’s expansion beyond financial inclusion, and how the firm has managed billions in assets to drive lasting impact in sustainable agriculture and climate finance.
Tune in today, and don’t miss the next episode – I promise it’ll be worth it!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Connect with Rochus: LinkedIn
- ResponsAbility LinkedIn page
- ResponsAbility website
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] Rochus Mommartz’s background
[06:12] Education – “Rochus wins the lottery!”
[12:07] The early days of microfinance and the challenge of sustainability
[17:48] Importance of regulatory frameworks for microfinance institutions
[28:18] Founding responsAbility and rising to CEO
[41:42] Impact investing philosophy
[46:44] Response + Ability = responsAbility
[48:14] ResponsAbility’s theory of change and the problems it solves
[51:25] Three key impact investment themes
[53:44] Addressing the ESG backlash and its difference from impact investing
[59:02] The themes driving future impact
MORE ROCHUS MOMMARTZ QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“Today, responsAbility works with three major impact themes: financial inclusion, sustainable food or sustainable agriculture, and climate finance. When we talk about climate finance, we have three areas in mind: access to clean energy, climate mitigation, and adaptation to climate change. ”
— Rochus Mommartz
“ResponsAbility aims to contribute to the development of a more inclusive financial sector where more people have the opportunity to access financial services. Therefore, we finance institutions that contribute positively to this goal. ”
— Rochus Mommartz
