Episode 12 - Mark Watson, Fair Food Fund

Mark Watson, Managing Director of the Fair Food Fund, joins us to talk about investing to build community resilience, tackle food insecurity, and take on diet-related disease. Starting his career in finance in the 1980s, Mark was in his own words one of the few African Americans with a glimpse “behind the curtain” of big finance. Mark explains why he moved into impact investing, and where the field is headed. 

 We are getting specific on the qualities of successful entrepreneurs. Highlights: conviction and willingness to make course corrections are essential. From his deep experience Mark is sharing how how to form durable capital partnerships, and how to balance financial rigor with social impact.

Mark is talking all the right “right kinds” of capital partnerships: 

• Entrepreneurs: listen in for practical advice on matching sources of capital with your business’ stage of business growth. Mark shares questions to ask, and pitfalls to avoid

• Investors: Mark is specific and clear on how to incorporate health outcomes, community wellbeing, and racial equity into investment strategies

The Fair Food Fund has been actively supporting communities throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Mark is sharing examples of precisely how entrepreneurs are adapting —in some cases with huge success. Grounded in deep experience, this is a conversation on the investment strategies and partnerships that can and are addressing the food-related issues laid bare by Covid—including diet-related disease, racial inequity, and food access.