Sabrina Bainbridge, a Senior Impact Investment Associate at Plan International, recently sat down with the team at Impact Finance Pro and our INSIDERS to discuss her unconventional career path that led her to become passionate about economic inclusion and impact finance. Starting off as a teacher, Sabrina transitioned into impact finance and has been responsible for launching a gender lens investing pilot at Plan International.  She shared her experience and insights for individuals looking to break into the impact investing space. Here are some points from our discussion:

1. Identify Your Gaps: One of Sabrina's key pieces of advice is to be honest with yourself about your transferable skills and identifying your gaps. Sabrina noted that having financial skill sets is crucial, but it is not necessarily a requirement to take on a full course on gender lens investing or impact investing. There are many online resources, such as the 2x Collaborative and gender smart, as well as the Criterion Institute, to learn and upskill on gender lens investing that are available.
2. Establish Your Non-Negotiables & Be Humble: When it comes to finding a job in the impact finance space, Sabrina recommends figuring out your own non-negotiables and being pragmatic about other factors such as the location where opportunities are based. Sabrina notes that it can be worth taking an internship or a lower-paying job to break into the sector even if you have a lot of work experience. She advises being humble, open to learning, and looking for a hiring manager who will help with your career progression. She took a step down in terms of career level but was promoted after one year due to her manager’s support.
3. Network: Sabrina suggests joining networking groups, such as WhatsApp groups or LinkedIn communities to build a peer network of others who are new to the impact finance space to learn and grow together. Sabrina’s experience demonstrates the importance of being open to new opportunities and taking calculated risks. 
4. Sabrina comments on the importance of the sector at large: Sabrina highlighted how the impact finance sector is creating innovative financial strategies by integrating traditional capital vehicles, such as grants or concessional capital, with larger capital pools to maximize impact. Sabrina believes that nonprofits can use these capital vehicles to draw in more capital, which will help them to better inform their impact strategy. A lot of these tools can also be well-utilized in the education sector where she started off, and that impact is a great place to start to challenge traditional financial structures.

Sabrina’s core message hinged on the fact that breaking into impact investing requires a mix of financial skills, knowledge of innovative financial strategies, and networking. As the impact finance sector evolves, individuals need to keep upskilling and be open to new opportunities to make a difference in the world. Sabrina’s journey and insights are a testament to the importance of pursuing your passions, being open to learning, and seizing opportunities.

This insight is based on a Path to Impact Session with Sabrina Bainbridge. Path to Impact Sessions feature industry insiders speaking candidly about their impact finance career journeys. They give participants a chance to ask questions and engage in a small group setting. Grow your impact network by signing up to become an INSIDER and engaging in future INSIDER events. You can also watch a recording of this, and previous events in our webinar catalog.