The role of big finance and technology in social change is rapidly evolving. This book examines why large financial players are entering the social sector through social finance. Drawing on empirical research, the authors analyse the opportunities this new interest and commitment presents as well as the potential harm that can be done to vulnerable people when beneficiaries are not treated as partners and the social needs of people are not placed at the centre of the investment model. This book introduces a ‘Deliberate Leadership’ framework to help big finance tackle problems with no easy solutions. The book also analyses how current technologies (including blockchain) are being used and the benefits and drawbacks of different features of these technologies from the standpoint of the beneficiary and investor. The authors derive a series of insights into the model of technology for social finance and impact investing. Written as a practical book for students alongside a field book based on an action learning methodology, this volume will be useful to those in social finance and impact investing.
This is an open access book offers candid, eye-opening insights of cautionary tales and successes of social investors in philanthropy, impact investing, and ESG as they advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A 10-year journey of research across five continents, Good, Evil and Wicked includes interviews with 1,800 CEOs and senior leaders in 20 countries and builds on the classroom experience of 800 senior executives from 80 countries. The book examines their stories using a unique framework, Deliberate Leadership. TM This is an open access book.
This is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.
Long term asset owners and managers, while seeking high risk-adjusted returns and efficiently allocating scarce financial capital to the highest value economic activities, have the essential and formidable role of ensuring the sustainability of return. But generally accepted financial accounting methods are ill-equipped to provide clear signals of the risks and opportunities created by scarce natural and human capital. Hence many investment managers in global financial markets, while performing due diligence on portfolio companies, examine metrics of non-financial performance, especially environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators. Broken into three sections, this book outlines the rationale for and methods used in six areas where financial acumen has been harnessed to the goal of combining monetary return with long run sustainability. The first section offers an introduction to the role of finance in achieving sustainability, and includes an overview of the six areas—sustainable investing, impact investing, decentralized finance, conservation finance, and cleantech finance. The methods section of the book illustrates analytical tools and specialized data sources essential to those interested in increasing the level of social responsibility embedded in economic activity. The applications section describes and differentiates each of the six areas and their roles in advancing specific measures of sustainability.
When we think of global corporations and business in general, do we feel pride in how we do things? Are we doing enough, given the undeniable reality of global climate change and the inequality faced by millions of people every day? Beyond Good is a call to arms for business leaders to recognize how they can do well by doing good. Business for good, which is the philosophy that you can pursue profits whilst delivering on sustainable and societal development goals, is already delivering big changes in the business world. In Beyond Good, top tech influencers Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer, showcase how fintech is taking the lead and what we can all learn from it. The winners in these tech start-ups are utilizing a momentum that exists within a thriving eco-system of current incumbents facing up to revolutionizing start-ups. They unlock possibilities with new technologies and serve the often-forgotten demographics to make financial health and inclusion a reality. With exclusive interviews with experts from the B-Corp world, policy makers and executives, this book also showcases how companies like Microsoft, Flourish Ventures, Ant Financial, Sunrise Bank and Paypal are doing their bit to make our world better - and you can too.
How the global financial services sector has been transformed by artificial intelligence, data science, and blockchain. Artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, and other new technologies have upended the global financial services sector, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Venture capitalists have helped to fund this disruption, pouring nearly $500 billion into fintech over the last five years. This book offers global perspectives on technology-fueled transformations in financial services, with contributions from a wide-ranging group of academics, industry professionals, former government officials, and current government advisors. They examine not only the struggles of rich countries to bring the old analog world into the new digital one but also the opportunities for developing countries to “leapfrog” directly into digital. The book offers accessible explanations of blockchain and distributed ledger technology and explores big data analytics. It considers, among other things, open banking, platform-based strategies for banks, and digital financial services. Case studies imagine possible future fintech-government interaction, emphasizing that legal and regulatory frameworks can help to create trust in financial processes. The contributors offer novel takes and unexpected insights that will be of interest to fintech experts and nonexperts alike. Contributors Ajay Bhalla, Michelle Chivunga, John D’Agostino, Mark Flood, Amias Moore Gerety, Oliver R. Goodenough, Thomas Hardjono, Sharmila Kassam, Boris Khentov, Alexander Lipton, Lev Menand, Pinar Ozcan, Alex Pentland, Matthew Reed, David L. Shrier, Markos Zachariadis
The financial landscape is rapidly evolving, and professionals must keep pace with the complex relationship between traditional financial practices and cutting-edge technologies. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into finance presents a transformative shift that requires a deep understanding and strategic approach. Navigating the Future of Finance in the Age of AI offers a comprehensive exploration of AI's impact on the financial sector, from predictive analytics to algorithmic trading strategies. Each chapter is written by experts in the field, and they provide practical insights and real-world examples to make complex concepts accessible and actionable. The book also delves into regulatory challenges, ethical considerations, and case studies, equipping readers with the tools needed to harness AI's transformative power in finance. Whether you are a finance professional seeking to enhance decision-making, a data scientist aiming to apply ML techniques in finance, or an academic exploring AI's role in financial innovation, this book is an indispensable resource that offers a roadmap to navigate the complexities of AI-driven finance and seize the opportunities it presents.
The International Scientific and Technical Conference “Integrated Computer Technologies in Mechanical Engineering” – Synergetic Engineering (ICTM) was established by National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”. The Conference ICTM’2021 was held in Kharkiv, Ukraine, during October 28–29, 2021. During this conference, technical exchanges between the research community were carried out in the forms of keynote speeches, panel discussions, as well as special session. In addition, participants were treated to a series of receptions, which forge collaborations among fellow researchers. ICTM’2021 received 203 papers submissions from different countries. Target Groups ICTM was formed to bring together outstanding researchers and practitioners in the field of information technology in the design and manufacture of engines; creation of rocket space systems, aerospace engineering from all over the world to share their experience and expertise.
How a broad range of new immensely powerful technologies is disrupting and transforming every corner of our reality—and why you must act and adapt Unsupervised: Navigating and Influencing a World Controlled by Powerful New Technologies examines the fast-emerging technologies and tools that are already starting to completely revolutionize our world. Beyond that, the book takes an in-depth look at how we have arrived at this dizzying point in our history, who holds the reins of these formidable technologies, mostly without any supervision. It explains why we as business leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, educators, lawmakers, investors or users and all responsible citizens must act now to influence and help oversee the future of a technological world. Quantum computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, decentralization, virtual and augmented reality, and permanent connectivity are just a few of the technologies and trends considered, but the book delves much deeper, too. You'll find a thorough analysis of energy and medical technologies, as well as cogent predictions for how new tech will redefine your work, your money, your entertainment, your transportation and your home and cities, and what you need to know to harness and prosper from these technologies. Authors Daniel Doll-Steinberg and Stuart Leaf draw on their decades of building and implementing disruptive technologies, investing and deploying funds, and advising business leaders, governments and supranational bodies on change management, the future of work, innovation and disruption, education and the economy to consider how every area of our lives, society, economy and government will likely witness incredible changes in the coming decade. When we look just a bit further into the future, we can see that the task facing us is to completely reinvent life as we know it—work, resources, war, and even humanity itself will undergo redefinition, thanks to these new and emerging tools. In Unsupervised, you'll consider what these redefinitions might look like, and how we as individuals, and part of society, can prevent powerful new technologies from falling into the wrong hands or be built to harm us. Get a primer on the foundational technologies that are reshaping business, pleasure, and life as we know it Learn about the lesser known, yet astonishing, technologies set to revolutionize medicine, agriculture, and beyond Consider the potential impact of new tech across business sectors—and what it means for you Gain the knowledge and inspiration you need to harness your own power and push the future in the direction of good for all of us not just the few Explore the best ways to invest in the changes these technologies of the future will bring about This is a remarkably thorough and comprehensive look at the future of technology and everything it touches. Shining a light on many unsupervised technologies and their unsupervised oligarchy of masters.
