As humanitarian aid agencies buckle under the collapse of financial support, should the private sector step in to invest in refugees and integrate them into the economy?
Christine Mahoney and John Kluge Jr., researchers and co-authors the Summer 2026 SSIR cover story, “Building the Refugee Economy,” argue that investing in refugee-led enterprises can be a strong source of economic and social gain for all.
Join SSIR’s deputy editor David Johnson for a live conversation with Christine and John. They’ll discuss their research with refugee entrepreneurs, models for success, and how impact investors can use their capital to help millions of refugees.
About the Speakers
Christine Mahoney is chief innovation officer and a professor of public policy and politics at the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and a leading scholar-practitioner in social entrepreneurship and impact investing. She founded Social Entrepreneurship at UVA and has raised more than $40 million to advance research, teaching, and community impact programs. She directs the Tadler Program on Impact Investing in Appalachia and chairs the Local Impact Investing Fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.
John Kluge Jr. is a social entrepreneur and impact investor working at the intersection of refugee economic inclusion and regenerative enterprise. He founded the Refugee Investment Network (RIN), which mobilizes private capital to support refugee entrepreneurs and host communities worldwide. John is co-founder & CEO of Thistlerock Mead Company and serves on the boards of the Montpelier Foundation, Norwegian Refugee Council USA, and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum.
Christine Mahoney and John Kluge Jr are co-authors of the upcoming book, Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone.
