Mark Rowan

The Rise of Social Capital Markets: How Will They Change the World?

Alex Friedman, Ron Cordes, Rush Ramsey, Bobby Turner, Gene Case, Mark Rowan, Shari Berenbach, Eva

Social capital markets currently operate as an nascent asset class hindered by regulatory barriers, ambiguous definitions, and institutional resistance, despite a projected trillion-dollar opportunity that could bridge the growing gap between societal needs and declining government funding. Prominent figures like Bobby Turner and Ron Cordes are pioneering strategies to overcome these hurdles, exemplified by the Canyon Agassiz Fund's rapid fundraising success and the creation of public data infrastructure that connects high-net-worth demand with vetted impact managers. As generational values shift and technology enables retail participation through crowdfunding and securitization, the sector anticipates a "10-year overnight success" moment driven by blended finance models and potential regulatory mandates for social performance disclosure.