Morgan Stanley’s Institute for Sustainable Investing and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management today announced that Terra Limpa was named the winner of the 2016 Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge. Comprised of students from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, the team was one of 10 finalist teams competing in the Challenge at Morgan Stanley’s Hong Kong offices on Friday, April 15. Terra Limpa’s idea focuses on increasing private investment in agriculture in Angola to revitalize land productivity, eliminate landmines, and create a new class of smallholder farmers.
Founded by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2011, Morgan Stanley’s Institute for Sustainable Investing and Kellogg School present the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge each year, creating an opportunity to inspire future leaders to develop new financial ideas on how to address sustainability issues at scale. The 10 finalist teams were selected from 104 investment prospectuses targeting sustainability issues in 32 countries. Each submission included strong ideas that clearly articulated a significant problem in a local, national or regional community, a potential solution, and an investment model that could finance the solution at scale with measurable, direct outcomes and a target of market-rate financial returns.
“The students participating in the Sustainable Investing Challenge exemplify the next generation of leaders who will continue to push boundaries and develop and implement inspiring, innovative investment vehicles to address pressing social and environmental issues,” said Audrey Choi, CEO of Morgan Stanley’s Institute for Sustainable Investing. “We are at a critical moment where integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into quality investment strategies is not only considered acceptable but is essential to judicious investing and value creation.”
The winning team consisted of Ryan Alam, Suzana Amoes, and Megan Strawther. This year’s runner-up was the Red Ribbon Fund from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Team members included Andrea Barrios, Samuel Chen and Diego Oliveira.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Morgan Stanley to identify the best projects to improve and grow sustainable investment solutions. This year's winner, Terra Limpa and their smallholder agriculture project, illustrates Kellogg’s belief that business can and will lead the way in improving sustainability and human outcomes,” said Megan Kashner, Clinical Assistant Professor & Director of Social Impact at Kellogg School of Management. “Social impact is woven into the fabric of Kellogg, and it shapes all aspects of the student experience, including course offerings, experiential learning, academic research and career services.”
More information on this year’s finalists and winner can be found on the Challenge website and via videos where they describe their proposals and why they are seeking to address a particular sustainability issue. You can also follow the conversation on social media with #SIChallenge.
About the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing is dedicated to accelerating adoption of sustainable investing. The Institute partners across the Firm to pioneer scalable sustainable finance solutions, new investing tools, and insights that inform & empower investors. For more information about the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, visit www.morganstanley.com/sustainableinvesting.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
About Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University develops brave leaders who inspire growth in people, organizations and markets. Based just outside of Chicago, the school is a global leader in management education, renowned for its distinctive thought leadership and pioneering approach to learning. Kellogg offers an innovative portfolio of programs: four Full-Time MBA programs including leading one-year program and joint degree programs with the engineering, law and medical schools; a Part-Time MBA Program; the premier Executive MBA global network; and extensive non-degree Executive Education programs. To learn more about Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, please visit https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu.