Reimagining Impact: Steven Rogers on Why Family Offices Should Be Building Impact Startups, Not Just Investing in Them
29 Apr, 2025
This article is part of a series where we speak with experts and corporate entrepreneurs about the circular economy to share insights from multiple perspectives. Opinions expressed are not necessarily our own, but we aim to foster debate and collaboration by showcasing the work of those leading exciting projects in this space.
Steven Rogers
Steven Rogers is no stranger to the world of startups, philanthropy, and impact investing. With a background in consulting and nonprofit work in the U.S., he has experience working across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, with corporations, angel investors, family offices, and institutional funds. As a Venture Partner at Net Positive Labs, he helps build purpose-driven companies that are designed to solve societal and environmental challenges. In this conversation, Steven walks us through the unique opportunity venture building presents for family offices—and why more of them should be considering it.
To visit Steven’s LinkedIn profile, click here.
The Untapped Opportunity for Family Offices
"When investing for impact, many families think their only options are donations, grants, or finding existing startups to invest in," Steven says. "But few realize they can actually build a venture from scratch, tailored to their specific goals, geography, and desired impact."
Family offices and HNWIs (High Net-Worth Individuals) have long played a role in the impact investing space, typically through charitable giving, grants, or investments into funds and existing startups. But these approaches are often passive. They screen for companies that align with their mission, rather than shaping one entirely.
"Venture building changes the equation," Steven explains. "You don’t have to wait for the perfect impact startup to appear. You can create it."
He shares the story of an impact-focused family office that had been exploring waste reduction and circular economy solutions in Saudi Arabia. "They knew the problem they wanted to solve and had some initial ideas for how to do it. There were not really any solutions locally available, so they decided to partner with us to build one. And now they own a scalable venture, aligned to their specific goals and rooted in their local community."
Why Family Offices Are Uniquely Positioned to Build Ventures
According to Steven, family offices are often better suited for venture building than traditional VCs or institutional investors. "These families have a built-in unfair advantage: industry knowledge, customer relationships, community insights. That’s gold in venture building."
Many family offices come from operating businesses and remain deeply connected to a sector. That proximity allows them to spot problems and opportunities that others miss—and bring credibility, distribution channels, or operational insights that accelerate early-stage ventures.
"They can see things no outsider can see," Steven says. "They know the gaps, they know the people, they know the regulatory quirks. That makes their involvement not just financial, but strategic."
He shares his experience building the circular economy venture in Saudi Arabia with a consortium of 13 family offices. Some brought capital, others offered expertise or access to supply chains. "We were solving a local problem—furniture waste—in a way that matched their sustainability goals and the local market constraints, which they helped us understand. It started hyperlocal, but it's built to scale. And by partnering as a consortium, they reduced their individual costs and were able to bring in diverse perspectives and experts for support and guidance."
From Idea to Execution: A De-Risked Process
"Startups are risky. We know that. But venture building de-risks them by design," Steven says. Net Positive Labs uses a process that includes rapid validation and structured testing, led by experienced operators.
The investors are welcome to participate, but they don’t need to be hands-on. "They’re involved more than they would be in a passive fund, but it’s not full-time. Think of it as a steering committee role: sharing context and guidance, offering advice, opening doors. We do the rest."
The model is also financially flexible. Family offices can co-invest with others through a consortium structure, reducing their individual exposure. They can also blend different capital types—grants, concessional finance, and commercial capital—with local partners to further reduce their risk and upfront investment.
"The goal isn’t just to build another startup. It’s to build the right startup—with the right capital stack and governance structure to match their unique goals and local regulations," Steven says. “This might be a for-profit, non-profit, or something in between.”
Steven and an agriculture entrepreneur in Kenya
Global Conversations, Local Resonance
Having pitched this model globally, Steven has seen how different markets react. "Whether in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, or LatAm, it’s essential that the investor or family office understand the unique speed, challenges, and scalable opportunities that come with building a startup. For those already involved with early stage companies, it makes sense.”
That’s where education comes in. "Most people I speak to are surprised this model even exists. Once they understand it, the lights go on. They realize they don’t have to wait for the right solution to appear. They can build it.”
He also sees a generational shift underway. "With the remarkable transfer of wealth taking place, younger family members are looking to do more than just preserve it. They want to make a positive impact, and they are excited by innovation. This model speaks to them."
What’s Next
Asked what excites him most, Steven doesn’t hesitate. "I think of all the conversations I’ve had with investors who care deeply about social or environmental issues. They want to help. They have capital. And they’re looking for the most effective way to use it to create positive change."
"If I had the capital myself," he adds, "this is exactly what I’d be doing to address multiple important issues I’m passionate about. I’m speaking now with some other angel investors about potentially collaborating to build a venture focused on financial access and financial education."
Net Positive Labs is currently looking for more partners to build with. "We’re not pitching just another investment product. We’re offering families the chance to build a custom solution and shape the future they want to see."
Curious about venture building as a family office or investor? Get in touch with the Net Positive Labs team to explore how this model could work for you.
