#87: Thank You for Naming It: The Early Days of Gender Lens Investing

In this episode, Joy Anderson sits down with longtime collaborator Jackie VanderBrug to revisit the origins of gender lens investing and the work of building a field before most people believed it existed. Drawing on their years together at Criterion Institute, they reflect on the early efforts to identify, map, and connect investors, researchers, philanthropists, and practitioners who were already incorporating gender into financial decision-making but lacked a shared language or framework.

The conversation explores the importance of naming, the challenges of making gender visible within emerging impact investing conversations, and the tension between simplicity and rigor as the field developed. Joy and Jackie discuss the evolution of concepts such as "Women Effect," "Revaluing Gender," and "gender lens investing," as well as the role of leadership, philanthropy, community-building, and intellectual frameworks in making new possibilities visible. Ultimately, the episode is a reflection on how movements are built: through mapping, invitation, collaboration, persistence, and the willingness to claim possibility before there is permission to do so.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Introduction to the podcast and guests

02:24 - Reflecting on the early days of gender lens investing

04:17 - The role of visibility and community in building the field

07:13 - Naming and framing the movement: Women Effect and gender lens

09:11 - Overcoming resistance and gaining acceptance

12:48 - The impact of mapping and community building

16:37 - The evolution of impact investment frameworks

19:54 - The importance of gender analysis over numbers

22:44 - Building the field without a central fund

25:39 - Legacy and ongoing influence of early efforts

28:55 - Reflections on collaboration and future impact

Relevant Links

Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn

Joy Anderson's LinkedIn

Jackie VanderBrug's LinkedIn

Dive Deeper

State of the Field of Gender Lens Investing

A foundational review of how gender lens investing evolved as a field, mapping the ideas, actors, products, and organizations that helped move gender from a niche concern to an established investment lens.

Framing (and Reframing) Gender

A framework for understanding how gender analysis can reveal opportunities, risks, and dynamics within financial systems, moving beyond simply counting women toward a deeper examination of power and value.

If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to:

#32: Pioneering Collaboration: The Story Behind the 2024 Joan Bavaria Award

A reflection on the collaboration between Joy Anderson, Jackie VanderBrug, and Suzanne Biegel in building the field of gender lens investing.

#42: 10 Year On: Reflecting on the State of Gender Lens Investing

Joy revisits the evolution of the field, its frameworks, and the progress made over a decade.

#40: Gender Lens Investing is a Time of Backlash: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

A contemporary reflection on why gender lens investing remains important amid shifting political and economic conditions.

#47: Spelling it out: Gender Lens Investing Deserves Words, Not Acronyms

A conversation about language, terminology, and how naming shapes understanding and action.

Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network