Stephanie Hermawan is the Managing Partner of Instellar Investment. She holds a prominent position in the firm, indicating that she plays a pivotal role in the investment activities and overall management of the company. Her involvement and leadership are likely to contribute significantly to the strategic direction and operational success of Instellar Investment, making her a key figure within the organization
What motivates you and how do you approach making investment decisions?
“I’m motivated by the founder’s real intention behind why they start the company. I find founders with sincere and authentic intention and purpose, especially if it’s connected to their personal story, towards impact in their business have a strong why and that leads to resilience which is very much needed in the early stage of a company as their business model still can pivot and change anytime and will face many challenges.”
How do you balance financial returns with social and environmental impact in your investments?
“Good investments in good companies. I believe good companies are purpose/impact driven whether socially and/or environmentally and profit/financial returns is vital to make the impact to be sustainable. So I do invest in purposeful company that brings positive impact in society and environment however they have to be profitable to sustain and scale their impact. I will never invest in a company that is just profitable but there is no positive impact.”
Can you share a key lesson you’ve learned from your experience in impact investing that could be applicable to other fields?
“Founders intention and energy is very fundamental to any company from my impact investing experience because it determines the authenticity and resiliency of the company. So, this philosophy is applicable to any field in business or life that I do. I alway go back to the fundamental human intention and energy in whoever I’m dealing with in life. Half hearted or weak intent person normally are less committed and hard to deal with in any kind of business or life. So I always go back to the fundamental of being a human because human energy at the end that I behind and drives every decision and action in the world. It can be destructive or constructive.”
What are some common misconceptions about impact investing, and how do you address them?
“The common misconception is probably impact investment is not for everyone. In fact, there are spectrum of impact investment from philantrophic, concessionary to market rate return to suit everyone’s impact definition, expected impact and financial return. Especially, with the new rising blended capital in Asia, impact investment can be tailored to anyone who wants impact in their portfolio.”
How do you stay informed and adapt to changing trends in the investment landscape?
“By going to conferences around the world and keep a good diverse network of people and community.”
Can you discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in the investment community and how you promote these values in your work?
“I believe diversity and inclusion is an important part of any community, not just investment as it bring oneness, richness and innovation. In our work at Instellar, we try to be as open and diverse in our team from gender, disability, race and religion backgrounds so we can have many different talents and perspectives in our creativity and decision making, however their true working capability and character as human is more important than just trying to fulfill a diversity agenda.”
What advice would you give to aspiring investors or entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact through their ventures?
“Start with your WHY you want to start the business. I always recommend founders to find themselves before they find anything. “
How do you define success in your investments and how do you measure its impacts?
“Success is when we can reach the impact that we want to achieve measured by set impact measurement and also give financial return to our investors.”
What role do you think collaboration plays in driving impactful investments?
“Collaboration is very important in driving impact in investments especially in blended capital mobilizing and integrating different colors of money from different sources from philantrophic to market rate return and impact return.”
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of impact investing, and how do you plan to contribute to its growth?
“I see that in the future that there is no more word of “impact investing” or “impact/social enterprise” because in the future, social and environmental impact is already expected just like good customer service or products as we see even now it’s allready starting with customer and government driven in the market and policy. I plan to fill the unfulfilled gap of the impact investing gap, especially with blended finance and innovative catalytic financing in different sectors, especially in climate and my personal passion in nature based solution and regenerative agriculture.”
Considering your journey, what advice would you offer individuals aspiring to build successful careers in challenging industries?
“Reflecting on my journey, the path to success in any challenging industry is both diverse and personal. Here’s what I’ve learned: Firstly, don’t hesitate to try new things. The unfamiliar can be daunting, but it’s also where growth happens. Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to unexpected opportunities and insights.
Stay open to new ideas, perspectives, and challenges. This openness will not only enhance your adaptability but also enrich your professional and personal life. It allows you to embrace change, an inevitable part of any industry, and to innovate and improve continuously.
It’s important not to let stress overshadow your ambitions. While some pressure is inevitable, finding effective ways to manage stress will keep you focused and productive. Remember, well-being is crucial to sustaining long-term success.
Find joy in what you do. Passion is a significant motivator and can make even the most challenging tasks more bearable and fulfilling. When you enjoy your work, it reflects in your performance and relationships with others.”
Considering your journey, what advice would you offer individuals aspiring to build successful careers in challenging industries?
“Know you deep WHY to FIRE you up to overcome any challenge! When the WHY is big, the how is small.”
What’s your advise for female entrepreneurs and leaders taking on leadership positions?
“Don’t think like a female or male. Work on your feminine and masculine wounds. Don’t be a victim nor perpetrator. Just be a purposeful and balance genderless human being full of pure intent and positive force in the world!”
How do you think HER Entrepreneur can help unite and inspire more women entrepreneurs and leaders to grow and lead, while referring businesses to each other?
“Don’t think like a female or male. Work on your feminine and masculine wounds. Don’t be a victim nor perpetrator. Just be a purposeful and balance genderless human being full of pure intent and positive force in the world!”
What’s your advise for female entrepreneurs and leaders taking on leadership positions?
“By connecting them at the heart and authentic level so they can refer genuinely and sincerely.”
Stephanie Hermawan’s approach to impact investing emphasizes the importance of authenticity, purpose, and resilience. Her insights highlight the need for a deep understanding of human intention and energy in business and life. Through her work, she promotes diversity, inclusion, and a balanced approach to investing for positive social and environmental impact. Stephanie’s journey inspires aspiring investors and entrepreneurs to find their purpose and drive success in challenging industries. As she looks to the future, Stephanie aims to contribute to the growth of impact investing, envisioning a world where social and environmental impact is inherent in every business venture.
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