Adam Connaker joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2014. As a Principal, Mr. Connaker manages relationships with current and prospective grantees throughout the grantmaking and investment processes, coordinates Foundation work with partners, and conducts research in support of strategic development and execution of Foundation initiatives. His work supports the Foundation’s innovative finance portfolio, specifically focusing on how innovative finance can be harnessed to mobilize private capital for social and environmental outcomes.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Connaker worked as a private equity analyst for Wayzata Investment Partners covering a broad range of industries, but dedicating a significant portion of those efforts to energy investments. Mr. Connaker received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Minnesota and his master’s degree in global affairs, with a focus on international development and humanitarian assistance, from New York University.
Authored Content
Jun 29 2017 Blog Post Democratizing Finance for the Sustainable Development Goals When the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 they opened an enormous challenge: the estimated cost for achieving them is $5-7 trillion per year. In response to this predicament, the United Nations called on a powerful private sector tool to step up to ensure that the full 17 goals can be implemented: That […]
Apr 18 2017 Blog Post Environmental Stewardship through Innovative Finance, From Forest to Coast When Earth Day launched 47 years ago, its founder Gaylord Nelson had an ambitious vision of building a new relationship between society and nature based on respect and stewardship. Even in the midst of the Vietnam and Cold Wars, he framed the battle for respect of the environment as a tougher challenge than any other […]
Oct 15 2015 Blog Post Fighting Wildfire With Finance The western United States is fighting an increasingly high-stakes battle with wildfire. At this very moment, 10 wildfires are raging throughout the state of California. Ten firefighters have already died this year protecting our forests and thousands more are at risk every day as wildfire season becomes longer and more intense each year. Unfortunately, these […]