The mainstream investment community has long viewed emerging and frontier markets as high-risk regions fraught with numerous challenges. However, with growing populations and expanding digital access, these regions are poised to become the economic powerhouses of the future.

In this compilation episode, we revisit 3 past conversations from Eliza Foo, Asha Mehta, and Monica Brand Engel, who are leveraging the power of impact investing to drive meaningful change across emerging economies.

Each of these guests shared how they are turning risks into opportunities in emerging markets while earning impressive returns for their investors.

By 2050, these regions will account for 70% of the global population and 50% of global GDP. This statistic alone shows the big opportunities that exist for businesses and investors alike.

But we can’t wish away the risks. Countries within these regions are often marked by political and economic volatility. In these conversations, we talk about evaluating these risks and overcoming challenges through innovative impact investing strategies.

Eliza Foo, Director, Impact Investing at Temasek

Eliza Foo is a leader at Temasek, one of the world’s most prestigious global investment firms, with a portfolio valued at USD $288 billion. Temasek invests across both public and private markets, operating with the flexibility of its own balance sheet, allowing them to pursue diverse opportunities across sectors, geographies, and asset classes.

As the head of Temasek’s Impact Investing team, Eliza plays a big role in the firm’s mission to create value for both current and future generations. Under her leadership, Temasek has championed innovative investments in emerging markets, focusing on critical areas such as financial inclusion, healthcare, agriculture, and climate change.

Full episode

Asha Mehta, Managing Partner & CIO at Global Delta Capital

Asha Mehta is a visionary leader at the intersection of impact and investment, with a deep commitment to unlocking the untapped potential in emerging and frontier markets. As the managing partner and CIO of Global Delta Capital, a US-based equity long-only investment manager, Asha and her team harness the power of capital to fuel social and economic development across international, emerging, and frontier markets.

Her work combines systematic investing in publicly listed equities with a strong focus on generating both alpha and measurable impact.

Full episode

Monica Brand Engel, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Quona Capital

Monica is an impact pioneer with a specialized focus on financial inclusion in emerging and frontier markets. Through Quona Capital, she leads investments in micro, small, and medium-sized businesses to drive economic growth and provide solutions to underserved and underbanked communities.

Quona focuses on innovative fintech solutions that bridge the financial infrastructure gap in these regions. By investing in digital payments, tailored lending platforms, accessible insurance, and neo-banking services, Quona enables millions of people to access financial tools previously unavailable to them. Her investments in emerging markets center on creating sustainable financial products that cater to the unique needs of local populations.

Full episode

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My guest today is Vojkan Brankovic, founder of Apeiron, a principal investment firm that is shaping the future of sustainable real estate investment. Founded in 2013, Apeiron has established itself as a leader in high-impact real asset opportunities, specializing in logistics real estate across Europe.

With over 30 years of investment management experience, Vojkan has positioned Apeiron at the forefront of logistics real estate investment, currently managing a portfolio of 500,000 square meters across strategic German locations spanning the full value chain from opportunistic and value-add to core+ strategies.

Vojkan's journey into real estate began far from the world of buildings and investments, with his early years spent between Sweden and Belgrade, Serbia, followed by time in the UK. This upbringing shaped much of his entrepreneurial mindset and leadership style.

Growing up in these diverse cultures gave him an early understanding of adaptability and collaboration, 2 key factors that would later influence how he built Apeiron. It was this exposure to different ways of thinking, working, and leading that laid the foundation for his approach to business.

While his background had always been in business and finance, he found his true passion in real estate. He saw it not just as a way to generate financial returns, but as an opportunity to make a positive environmental impact.

This vision was rooted in the recognition that the real estate sector, particularly logistics, was one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. But it was also where he saw the greatest potential for change.

What sets Vojkan apart is how he’s using real estate as a way to do good while making money. For him, it's about transforming inefficient buildings into assets that serve a greater purpose.

His vision for sustainable, technology-enabled logistics infrastructure has attracted partnerships with leading institutional investors from Korea and the Middle East, demonstrating the global appeal of Apeiron's differentiated investment approach.

One of the interesting features of Apeiron is its lean approach to business. While many firms in the real estate investment space operate with large teams and complex structures, Apeiron keeps things simple and efficient. With just 5 people in its team, the firm can make quick strategy decisions and stay nimble in an industry that’s often slow to change.

Through Apeiron, Vojkan is demonstrating that real estate doesn’t just have to be about buildings and profits—it can be about purpose, too.

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Additional Resources:

🔹 Apeiron Capital Limited Website: https://www.apeiron.com/

🔹 Vojkan Brankovic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brankovic/

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Books mentioned:

🔹 “The Culture Map,” Erin Meyer: https://amzn.to/4lDLhI6

🔹 “The Edge: How competition for resources is pushing the world, and its climate, to the brink – and what we can do about it,” Jonathan Maxwell: https://amzn.to/3TrJ86r

In May, I spoke with four leaders who are reshaping what finance can do – and who it can serve.

In this compilation episode, I’ve pulled together the most powerful ideas, turning points, and takeaways from those conversations. If something resonates, you can dive deeper – the links to each full episode are below.

Here's the list of featured guests:

Nasir Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners

Nasir launched Zeal in early 2020 – right as the pandemic began. For many, it seemed like the worst possible timing. For him, it was exactly the right moment.

He saw a market that wasn’t working for most entrepreneurs – and a venture ecosystem that kept recycling capital into the same places, the same profiles, and the same narrow definitions of potential.

Zeal’s model is built around what Nasir calls “inclusive investing” – a five-part framework designed to widen the lens on where and how capital gets deployed.

Full episode

Hadewych Kuiper, Managing Director at Triodos Investment Management

Hadewych joined Triodos right as the 2008 financial crisis hit. While other banks were collapsing under the weight of financial engineering, Triodos kept growing – because they weren’t in the business of making money with money. Their investments were grounded in the real economy, and that made all the difference.

Today, Hadewych leads the firm’s €6 billion portfolio across what they call five transition themes: food, resources, energy, society, and well-being.

Her mission is bigger than impact investing. It’s about transforming the financial sector itself.

Full episode

Romina Reversi, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Investment Banking Americas at Crédit Agricole CIB

Romina started her career in equity derivatives at J.P. Morgan – a role she calls foundational for everything that came next. But in 2015, she pivoted into a niche team focused on green bonds. She was one of the earliest hires in J.P. Morgan’s ESG debt capital markets group, helping to shape the playbook as they went.

Now at Crédit Agricole, she leads sustainable investment banking for the Americas – overseeing ESG advisory, green and sustainability-linked financing, and supply chain solutions.

Her team helped launch the first U.S. corporate green bond tied to nuclear energy, and structured the world’s first sovereign bond with a step-up/step-down coupon tied to emissions and biodiversity targets.

Full episode

Michele Giddens, Co-Founder and CEO of Bridges Fund Management

Michele was asked to advise the UK Treasury’s Social Investment Task Force, chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen. That experience led directly to the founding of Bridges, with a white sheet of paper and £10 million in catalytic government funding. The idea: to show that financial returns and social impact didn’t have to be at odds.

Today, Bridges has over £2 billion in assets under management across private equity, real estate, and outcomes contracts. Every investment aligns with one of two goals: building a more inclusive economy or a more sustainable planet. Their theory of change is simple – use financial capital to tackle systemic challenges, and value creation will follow.

Full episode

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Sign up for the free weekly email update
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