Islamic Impact Investing Conference
Can Islamic finance be a tool for wealth redistribution and social impact? We are convening a diverse community of investors, nonprofits, academics, social entrepreneurs, and faith-based finance operators to realign philanthropy and investing with justice and ethics. The day will include keynotes, roundtable discussions, lunch and meaningful networking opportunities.
This conference is kindly sponsored by Spindle by Sisters, Qima Coffee, Kestrl, Wahed and Pfida.
Why Attend?
Discover the growing demand and untapped potential for faith-aligned impact investing, including how Islamic finance principles resonate with values shared across many traditions.
Gain practical strategies to align your portfolio with just, ethical, and values-driven investments that serve as viable alternatives to conventional assets.
Access ecosystem mapping tools, curated educational resources, and directories to deepen your knowledge and strengthen your network.
Connect with impact investors, philanthropists, and community leaders to catalyse cross-sector partnerships and mobilise values-aligned capital for meaningful social and environmental impact
The Burning Platform
While over $150 trillion in assets is under management globally, only $2.3 trillion is currently invested for impact. Meanwhile, emerging economies face a $4.2 trillion SDG financing gap and the World Bank estimates a $5.9T funding gap for formal SMEs.
Islamic finance, a $3.9 trillion sector, is largely absent from this space. Despite growing interest in ethical investing, Islamic impact investing remains underdeveloped. Most Muslim-majority institutions continue to rely on traditional philanthropy and passive investment products, leaving a widening chasm between faith-driven capital and urgent community needs.
At the same time, global economies are being restructured by climate disruption, inequality, geopolitical instability, and the failures of extractive financial systems. In response, a group of actors, social enterprises, ethical investors, and mission-aligned institutions, are forging alternative paths. They are building the real economy, rooted in trade, production, and inclusive community enterprise.
This presents a clear opportunity: to reorient Islamic finance toward real-economy solutions aligned with Maqasid al-Shariah (higher objectives of Islamic law) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and to provide the legal and financial infrastructure to enable this transformation.
What to Expect
Keynotes by Essma Bengabsia, Rizvan Khalid and Omar Shaikh on the urgency of reorienting Islamic finance with impact, purpose-driven vehicles and funding SMEs
Islamic Economics exhibition by Rational Religion
Practical roundtable discussions led by Omar Khaliel, Abdul Haseeb Basit, Kashif Shabir, Jeremy Nicholls, Yu-Shan Chiu and Sulaiman Moolla on designing Islamic impact investing portfolios and policies (for institutions / family offices), unlocking capital, accounting for value and reimagining the ecosystem
Investment showcases by White Lion Foods / Cordoba Capital Markets, Threshold Equity and Wholesum
Networking & Lunch
Launch of educational resources
Who Is This Conference For?
Investors (institutional & private) interested in moving capital to impactful SMEs
Islamic finance professionals
Endowments, waqf & zakat administrators
Nonprofits & social enterprises
Faith-based finance operators
Academics & university students
Policymakers & Muslim community leaders
Large Muslim institutions
Key Themes
What is Islamic Impact Investing and why now?
Faith, finance & sustainable development goals
Investment strategies with measurable outcomes
Role of alternative finance, fintechs, SMEs, social enterprises and social funds in Islamic investing
Case studies: housing, healthcare, job creation, climate, education
Agenda
10am: Arrivals & Refreshments
10.30am: Open & Welcome
10.50am: Keynote speech (guest speaker)
11.10am: Keynote speech (Essma Bengabsia)
11.30am: Roundtable Discussions
1pm: Lunch & Networking
2pm: Keynote speech (Rizvan Khalid)
2.20pm: Showcase of Impactful Investment Vehicles
3.20pm: Keynote speech (Omar Shaikh)
3.40pm: From Intention to Action
3.50pm: Closing & Reflections
4pm: Networking & Refreshments
5pm: End
Organisers & Partners
Sponsors
SPINDLE by Sisters is a UK-based conscious homeware and lifestyle brand supporting artisans near and far who rely on traditional crafts for their livelihoods.
They work directly and through trusted NGOs with makers in India, Palestine, Morocco, Türkiye, Syria, Uganda, and with Palestinian and Syrian refugees, co-creating or sourcing handmade pieces that are steeped in heritage and designed to be kind to both people and the planet.
This isn’t charity. It’s dignified work that honours skill, safeguards tradition, and supports makers with fair wages and lasting opportunity.
Every order helps them uplift marginalised communities with a % of every sale donated to their partner, human rights organisation Restless Beings, and contributes to a greener future by planting a tree.
At SPINDLE, they believe that conscious living starts with connection: to our homes, to the earth, and to the hands that craft what we hold dear.
Qima Coffee is an international, integrated and equitable specialty coffee sourcing and development business operating in Yemen, Colombia and Ecuador. Working directly with thousands of smallholder farmers with the aim of generating sustainable livelihoods at scale, the company operates a fully traceable and transparent supply chain, with in-country presence across all the origins it operates in and in-market presence in several geographies. With deep expertise in agronomy, coffee processing, genetics, marketing and distribution, Qima seeks to pioneer innovation-led value creation in the coffee supply chain, and in doing so, deliver more value to farmers, whilst supporting roasters across 40 countries in developing equitable supply chains.
Kestrl is a UK FinTech that today helps over 1.3 million Muslims globally to spend, save and grow their wealth in line with their beliefs.
It does this through a software service helping banks to offer faith based features to Muslims, as well as with their own UK consumer finance application. Kestrl is now building its own digital bank, launching in the UK later this year in partnership with a major Malaysian Bank.
Wahed is a global Islamic fintech company committed to democratizing access to ethical investments. Licensed in more than 10 countries, Wahed combines cutting-edge financial technology with Shariah principles to deliver innovative products that align with both faith and values. With over 450,000 clients globally and more than $1 billion in assets under management across its entities, Wahed is pioneering a new era of Islamic finance.
Pfida is a Shariah-compliant FinTech on a mission to provide everyone with equal opportunities to save, invest and ultimately own a home without interest or debt. Their goal is to make shariah-compliant finance the norm across the globe, by providing finance products and services that benefit everyone, whilst removing debt from the equation.
Since 2016, they have helped hundreds of families to buy homes without interest or debt and to live in a way that aligns with their social and religious values. They have also helped thousands of investors to grow their wealth in an ethical and transparent way that benefits all, whilst remaining true to Islamic principles.
They're here to do what banks do, but in a format that is shariah-compliant and halal. Using technology to deliver a great customer experience mixed with products that are accessible for all, they’re here to put the power back in the hands of the people.
Speakers
Essma Bengabsia
Essma Bengabsia is an impact investor and social justice advocate who leverages capital markets to advance equity and well-being for marginalised communities. She is a board member at the Racial Justice Investing Coalition, where she co-founded the Investor Solidarity with Palestine Working Group, a convening of over 450 investment professionals working to advance Palestinian and global human rights.
Ms. Bengabsia is an Impact Investing Advisor at Community Capital Advisors, guiding foundations, endowments, and family offices on maximising their social and environmental impact. Previously, she co-managed The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s $150 million impact portfolio and advised clients at Glenmede Trust on sustainable investments. She serves on the board and investment committee of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, a $60 million endowment fully invested in impact. A graduate of NYU Stern (BS) and Wagner (MPA), her work has been featured at the UN, ImpactAlpha, SOCAP, Mission Investors Exchange, Financial Times, and more.
Omar Shaikh
Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and a Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC). A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building and is a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. Formerly Head of Islamic Finance at EY London, where he qualified as a CA, he has established a number of initiatives including Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products Platform with UNDP, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration.
Rizvan Khalid
Rizvan is principal of Ihsan Family Office (IFO), a second generation family business spanning meat, property, investments and philanthropy. He is a Chartered Accountant with a Masters in Meat Science & Technology.
IFO was established to structure the family’s interests in legacy, investments and philanthropy. Rizvan oversees IFO’s riba-free investment portfolio diversified across property, private equity, venture capital, public equities, private credit and alternative investments.
Rizvan established several foundations including Euro Quality Foundation and Riba Free Foundation. EQF, the corporate foundation, supports 40 charities locally and internationally including in Pakistan their country of heritage. It takes an investment approach to strategically deploy philanthropy across sectors including education, livelihoods, healthcare and emergency. RFF is dedicated to helping society, charities and businesses become riba-free where financial transactions are aligned on growth sharing and risk mitigation.
Omar Khaliel
Omar has over 15 years of experience in commercial finance, working across FTSE 100, FTSE 5, and multinational blue-chip companies in the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Hong Kong, and China. He is Founder & CEO of the Riba Free Foundation, a nonprofit advancing financial literacy and advocating for ethical, Riba-free finance to tackle financial injustice. Omar is also a leadership development coach passionate about nurturing financially literate, ethical future leaders. As CEO of Digital Easily, an impact-led digital marketing agency, he drives value through socially conscious solutions. He also co-founded the Muslim CEO Collective, a private network of leaders committed to positive societal impact through business.
Kashif Shabir
Kashif is Founder of Ethical Consulting Group, advising charities, family offices, and philanthropic institutions on strategic giving, governance, and impact. With 20+ years in social impact, digital transformation, and charity leadership, he is a trusted advisor to leading family offices in the UK and internationally. As Strategic Advisor to UNHCR on Islamic Philanthropy, he shapes partnerships with global Muslim funders to address refugee needs. Formerly CEO of Muslim Aid UK and Interim CEO of Mercy Mission World, he led the growth of Europe’s largest Islamic Donor Advised Fund. His career spans tech in San Francisco to senior roles at Oxfam and the British Red Cross. A qualified executive coach, he champions inclusive leadership, innovation, and sector-wide collaboration.
Abdul Haseeb Basit
Abdul Haseeb is a digital finance specialist with over 25 years’ experience at the intersection of finance, technology, and strategy. He is Co-Founder and Principal of Elipses, incubating for-profit and non-profit businesses in the ethical finance sector. His roles include CFO of Global Digital Finance; Co-Founder/CFO of Avrio; Partner at Alphalytix; Co-Founder of Madinah Angels; and Co-Founder/Chair of the Muslim CEOs Collective. He was previously CFO of Innovate Finance, Chairman of Yielders, and has held senior roles in tier-1 banks in technology transformation and strategy. A qualified management accountant with an MBA (distinction) from Imperial College, he is an Islamic and ethical finance advocate, named among the UK’s top 100 BAME Tech Leaders in 2018.
Jeremy Nicholls
Jeremy Nicholls is an accountant and an advisor with Social Value International (SVI). His work and writing focuses on how mainstream financial accounting is contributing to climate change, nature loss and inequality and on how this can be reversed. He is an honorary research fellow in accounting at the University of Liverpool, a member of A4S’s expert panel, GRI’s due process oversight committee and ICAEW’s non-financial assurance committee. Until the end of 2024 he was working with the UNDP on the SDG Impact Standards and ISO53001 on SDG Management.
He originally qualified as a chartered accountant, became involved in social enterprise, sustainability and regeneration, and was one of the founders and then CEO of SVI.
Yu-Shan Chiu
Yu-Shan Chiu is the Director of Consulting at The Social Investment Consultancy, supporting clients on impact management, impact investing and business and growth strategies. She has worked with many actors in the philanthropy and social/impact investment field, such as Pathway Fund, Impact Investing Institute, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Access - The Foundation for Social Investment. She has supported investors in identifying strategies and developing financing models with an equity lens, as well as evaluating the impact of their work. She is also involved in sector-wide movements, such as supporting Equality Impact Investing Project with the development of its digital resources to spread the knowledge of equality impact investing. Her work focuses on systemic equity, racial justice, and community development.
Umar Moghul
Umar Moghul brings 25 years’ experience designing faith-based and responsible investment platforms. He specialises in inclusive, socially responsible structures across private equity, real estate, venture capital, and more, with recent work on Zakat-eligible projects and waqf endowments. He also teaches Islamic finance, business ethics, and investment as adjunct faculty.
Amir Khayat
ACA qualified, finance executive at former FTSE100, private equity backed and SME companies since training with KPMG. Expertise spans M&A, compliance, reporting and taxation.
Sulaiman Moolla
Sulaiman is an investment banker with over twenty years of experience in Financial & Capital Markets, and Asset Management. Before joining Cur8, he headed Dukhan Bank’s Capital Markets, Sales & Structuring businesses. Sulaiman started his career working for HSBC’s Islamic Finance team and where he structured several first to market transactions. He has a bachelor’s degree in physics and an MA in Islamic Finance.
Tickets
All ticket sales go directly towards covering venue and catering costs. If you would like to attend but require financial assistance, please feel free to get in touch.
Wellbeing & Accessibility
The venue space is on the ground floor and provides accessible pathways for wheelchair users. Attendees will also have access to a separate prayer room and a quiet space for wellbeing. If you do have any additional needs, please let us know via the registration form.
Partner With Us
We welcome aligned sponsors, partners and collaborators who believe in unlocking Islamic finance for ethical, social, and environmental good. Join us in shaping a more just and impactful financial future.
To express interest or receive the full partner pack, contact:
Sheeza Shah | [email protected]
Dr. Tanvir Ahmed Uddin | [email protected]