Our History
The combined firm brings together a formidable base of knowledge, investment track record, conviction, relationships, passion and vision.

Encourage Capital, LLC was formed in December 2014 through the combination of Wolfensohn Fund Management, LP and EKO Asset Management Partners, LLC.

Together these firms represent a formidable base of knowledge, investment track record, conviction, relationships, passion and vision that is scaling up impact investing to deploy private capital to address some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our time.

Wolfensohn Fund Management, LP is an impact focused, emerging markets oriented private equity firm founded in 2007 by former World Bank President James Wolfensohn. From the days of James D. Wolfensohn Inc., through Mr. Wolfensohn’s 10 years running the World Bank, through the current work of WFM, Wolfensohn as a brand has stood for excellence at the cross section of investing, philanthropy, sustainability and economic development. WFM continues to manage the fully-invested $250M Wolfensohn Capital Partners, a private equity fund that invested in a range of businesses located throughout the developing world, including banking institutions, stock exchanges, asset managers, microfinance and other businesses providing inclusive financial services.

EKO Asset Management Partners, LLC, founded in 2007, is a specialized investment management and advisory firm focused on environmental markets and ecosystem services. EKO’s leadership as a “go-to” firm for innovative investment opportunities at the intersection of the environment and capital markets was validated by its innovative advisory relationships focused on developing investment solutions to challenging environmental problems, its investment track record, and its transactional success. EKO’s clients and partners across carbon, water, sustainable fisheries and green infrastructure included Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Oceana, Rare, The Nature Conservancy and its NatureVest unit, CH2M Hill, Renewable Resources Group, BP and Armonia. EKO continues to manage the EKO Green Carbon and EKO Green Carbon Parallel Funds, which invest in the development of carbon offsets, primarily from land-based carbon sequestration projects in the U.S.