About the
Impact Evaluation Lab

Built by Investors. Supported by Fund Managers. Trusted by Allocators.

The Impact Evaluation Lab (IEL) brings capital markets discipline to impact investing.

Who we are

As the impact investing sector grows, asset owners, advisors, and allocators are demanding greater clarity, accountability, and rigor. The field continues to seek credible, consistent, and financially relevant standards—tools that mainstream investors expect from any investment strategy. IEL fills this gap.

We created the Impact Authenticity Score (IAS) and the Impact Navigator to verify the authenticity and effectiveness of impact funds and make high-integrity strategies easier to identify, evaluate, and support.

Our work is grounded in decades of experience across finance, entrepreneurship, and impact investing—and in the belief that scalable, systems-level change will only come when private capital is mobilized at scale with purpose and accountability.

Just as traditional capital markets evolve through standardization and shared language, impact investing must now mature into a trusted part of the financial mainstream. IEL accelerates that shift by equipping institutional investors with the tools they need to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities while advancing meaningful, measurable impact.

Why Now?

Impact investing stands at a critical inflection point.

Interest in impact investing is growing rapidly yet trust is not keeping pace. Confusion around terminology, vague claims, and lack of standards have created real headwinds—slowing momentum, eroding credibility, and stalling capital flows at a time when we need them most. Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape is shifting and creating investor uncertainty.

Amidst this dynamic, there is opportunity. Institutional investors, family offices, and forward-looking asset managers are stepping up to lead—filling the gap with private capital, long-term strategies, and a deep desire for measurable results.

This moment demands tools that bring discipline, transparency, and clarity. That’s where IEL comes in.

We believe the next wave of impact investing will succeed where ESG has faltered—not by chasing headlines or trends, but by delivering verifiable outcomes grounded in rigor and aligned with the expectations of global finance.

Impact investing can scale—but only if it earns trust. That’s the work ahead, and that’s why IEL exists.

What we’re here to do

Mission Statement
We help mission-aligned investors drive capital toward the greatest possible impact. Our work brings transparency, accountability, and clarity to the impact investing space.

Our Vision
A world where capital flows toward outcomes—not just intentions.

What we believe

We believe in capitalism – The world’s greatest challenges can only be solved by mobilizing private capital, invested at market rate, at scale. Philanthropy, catalytic capital, and the public sector are essential – but are not sufficient. For solutions that match the magnitude of our global needs, capitalism is the most effective framework and best way forward.

We believe in acting conscientiously – The work we do– and the investments and actions we support – must remain accountable to people, to the planet and to purpose.

We believe in good intentions, but that’s not enough – Doing good is a worthy aim, but it cannot stand alone nor is it sufficient to justify or drive an investment forward. Impact must be authentic, measurable, and verifiable. That is what drives progress– and earns trust.

We believe in rigor – The high standards governing financial performance must also govern impact performance. This is fundamental to IEL’s mission and the reason we built the Impact Authenticity Score and the Impact Navigator– to bring the language, discipline, and transparency of capital markets into the world of impact.

We believe in standardization of expectations – Impact goals matter when clearly defined and consistently measured. Vague aspirations must give way to measurable outcomes. Unverified claims must become independently assessed.

Clarity, accountability, and transparency should be the rule, not the exception.

We believe that trust always has been and is the future of finance – We are at an inflection point. If impact investing is to mature and become a core part of the global capital markets, we must build systems that inspire confidence. For measurable impact and financial performance to go hand-in-hand, we need tools and standards that increase confidence and build trust, verify what’s real, challenge what’s not, and help this sector reach its full potential. This is IEL’s mission and what we endeavor to achieve.

Our Founders

Terrence Keeley

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
In addition to his work at IEL, Terry is the CEO of 1PointSix LLC, an advisory firm he founded to help institutional and high net worth investors optimize the amount of impact in their investment portfolios. He is the author of a new, widely acclaimed book on stakeholder capitalism and ESG investing, SUSTAINABLE: Moving Beyond ESG to Impact Investing, published by Columbia University Press. Following a 30-year career in finance at UBS and BlackRock, Terry was selected in 2021 as a Global Knowledge Broker by CIO Magazine. “He has been called upon by kings and priests during their times of trouble and walked them back to health,” CIO Magazine wrote in their award announcement. “Keeley is a devoted man with extraordinary skills, great wisdom, unique passion, and incredible breadth.”
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Robert Brown

CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER
In addition to his work at IEL, Rob is a Senior Fellow at the Sorenson Impact Institute at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and an editor at ImpactAlpha. Previously, Rob was the Senior Partner at Atlas Impact Partners, an investment firm he founded to pursue a mandate strictly focused on high impact investments solving the world’s most challenging problems. For more than three decades, he has been an Economist, Research Director and Portfolio Manager on Wall Street. Rob was Head of Research at JUST Capital, Senior Portfolio Manager for AllianceBernstein Equity Strategies, and Managing Director and Head of Equity Research for Nomura Securities International. Earlier, he worked at Morgan Stanley in various global senior leadership roles where he was last responsible for the Global Macro Research team. Rob is a global thought leader on matters of impact measurement, metrics and data standards; lectures at Columbia University Business School and writes for Impact Alpha.
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Maren Keeley

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
A repeat founder with deep expertise in operations, strategy, finance, and organizational leadership, Maren brings a future-focused lens to building systems that work—for people, planet, and business. In addition to her work with IEL, she is the founder of Handprint.io, a values-based hiring platform that connects people to career opportunities at impact companies using the science of engagement.
Previously, Maren co-founded Conscious Company Media, where she and her team elevated stories of business as a force for good through a nationally distributed print magazine, digital media, podcasts, webinars, and events (exit in 2018). She served on the board of the American Sustainable Business Network (formerly Social Venture Circle) from 2017 to 2020, and her graduate research at B Lab US focused on certification adoption and engagement. Her work is grounded in a belief that business—and capital—can be powerful tools for reshaping systems, building wealth more equitably, and addressing the world’s most urgent challenges.
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