Lafayette Square Appoints Antony Bugg-Levine as Co-Head of Community Impact
Impact investing pioneer and co-founder of the Global Impact Investing Network to help Lafayette Square deliver value-add human services
New York, October 5, 2021 – Lafayette Square, an impact investment platform, announced today that Antony Bugg-Levine has been appointed managing director and co-head of Community Impact, with a focus on developing partnerships and impactful services that drive change for communities served by the firm. Bugg-Levine will report to Damien Dwin, CEO and founder of Lafayette Square, and will co-lead Community Impact initiatives with Don Baylor, who joined the firm in January 2021.
Bugg-Levine is a pioneer within the modern impact investing movement, with over 25 years of industry experience. Bugg-Levine designed and led The Rockefeller Foundation’s impact investing initiative and oversaw its Program Related Investments portfolio from 2007-2011. He convened the 2007 meeting that coined the phrase “impact investing” and in 2009, co-founded the Global Impact Investing Network. He also co-authored “Impact Investing: Transforming How We Make Money While Making a Difference,” the first book on impact investing, in 2011. Bugg-Levine has spent the past 10 years as CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), one of the largest Community Development Financial Institutions in the United States.
“We have known and admired Antony’s influence in the impact investing space, and we’re thrilled to have him join Lafayette Square to help build on our efforts in transforming the traditional financial paradigm and creating a more inclusive economy,” said Dwin. “We are confident that he and Don will build strong partnerships across the industry and ultimately provide human services that create direct impact within the communities in which we invest.”
Prior to joining Rockefeller, Bugg-Levine served as TechnoServe’s country director for Kenya and Uganda and previously served as a consultant at McKinsey, advising Fortune 100 clients on new frameworks for incorporating social responsibility into corporate strategy. Earlier in his career, he served as a speechwriter and election communications strategist for President Nelson Mandela and other senior leaders of the African National Congress and as the acting communications director of the South African Human Rights Commission.
“As an industry, we are beginning to understand the power that capitalism can have, when applied within an impact investment framework, in creating positive change for people and communities,” said Bugg-Levine. “I believe that Damien and Lafayette Square are building a crucial piece of the industry’s infrastructure: an institutional-scale asset management platform built for impact from the start. I am well-aligned with their mission and unique model to drive real, sustainable impact across America.”
Bugg-Levine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale, a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. He was selected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and named one of the 50 most powerful and influential people in the US nonprofit sector by Nonprofit Times in 2018-2020. He currently serves on the Boards of the Global Impact Investing Network and Community Connections for Youth.
About Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square is an impact investment platform working locally to create an inclusive American economy. Our mission is to be the leading provider of impact-driven capital. We believe deploying capital and curating services will create economic opportunity for all.
As we make investments, we work with a mission-aligned network to provide impactful services that improve the wellbeing of underserved people and communities. For more information about Lafayette Square, please visit www.lafayettesquare.com.
Media Contact:
Shree Dhond/Zach Kouwe
Dukas Linden Public Relations
646-722-6531
lafayettesquare@dlpr.com
