Opening remarks and welcome

Presentation and interactive session on the WEII and other SOWC work, including an exciting new initiative.
 

Where have there been conservation successes and what can we learn from them in order to ensure greater success moving forward, whilst aligning conservation and development. What are the main drivers of success in conservation?

Tompkins Conservation: Lessons from South America, followed by reflections for Africa 

A new, innovative business that supports a holistic, landscape approach to conservation, with the primary goal of offering market-linked incentives to small-scale farmers around the Okavango Delta for coexisting with elephants, while creating significant environmental, economic and social impact. 

Music and popular culture as levers for innovative conservation financing and behaviour change.

Current funding for nature, biodiversity and conservation is wholly inadequate. It is naïve to think that the current funding pools can increase funding to the levels required. We need new pools of capital. The largest pools of capital are the capital markets. This presentation will consider these pools of capital and how they can be attracted into funding nature on a very large scale.

Bridging the gap between conservation and entrepreneurship, evaluating innovative finance models, proof of concept and scalability and aligning investor expectations with conservation needs.

Strike up conversations and exchange contact details to build connections, partnerships, and collaborations.

Are local communities the only resort for ecosystem-scale conservation? This talk explores why empowering local communities is not just an option but the best strategy for preserving Africa's large landscapes. Through real-world examples and interactive audience engagement, we'll demonstrate how community-led models offer cost-effective, scalable solutions that protect biodiversity and enhance livelihoods.
 

This talk will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize conservation.  We'll discuss why relying solely on traditional methods might not be enough to address today's complex environmental challenges.  AI is transforming various sectors, and conservation is no exception. From identifying endangered species, tracking wildlife populations and predicting habitat changes, together we will envision a future where AI plays a crucial role in ensuring a sustainable future for all.
 

Can a nonhuman species pay for its own protection? In this talk we will unpack a world first: another species holding and spending money based on its AI inferred interests. Together with the Rwanda Ministries of Finance and Technology, the Rwanda Central Bank, and the Rwanda Development Board, Interspecies Money has empowered a family of Rwanda mountain gorillas to hold a secure digital identity and send mobile money payments. We believe this is the first step in a multigenerational, trillion dollar journey for many species to participate in the human market economy in order to improve their life outcomes. 

This fireside chat will delve into what drives success in community-led conservation, highlighting both achievements and obstacles. We will discuss how tailored approaches, capable leadership, and inclusive governance enable communities to benefit from conservation, fostering ownership and economic opportunity through the wildlife economy.

In the complex world of community-led conservation, effective governance is the key to reducing investment risks and ensuring success. This talk delves into how good governance at all levels empowers all stakeholders, aligning interests and fostering partnerships that attract investment and drive sustainable outcomes in conservation-driven social enterprises.
 

Witness the innovation in pipeline of an NFT marketplace and gamification using Rwanda's centralized digital currency, all while supporting conservation and promoting sustainable ecotourism.

How many African youth are prevented from pursuing conservation careers? How many NGOs struggle to quantify their efforts? And how many employers fail to recruit emerging local talent into the employment pipeline? Learn how Vumba supports youth, NGOs, and businesses to connect the next generation of conservation leaders to the greater wildlife economy. 

Discussions around the wildlife asset and its management and how to create a more enabling business environment, including what would be needed to develop a sovereign debt instrument related to the WEII
 

Strike up conversations and exchange contact details to build connections, partnerships, and collaborations.

Strike up conversations and exchange contact details to build connections, partnerships, and collaborations.

Discussions related to green bonds, Project Financing for Permanence (PFP),  the carbon economy and other innovative solutions