As we walk this impact investment path with one another, we hope you know how deeply committed we are to be good stewards of the dollars you invest in CoPeace. We're grateful for your partnership. We've pledged transparency with our team, and we want to share with you some of the ways your funds are making a positive impact on our holdings.
Uncharted Power (UP)
One of our most significant investments to date has been in Uncharted Power, a power infrastructure company led by Harvard-educated, CEO powerhouse Jessica O. Matthews. Named one of Fortune’s Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs, Matthews’ goal is to make energy accessible to all. In recent months, the power grid's fragility — as has been tested during the pandemic — has never been more palpable. (We virtually spoke with Matthews from her home in Harlem in April during a Coffee with CoPeace chat, and she explained that the city had been experiencing countless bouts of blackouts due to stay-at-home orders and city power challenges as a result of COVID-19.)
When she started Uncharted Power, Matthews recognized the need to update today’s century-old power infrastructure to better support today’s energy demands and tomorrow’s innovations. Rather than sit on the sidelines and hope someone else would make it happen — she took action.
How does UP operate?
UP is an excellent fit for CoPeace; it is a solution for smart and sustainable infrastructure development. UP tracks social and environmental performance using research and analysis. They assess each project they work on using the following metrics:
- Energy Assessment: measures historical energy usage at the project site.
- Community Assessment: tracks community characteristics, preferences, and information gathered in the user research and/or stakeholder analyses. This is compiled as a report and sent back to the partner to ensure alignment.
- Environmental Assessment: quantifies the project's carbon reduction as compared to the client site pre-microgrid.
- Energy Reduction Plan: provides tips to the client to reduce the carbon footprint on the project site. This is created upon energy assessment completion.
Additionally, UP works with communities and prides itself on using a collaborative approach to project management → enter: CoPeace.
CoPeace involvement in UP
As investors and as partners of the impact-driven company, we’ve provided both capital and consulting for UP’s leadership. Matthews explains the positive impact of partnering with CoPeace:
“It is an honor to have CoPeace as a part of the Uncharted Power community. The CoPeace team members have provided guidance that has been invaluable to our growth. Knowing how deeply their values in solving environmental and social issues align with ours makes working with them all the more powerful.”
Our team at CoPeace continues to support UP as consultants, guides, and leaders committed to furthering UP’s mission: Universal access to clean, resilient, and affordable power.
Thank you for your support — together, we’re creating a measurable positive social and environmental impact.