Investing for the Public Good
“I want to create systemic change and make a real community impact.” - Zoey Dash McKenzie
tl;dr
Personal Inspiration: McKenzie was motivated to address gaps between research and practical applications after witnessing a friend's struggle with postpartum depression and realizing the potential of untapped innovations.
Impact Fund Launch: Public Ventures, a $100-million fund founded by McKenzie, prioritizes societal impact alongside financial returns, investing in early-stage life science and clean tech startups in Canada.
Zoey Dash McKenzie’s journey to creating an investment fund was sparked by a deeply personal experience— a close friend’s struggle with the effects of postpartum depression. “I watched my friend become separated from her newborn to access treatment, all the while knowing from my own professional experience that there was an improved form of innovation that could help, sitting in a lab without a clear path to market,” she recalls.
The experience served as a pivotal moment for McKenzie, who realized that despite the existence of potential solutions, many innovative ideas remain trapped within research institutions, inaccessible to those who needed them most. It propelled her to confront the gap between research and its practical applications, ultimately leading her to find her investment fund, Public Ventures.
“I want to create systemic change and make a real community impact,” McKenzie says.
In the venture capitalism ecosystem, where profit is typically the primary concern, Public Ventures has emerged as a force for good—a firm that wants to prioritize societal impact alongside financial gain. Launched last summer, Public Ventures is a $100-million impact fund that invests in early-stage life science and clean tech startups, particularly in Canada. At its core lies a commitment to addressing the intersection of climate and health—an emerging area currently overlooked in traditional investment circles, McKenzie notes.
Her professional background, a fusion of entrepreneurship, policy advocacy, and diverse experiences with notable brands and people, uniquely positions McKenzie to lead Public Ventures. From her early days as a model turned tech entrepreneur, to navigating the intricacies of government policy, she brings a wealth of insights and a wide network of contacts to the table.
Central to Public Ventures' approach is the DECA impact framework, developed by McKenzie, a comprehensive system that evaluates potential investments across four pillars: Deal, Ecosystem, Community, and Application. This big-picture lens ensures that investments not only generate financial returns but also contribute to broader societal well-being, she notes. By prioritizing people-centric solutions, Public Ventures aims to shift power dynamics within the investment landscape and foster collaborative partnerships that drive sustainable change.
“Our focus is on how to create large scale impact and finding the types of companies that can scale very quickly given a shifting economic, political, and socially conscious world we live in,” McKenzie says.
In a world grappling with complex questions, Public Ventures offers a way forward. By reimagining investment paradigms and supporting ventures that prioritize social impact, McKenzie and her team are paving the way for a more equitable and sustainable future.
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