Holly Smith has worked around the world in fintech companies, incentivising impact investing grounded in grassroots activism and systems change. Now, she’s taken CFA UK’s Certificate in Impact Investing to combine her real-world experience with a formal, financial qualification. We spoke to Holly about how studying Impact has given her the power to drive change forward, faster.

There is a misconception that impact investing is only essential for a handful of investors to learn. To achieve far-reaching impact, it requires finance professionals in all areas to understand and appreciate what it is, how it works, and what it can do to drive positive economic outcomes.

But impact investing is not just about changing our economy – it’s about changing perceptions. Before she entered the industry, Holly Smith was somebody who didn’t view finance as being able to incentivise change; far from it, in fact.

“I used to think money was the root of all evil”, she told us. Holly was studying psychology at university, and at that time she thought “only selfish people knew about finance or the economy.” But she recalls a moment when she truly realised the power finance had to incentivise change – by seeing what it was preserving.

“I discovered that my bank was Europe’s leading funder of fossil fuels. That moment shifted everything. I realised that where I keep my money matters - that my bank account, savings, and everyday financial choices could become powerful tools for climate action and social change.”

From that moment, Holly was sure that she wanted to deliver that change – and to use finance to help her drive it. Holly took her first full-time job with an impact fintech, and she’s now worked for four years in the US, UK, Australia and Singapore democratising impact capital, discovering how impact investing can lead to genuine systems change. Now, far from the root of all evil, she thinks “Finance is the biggest tool in my activist toolkit.”

With a wealth of practical experience, but without the traditional financial background of her peers, Holly wanted to consolidate what she’d learnt on the job with a formal qualification. When she learnt about CFA UK’s Certificate in Impact Investing, she found a course she claims, “makes my heart sing”. 

The Certificate in Impact Investing is designed specifically for investment professionals to understand how to integrate key impact investing skills and frameworks into their role. And, for Holly, it not only gave her new tools, but helped her sharpen the skills she’d already gained in the field. “I care deeply about many social and environmental issues, and it allows me to contribute to all of them through intentional financing of tangible impact. The Certificate was the perfect way to formalise that passion.”

Studying Impact, Holly told us, was the bridge between her experience in the real world and the financial world. “My experience came from field work, activism, and startups,” Holly stated. “The certificate helped me bridge the real world with financial frameworks and terminology so I could speak the same language and back up my insights with structure.”

The Certificate now under her belt, Holly has advanced her career further with both the skills and the knowledge to integrate impact across the full investment chain. And she’s putting that skillset into practice; Holly’s using Impact to now achieve her biggest goal yet - working to grow the impact investing community from the grassroots in Southeast Asia. “I want to grow the impact investing ecosystem [there]. Supporting local actors, knowledge sharing, and community-led capital decisions. The Certificate gave me new tools to connect people and perspectives more effectively”, she told us.

Holly’s story is proof of finance’s power – but also how important it is to direct that power to positive outcomes. CFA UK’s Certificate in Impact Investing is the first qualification of its kind to give investment professionals the tools to deliver impact in their role, wherever they are in their career, and go further in driving real change.

“Anyone serious about using capital to drive real change” should take the qualification in Holly’s eyes. “Especially those tired of buzzwords and pledges with no action. If you're in or near finance and want to move money with intention, this will give you the tools.”

If Holly’s story resonates with you – if you’ve ever questioned the role of finance in creating a better world, or felt that your passion for change didn’t align with traditional financial pathways – now is the time to act.

CFA UK’s Certificate in Impact Investing is more than a qualification. It’s a bridge between purpose and profession, between grassroots action and global systems. Whether you're an activist, an investment professional, or someone simply looking to move money with intention, this certificate equips you with the tools to turn values into value.