TWIST: Investing for Systems Change

What TWIST: Investing for Systems Change does

TWIST: Investing for Systems Change is a nonprofit global collective, conceived in 2020 by Charly Kleissner and Tharald Nustad and officially launched at Katapult Future Fest in May 2022. The organization operates as a Community of Practice convening investors, practitioners, and facilitators who are actively deploying capital or enabling processes for positive systems change. As of 2026, TWIST counts 123 members across six continents, with 48.1% classified as asset owners (family offices, HNIs, foundations, financial institutions) and 51.9% as enablers of systems change (academics, coalition leaders, asset managers, consultants, and network leaders). TWIST is fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, allowing it to operate without independent nonprofit incorporation.

TWIST's core offering is field-building rather than software. Its principal intellectual property is the Theory of Transformation (ToT), an evolving framework and interactive Flywheel visualization co-developed with ReImagined Futures, which maps six feedback loops for shifting capital toward regenerative systems. The organization maintains a portfolio of knowledge products including a foundational white paper, a podcast series featuring systems change practitioners, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative research publications (2024 and 2025), the CSP Global Investor's Guide to Systemic Investing, and a library of community-contributed case studies. A Members Area Knowledge Hub (app.wearetwist.org) provides authenticated access to community resources.

The organization does not disclose revenue or operate on a traditional pricing model; it is structured as a grant-funded nonprofit initiative under fiscal sponsorship. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on content marketing, podcast distribution, academic research publications, events, and social media to attract practitioners. Strategic partnerships with Katapult Foundation (co-founding), MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative (research), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (fiscal hosting), and ReImagined Futures (visualization) form the operational backbone. The team comprises five members led by Managing Director Alison Fort, with operations, community, and technical project management functions.

Name

TWIST: Investing for Systems Change

Legal name

TWIST: Investing for Systems Change

Website

https://twist.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TWIST is a nonprofit global collective that convenes a 123-member Community of Practice across six continents to advance investing for systems change. It produces frameworks, case studies, and research in partnership with MIT Sloan and is fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investing Community of Practice

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Systems change investing
• Impact investing collective
• Community of practice
• Regenerative finance
• Investor peer learning

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Membership and Engagement: TWIST operates as a global collective of investors, practitioners, and facilitators. As a nonprofit initiative fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the organization enables members to deploy capital and/or facilitate processes for positive systems change through community participation, case study contributions, and collaborative initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TWIST is a global collective and Community of Practice that convenes investors, practitioners, and facilitators to advance the field of investing for systems change. It offers a Theory of Transformation framework, a Members Area Knowledge Hub, case study documentation, a podcast, white papers, and peer learning opportunities for asset owners and enablers of systems change.

Product overview

TWIST (Together We Invest for Systems Transformation) is not a technology product company but rather a global collective and community of practice focused on investing for systems change. The organization's offerings consist of knowledge and convening resources: a podcast series featuring conversations with practitioners, foundational research publications including a white paper and MIT Sloan research on case studies, a theoretical framework (Theory of Transformation) for systems change investing, and a private Knowledge Hub for community members. TWIST also maintains a growing library of case studies contributed by its 123 member practitioners spanning six continents. The core offering is community-driven knowledge development rather than a software platform or product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theory of Transformation (ToT): TWIST's Theory of Transformation represents how TWIST contributes to shifting investing into a force for regenerative systems.

Products and services

• Members Area Knowledge Hub A private members area for TWIST community members providing access to shared knowledge, resources, case studies, and collaborative tools supporting systems change investing practice.
• TWIST Theory of Transformation Framework A conceptual framework and interactive flywheel roadmap for shifting capital toward systemic change, weaving together knowledge, community, and inner work to help build the field of systems change investing.
• Community Case Studies Library A collection of real-world case studies contributed by TWIST Community of Practice members, representing initiatives across six continents targeting various systems including food, education, economic, and global financial systems.
• TWIST White Paper A foundational document outlining TWIST's approach to investing for systems change, downloadable as a PDF from the website.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Katapult FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Co-founded TWIST and launched the initiative at Katapult Future Fest in May 2022. Alison Fort serves as Managing Director of both TWIST and Katapult Foundation, indicating a deeply integrated partnership in building the systems change investing field.
• MIT Sloan Sustainability InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTWIST developed its case study template in partnership with MIT Sloan. The initiative has been the subject of multiple academic research publications by MIT Sloan (2024 and 2025), documenting practice in systems change investing.
• ReImagined FuturessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with ReImagined Futures to develop the TWIST Ecosystem Kumu Map, visualizing the organizations that are part of the TWIST Ecosystem with links to their publicly available information.
• Rockefeller Philanthropy AdvisorscoreOthersTWIST is fiscally hosted by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), a nonprofit that provides administrative and operational support, allowing TWIST to focus on its mission of building the systems change investing field.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ImpactAlpha: News and media organization covering the impact investing ecosystem. Serves a comparable audience of impact investors and enablers, though through journalism and news distribution rather than community convening.
• Katapult Foundation: Impact accelerator focused on impact investing and exponential technologies. Co-founded TWIST alongside current Managing Director Alison Fort. Operates in an adjacent impact investing ecosystem but with a different focus on technology investments rather than community building.

Direct peers

• Toniic: Global community of impact investors offering peer learning and action-oriented programs. Co-founded by TWIST co-initiator Charly Kleissner, Toniic serves a highly comparable audience of asset owners deploying capital for impact and operates a similar member-driven model.
• SOCAP (Social Capital Markets): Convenes impact investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders through events and content to accelerate the impact economy. Directly comparable as a community-convening organization serving the same investor and enabler audience.
• RSF Social Finance: Impact-focused financial services organization offering lending, investing, and philanthropic services with emphasis on regenerative and social enterprise. Comparable focus on values-aligned, transformative investing and similar audience of values-driven capital providers.
• The Good Investors: Community of practice for impact investors co-founded by TWIST steering committee member Richard Azarnia. Operates a similar member-driven model focused on impact investing collaboration and learning, making it a directly comparable community peer.
• Impact Hub: Global network of incubators and innovation spaces supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs. Comparable as a global community platform focused on positive social and environmental outcomes across multiple geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): Largest global membership organization dedicated to scaling impact investing. Comparable as a broad industry body serving investors, but operates at significantly larger scale and with a broader mandate than TWIST.
• Better Society Capital: UK's largest social impact investor, with TWIST steering committee member Philipp Essl serving as Managing Director, Head of Impact. Comparable in the impact investing space but with a much larger capital base and direct investment focus.

Emerging players

• Materra Capital: Emerging impact investment firm founded by TWIST steering committee member Nicolas Michaelsen. Operates in systems-level investing space with comparable audience but focuses on direct capital deployment rather than community convening.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wearetwist
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearetwist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twist-investing-for-systems-change

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TWIST: Investing for Systems Change