Phyllis is a renowned expert in social finance with extensive global experience. As Principal and Chief Social Investment Officer at Advanced Portfolio Management’s Social Investment Solutions division, she leads the development of a Social Index and associated funds targeting companies excelling in both social impact and financial performance.

Previously, Phyllis served as Global Head of Social Impact and CEO of UBS Optimus Foundation for 11 years. Under her leadership, the foundation’s annual giving grew from $10 million to over $200 million, and her department evolved from a cost center to a profit center. She and her team pioneered innovative financing models, launching the first Development Impact Bond in India with Educate Girls, the first Social Success Note in Uganda with Yunus Social Business and Rockefeller Foundation and a blended finance investment product called the SDG Outcomes Fund.

Additional Career Highlights

• Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): Executive Director and Board Member for 9 years
• Manhattan Representative to Governor Mario Cuomo (NYS)

Current Roles and Affiliations

• Board Chair: Educate Girls USA (India)
• Member: Council on Foreign Relations
• Senior Advisor: Education Outcomes Fund for Africa and the Middle East
• Sorenson Global Impact Leader

Phyllis holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and spent 15 years of her career living and working in Austria, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Relevant Links:

• Charity: the bumpy road paved with good intentions | Phyllis Costanza | TEDxHamburg
• Phyllis Kurlander Costanza | LinkedIn