The Criterion Institute Podcast Joy Anderson

This episode begins with a reflection on the inception of Convergence, highlighting its origins as a space for transformative dialogue. Convergence is a series of hour-and-a-half-long conversations that bring together people from different fields to discuss topics related to impact investing, development finance, grassroots activism, and social justice campaigns.
Then Sana Kapadia shares her experiences of Convergence, emphasizing its role in fostering meaningful conversations among diverse stakeholders. Finally, in the Practices section, Joy explores the significance of scripted acknowledgments at the beginning of each conversation, which set the tone for inclusive and respectful dialogue.
Episode Highlights
00:28 - Introduction02:45 - The birth of Convergence06:59 - Interview with Sana Kapadia17:13 - Practices: Scripted Acknowledgments
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInSana's LinkedIn

In this episode, Joy Anderson explores strategies for building movements and the tension between going broad and going deep. She discusses the concept of preaching to the choir and the importance of engaging with new audiences while also supporting those already doing the work. Sana Kapadia then joins Joy in conversation about working within mainstream systems and the balance between incremental progress and transformative change. Finally, in the "Practices" section, Joy looks at the cost of excitement and the responsibility of follow-through. The episode emphasizes the need for power analysis, resilience, hope, and collaboration in advancing meaningful impact.
Episode Highlights
00:27 - Introduction03:55 - Preaching to the choir10:43 - Interview with Sana - Balancing Broad and Deep Strategies21:39 - Power Analysis, Resilience, Hope, and Collaboration in Advancing Impact24:55 - Practices - The cost of excitement
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInSana's LinkedIn

In this episode, Joy Anderson and Sara Wolfe discuss the concept of the kitchen table as a space for creativity, collaboration, and transformative change. They highlight the importance of relationships, informal processes, and listening, and challenge traditional norms of success. Then, in a new section called "Practices", Joy explores the practice of carrying around ideas and testing them in conversations, being open to feedback and learning. The episode emphasizes the need to redefine success and think about innovative ideas that can create change in specific contexts.
Episode Highlights
00:27 - Introduction03:25 - Interview with Sara - the kitchen table10:05 - Practices: Carrying around a set of insights14:48 - Building Relationships and Inclusion
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInSara's LinkedIn

In this episode, Joy Anderson and Teresa Wells discuss systemic risk in finance and the need for different choices to address it. They explore the evolving understanding of risk in investment decisions, the short-termism of financial decision-making, and the challenges with benchmarking. They also emphasize the importance of better data to identify systemic risks and the role of indexes in driving investment decisions. The conversation concludes with a discussion on representation versus equity in leadership, and using retention as a metric for companies that are good for women and diverse gender identities.
Episode Highlights
00:00 - Introduction03:49 - Systemic Risk in Finance06:12 - Short-Termism in Financial Decision-Making08:04 - Challenges with Benchmarking10:00 - Long-Term Investing and Valuation14:22 - Data and Systemic Risks22:20 - Using Data to Drive Investment Decisions26:27 - Organizational Systems Change29:58 - Retention as a metric and leadership33:44 - Conclusion
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInTeresa's LinkedIn

In this episode, Joy Anderson speaks with Denise Hearn about the role of finance in transformative systems change. They discuss various themes, including misconceptions about competition and collaboration, identifying leverage points in market systems, unmasking the narrative of free markets, the power of paradoxes in systems change, understanding emergence in market systems, and envisioning alternative pathways for change.
Episode Highlights
00:00 - Introduction02:54 - Misconceptions about Competition and Collaboration08:09 - Identifying Leverage Points in Market Systems09:05 - Unmasking the Narrative of Free Markets13:20 - Anthropomorphising markets19:06 - Understanding Paradoxes and Emergence in Market Systems29:13 - Envisioning Alternative Pathways for Change
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInDenise's LinkedIn

As the fields of gender lens and impact investing mature, the need to advance the way we do analysis and set benchmarks for better practice has become ever more pronounced. We’ve seen a growing number of standard setters, from governments to investors, willing to use their power to ask for more from their investments, but not quite sure where to start. Meanwhile, progress towards critical social change outcomes remains painfully slow, with little certainty around attribution or indication of how we might actually get there.   
The work of Criterion Institute is fundamentally about challenging power dynamics in finance as part of the work of social change. Today, we’re going to focus on how standard setters such as governments and other asset owners might disrupt power, privilege and bias within a very specific area of investment practice: investment thesis design. This and other standards were developed as part of the work that Criterion has done over the last several years, alongside many friends and funders including Global Affairs Canada, 2X Global, UNICEF, MEDA and ANDE.
Episode Highlights:
00:29 - Intro 01:54 - Investment thesis informed by gender
Relevant Links:
Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedIn