ESG OUT LOUD U.S.: Recent Episodes
InvestmentNews
Podcast by ESG Clarity bringing you the latest news and views from inside and outside the ESG investment industry.
The U.S. president of the firm, who's retiring after this year, tells Investing IN Change where sustainable investing is headed and what’s going on with the political divide on a seemingly apolitical subject. Plus, Paul and Emile get into the details of the first lawsuit over ESG use in a 401(k) plan.
Related Article: Impax North America president Keefe to retire
Guest Bio:
Joe Keefe is president of Impax Asset Management. Based in the Portsmouth office, he is responsible for distribution of Impax’s full capabilities across North America.
Kiley Miller, principal director of sustainable investing at Envestnet, joins the podcast to talk about how the firm works with advisors on sustainability and ESG. A couple of case studies — on the heavy rail industry and water use in the IT supply chain — show how important ESG considerations can be.
Plus, Paul and Emile talk about the fallout from Bud Light’s now infamous marketing partnership with a trans influencer and the reaction to a column on that topic.
Related article: https://www.investmentnews.com/the-bud-light-case-for-esg-236936
Guest Bio:
Kiley Miller leads Sustainable Investing at Envestnet. She is responsible for the strategic development of Envestnet’s sustainable investment offering, which includes the expansion of technology embedded into the Envestnet platform, as well as sustainable investment solutions, research and data, and providing education and guidance on how to incorporate sustainable investing into advisor practices. Prior to joining PMC in 2019, Kiley was a senior client advisor at Sustainalytics, an ESG research, ratings and analytics firm. There she supported U.S. asset managers to integrate ESG research into the investment process. Kiley also previously worked at the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment. Kiley holds an MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a BS in Environmental Sustainability with a double minor in Business and Environmental Economics & Law from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
April is Financial Wellness Month, and guest Jennifer Coombs, director of client success at Ethos ESG, talks about the role sustainable investing can play in financial education. Whether sustainability acts as a gateway to investing or is a topic being explored by seasoned investors, it’s an area that’s hard to avoid — and advisors and clients can only benefit from knowing more about it.
Paul and Emile also discuss the political climate and the demand seen for ESG-themed mutual funds and ETFs, sales of which fared better last year than sales of non-ESG funds.
Guest Bio:
Jennifer Coombs is the Director of Client Success for Ethos ESG, part of the ACA Global — ESG Data & Analytics team, deepening relationships with Ethos software users and helping financial advisors, asset managers and wealth managers build out competencies in ESG reporting and analysis. Prior to her current role, she was an associate professor at The College for Financial Planning for six years, and now serves as an adjunct professor for ESG programs. She is the creator, lead author and lead instructor for the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™) designation program, developed in partnership with US SIF, as the first professional financial education program in the United States exclusively devoted to sustainable investing.
Sustainable investment providers in some cases have had to rethink what types of holdings are acceptable — including controversial areas like oil and weapons. The energy crisis that resulted from the war has also put sustainable funds at a disadvantage, and many have underperformed the broader market.
Alyssa Stankiewicz, associate director of sustainability research at Morningstar, talks about how fund providers are adjusting to these conditions and how ESG is performing at a difficult time.
Plus, Paul and Emile discuss one of the latest developments in an anti-ESG push from Republicans — votes by Congress to undo the Department of Labor’s new rule governing the use of ESG in retirement plans.
Guest Bio:
Alyssa Stankiewicz is an associate director for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She leads environmental, social, and governance research in North America, spearheading efforts on the ESG Commitment Level and publishing reports on the sustainable funds landscape.
Before joining Morningstar in 2019, Stankiewicz completed her Master of Business Administration in sustainable innovation at the University of Vermont, where she and her teammates won the inaugural Total Impact Portfolio Challenge. She also holds bachelor's degrees in Spanish and linguistics from Earlham College.
Paul and Emile go over recent developments in the anti-ESG efforts coming from several states and Congress, including attempts to invalidate the Department of Labor’s new ESG rule for retirement plans.
Special guest Elysabeth Alfano, CEO and founder of VegTech Invest, discusses the environmental and health effects of animal industry. Alfano, whose firm’s Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF was recently third-party certified as being carbon neutral without the use of credits, talks about investment opportunities and the future of alternative protein sources.
Listen and subscribe to the ESG Clarity podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google.
Guest Bio:
Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO/CMO of VegTech™ Invest and the Founder of Plant Powered Consulting. She is a plant-based private and public investor and is considered one of the foremost thought leaders on the plant-based business sector, speaking internationally on the sector and trends.
Paul and Emile talk about themes to watch in 2023. Special guest Nell Minow, vice chair at ValueEdge Advisors, gives insight on corporate governance and the current state of ESG and the politics affecting it. Minow, who has a second career in film writing, talks about some of the similarities with governance, and she even has a few movie recommendations on the topic of ESG.
Guest Bio:
Nell Minow is Vice Chair of ValueEdge Advisors. She was Co-founder and Director of GMI Ratings from 2010 to 2014, and was Editor and Co-founder of its predecessor firm, The Corporate Library, from 2000 to 2010. Prior to co-founding The Corporate Library, Ms. Minow was a Principal of Lens, a $100 million investment firm that took positions in underperforming companies and used shareholder activism to increase their value. Her other professional experience includes serving as a Principal of Lens Investment Management, as President of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., and as an attorney at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Justice. Ms. Minow was named one of the 30 most influential investors of 2002 by Smart Money magazine and, in 2003, was dubbed “the queen of good corporate governance” by Business Week online. In 2007 she was named as one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance. In 2008 she was the sole recipient of the International Corporate Governance Network award for exceptional achievement in the field of corporate governance. She has authored over 200 articles and co-authored three books on corporate governance with Robert A.G. Monks, most recently the 5th edition of an MBA textbook titled Corporate Governance, published in 2011. Ms. Minow is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Chicago Law School.
ESG Out Loud US talks with the founder of a new retail trading app, Fennel, which incorporates ESG data. Company CEO Daniel Naim says that proxy voting, sustainability and shareholder engagement will pull more people into the investing world. Naim talks about how he made a major career trajectory change, leaving a physics PhD program to start the broker-dealer Fennel Financials as well as Fennel Markets, which includes the new trading app.
Emile and Paul also discuss the Department of Labor’s final rule for ESG in retirement plans, and they catch up with ESG Clarity’s own Natasha Turner about her coverage of COP27.
Leading up to COP27, Columbia University professor Bruce Usher talks about how the world has gotten to the climate crisis and why progress to address it has stalled. But the energy transition provides many opportunities, and there is reason to be hopeful. Usher talks about teaching about the intersection of climate and finance and the disproportionate impact that wealthier nations have in global warming. Also, InvestmentNews’ Jeff Benjamin talks with Emile about the ESG potential of direct indexing and expanding proxy voting to fund shareholders.
Guest Bio:
Bruce Usher is a Professor of Professional Practice and the Elizabeth B. Strickler '86 and Mark T. Gallogly '86 Faculty Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School. The Tamer Center educates leaders to use business knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, and management tools to address social and environmental challenges, and has grown into one of the largest centers at Columbia Business School. Professor Usher teaches on the intersection of finance, social and environmental issues, and is a recipient of the Singhvi Prize for Scholarship in the Classroom, the Lear Award, and the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
US SIF CEO Lisa Woll talks with ESG Out Loud, reflecting on her time at the organization and how sustainable investing has grown from virtually unheard of to a topic that has grown popular and is mocked by politicians and one comic strip. The intensity of the recent opposition to sustainable investing hints that it is successful and is seen as a threat to business as usual. New regulations being pushed by the Biden administration could help propel ESG even further, Woll says.
Also, Paul and Emile discuss the climate implications of crypto and how a recent change instituted by Ethereum could mean a more environmentally friendly future for digital assets.
Listen and subscribe to the ESG Clarity podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google.
Paul and Emile discuss BlackRock and the rest of the firms on Texas’ sustainable investing blacklist, and how ESG investing is yet another political issue polarizing our country. Then Emile speaks with Roos Wijker of Follow This, a grassroots organization and collective of shareholders. Roos talks about the group's efforts to push Big Oil companies to accelerate the energy transition by setting emission reduction targets aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Paul and Emile talk through recent ESG news, including the pushback the SEC has gotten from Republicans in Congress over its climate disclosure rule and how that fits into the larger trend of the anti-ESG movement. Then Emile talks with Dan Garrett, assistant professor of finance at Wharton School, about his research on the financial consequences of Texas’ anti-ESG legislation.
Related Article: Who’s afraid of ESG?
Guest Bio:
Daniel Garrett is an assistant professor of finance at the Wharton School researching issues in public finance, corporate and personal income taxation, and financial regulation. He is particularly interested in how public entities raise funds—primarily through issuing bonds or raising taxes—and how those mechanisms affect businesses, consumers, investors, and workers. He has recently published academic papers on international tax avoidance, responses to domestic corporate tax incentives, and the primary issuance market for municipal securities. Since the beginning of the Covid crisis, Dan has been co-organizing the Virtual Municipal Finance Workshop jointly with Pengjie Gao and Dermot Murphy. Dan is a graduate of Duke University with both an MA and PhD in Economics. He earned a BS in Economics at Ohio University in the Honors Tutorial College. Before pursuing graduate education, Dan worked as a tax analysis professional 1 in the Ohio Department of Taxation and as a research associate with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.
Emile and Paul talk about Emile's takeaways from the recent US SIF Forum held in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Emile interviews Ivy Jack, head of equity research at NorthStar Asset Management, about the role of racial justice and community investments in wealth management.
Guest Bio:
Ivy Jack is head of equity research for NorthStar Asset Management Inc., a Boston-based wealth management firm that specializes in socially responsible investing through shareholder engagement, impact investing, and selecting publicly traded securities via negative and positive screens.
Emile Hallez and Paul Curcio discuss the highlights of ESG Clarity’s latest sector report on health care. They’re joined by Carole Laible, CEO at Domini Impact Investments, who offers her insights on how Russia’s war in Ukraine is affecting ESG across different sectors.
Listen and subscribe to the ESG Clarity podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google.
Guest Bio:
Carole Laible, CEO of Domini Impact Investments, has over twenty years of impact investing experience. She is responsible for the overall research and mutual funds operations of Domini Impact Investments. She played a key role in the launch of the Domini Impact International Equity Fund, as well as the current investment strategy and sub-manager selection for the Domini Impact Bond Fund and the Domini Impact Equity Fund.
Join Emile Hallez and Paul Curcio as they break down the SEC’s proposal and what it means for companies' climate disclosures. Later, Emile Hallez connects with Green Century’s president, Leslie Samuelrich to talk Out Loud about emissions reporting and engaging with companies in a changing world of shareholder proposals.
Investors and advisers are more interested than ever in putting their money to work to better the planet and the people living here. While there's lots of talk about "making sure your money aligns with your values," there's very little talk about how to actually to do so. Where does one find the data on environmental impact, carbon emissions, social justice, diversity, community impact, biodiversity protection (or harm) and all the other critical ESG metrics when making an investing decision? What does that data look like? How should one weigh those metrics against basic financials? In short, how does one actually go about ESG investing?
As You Sow
YourStake.org
MSCI ESG Ratings
Related Article: SEC chief takes to Twitter to issue warning on greenwashing
Related Article: Industry plea to SEC: Too early for Scope 3 disclosures
Guest Bios
Max Mintz is a partner and financial planner at Common Interests, a holistic financial advisory firm specializing in sustainable, responsible and impactiInvesting. Common Interests is a Certified B Corp®, a designation the firm pursued to demonstrate verified commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and track their progress over time. In 2019, Max was honored as a 40 under 40 advisor by InvestmentNews, which he ascribes to the firm’s commitment democratizing access to both financial services and impact investing.
You can learn more about Max and his firm on their website: www.commoninterests.com
Jina Penn-Tracy is passionate about leaving this world a better place. Jina believes that comprehensive planning allows individuals, businesses, and nonprofits to make more ethically aligned and influential decisions regarding the spending and investing of their money.
A cancer diagnosis at age 19 led Jina to years of consumer activism around issues of chemical contamination in our environment and especially the food system. After co-founding a rapidly growing import company in the 1990s, Jina shifted careers in 2004 to become the type of financial advisor she wished she could find; an advisor focused on utilizing the power and influence of money to make positive changes in the world.
In 2019, early life trauma led her to found the nonprofit Children’s Theatre Alumni Survivors Fund (CTA Wellness). Jina is the president of the Board of CTA Wellness. Since 2014, Jina has volunteered with the Carbon Divestment Coalition in Minnesota, committed to seeing the Minnesota state pension funds divested from the top 200 carbon-holding companies.
Larry Fink’s annual letter to CEOs this year caused a stir with his assertion that while BlackRock partakes in sustainability and social justice work, it is neither an environmentalist nor is it "woke." This episode focuses on intention vs. action in the ESG movement and whether it's important to be an idealist to successfully execute these practices. Rachel Robasciotti, founder and CEO of Adasina Social Capital, joins Steve to discuss these points and more. Do you have to be woke to invest in ESG?
LARRY FINK'S 2022 LETTER TO CEOS
Investors for Livable Wages
Adasina’s Racial Justice Impact Dataset
Social Justice Partners on Adasina Website
Adasina Newsletter Sign-Up or text JUSTICE to 55-444
Related Article: BlackRock navigates a divided America
Related Article: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says stakeholder capitalism is not ‘woke’
Guest Bio:
Rachel J. Robasciotti grew up poor, raised by a single Black mother who struggled for financial security in a rural town that was still largely segregated. She graduated from high school at age 15 and ultimately attended the University of California, Berkeley where she studied economics. After working at large financial firms, learning what they do well and what she wanted to do differently, in 2004 at the age of 25, she founded Robasciotti & Philipson – a firm dedicated to transforming wealth into a tool that supports the well-being of people and the planet. In 2018, Rachel launched the firm’s Social Justice Investing strategy which would become Adasina Social Capital. This strategy has positioned her as a leader in the financial industry for integrating issues of racial, gender, economic, and climate justice into investment portfolios.
Often referred to as a distant problem, one that can be solved at a later date with an incredible, yet-to be-invented technology, climate change is here, we caused it, and it’s bad. Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, author of the powerful book "Under the Sky We Make," breaks down the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change and discusses with Steve the extreme urgency of the situation. They go into detail on the surprising power of individuals to affect change, and the need for the global wealthy (hint, that’s not just billionaires they’re talking about) to take responsibility for their carbon output right away. What role do financial advisers play in all this? A lot, it turns out.
Under The Sky We Make — Kim’s book on Bookshop.org
We Can Fix It — Kim’s Substack newsletter
Normative.io — Carbon accounting engine
ClimateNow — A multimedia platform explaining the key scientific ideas, technologies and policies relevant to the global climate crisis.
The Zeroist — a finance newsletter for the net-zero revolution
Related Article: DOL seeks public input on protecting retirement savings from climate risks
Guest Bio:
Prof. Kimberly Nicholas is a sustainability scientist at Lund University in Sweden. She has published over 55 articles on climate and sustainability in leading peer-reviewed journals; writes for publications such as Elle, The Guardian, Scientific American, and New Scientist; and is the author of UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE: How to be Human in a Warming World, and the monthly climate newsletter We Can Fix It. She gives lectures and moderates at about 75 international meetings and organizations each year across public policy, civil society, arts and culture, the wine industry, foundations, and academia. Her work has been featured by outlets including the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, Vox, and USA Today. Born and raised on her family’s vineyard in Sonoma, California, she studied the effect of climate change on the California wine industry for her PhD in the Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- The what and why of the 2022 Deloitte CxO sustainability report.
- Jennifer's key takeaways.
- Why we are seeing the sudden and significant increases in exec awareness of the need for climate action.
- Needle-moving actions.
- The importance of education.
- How to treat climate metrics.
- Are we finally witnessing a fundamental shift in thinking?
2022 Deloitte CxO Sustainability Report
Related Article: NY’s pension drops 21 holdings in sustainability review
Related Article: Carlyle pledges net zero by 2050
Guest Bio:
Jennifer is the Deloitte Global Climate & Sustainability marketplace leader, providing cross-business leadership for this societal imperative. She works with clients across our global business to make an impact that matters and drive critical changes in some of the most important challenges organizations face today and in the future.
She is a member of Deloitte’s senior leadership team and for more than 25 years has held various leadership positions at Deloitte including Chief Commercial Officer for Salesforce, Chief Talent Officer and Deputy CEO of the Deloitte US firms. From 2015-2019, Jennifer was Deloitte’s Chief Transformation Officer, leading Strategy, Innovation, and Technology for the Deloitte US firms. Jennifer teamed with Deloitte’s businesses to set the organization’s strategic direction, address strategic issues and opportunities facing Deloitte, and evaluate changes in the business and competitive environment.
Jennifer is passionate about diversity, inclusion and improving the communities in which we serve. She has been involved with programs like Salesforce Pathfinder, World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform and sits on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. She holds a BA from Colgate University and an MBA from the Columbia School of Business.
Contact Host:
Twitter: @slimslamb
Instagram: @thelambco
Email: podcasts@investmentnews.com
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- ESG regulatory update from Washington, D.C.
- Danielle's personal journey from bank teller to VP at an impact company.
- What CNote is and how it works.
- Working at awomen-founded and -led organization.
- The importance of investing in communities and BIPOC women business owners.
- Why Danielle believes focusing on helping individual people, one at a time, is the key.
Cnote.com
Black Led CDFIs
CDFI locator
Impact Assets Top 50 Managers 2021
Related Video: Make DEI a mandate, not a check box in financial services industry
Related Article: 2020 Innovators: Catherine Berman
Related Article: Expect a flurry of new ESG rules
Guest Bio: Danielle M. Burns MBA, AIF is vice president, head of business development for CNote. Prior to joining CNote, Danielle worked for First Affirmative Financial Network in a variety of business development roles from 2004 to 2019 most recently serving as vice president of sales and marketing, where she worked with a highly collaborative team that was responsible for the growth and profitability of the firm’s distribution channels. Danielle participated in all aspects of the sales and marketing process, attended and spoke at industry events and educated advisors on how to navigate the sustainable, responsible, impact (SRI) investing and ESG landscape. Her background emphasizes business strategy and consulting and executing integrated campaigns, marketing communications, product launch and system development.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Dasarte’s Liberian lineage.
- Emlen’s path to becoming an adviser.
- Challenges that underrepresented advisers face.
- What Onyx will do for member advisers.
- Why no one should fear diversity.
- The future of Onyx.
Video Interview: https://www.investmentnews.com/video/215989
Onyx Adviser Network
Young Money Podcast
Minority Money Podcast
Related Article: Revisiting King’s last speech
Related Article: Group creates certification for financial conference diversity
Guest Bios:
Dasarte Yarnway is the founder and managing director of Berknell Financial Group, an innovative independent wealth management firm focused on helping founders and professionals in tech design their best lives.
Emlen Miles-Mattingly is the CEO and founder of Gen Next Wealth. He spends much of his waking day striving to bring more value to the table for his clients, with the goal of helping them align their money with their values. Ultimately working with clients to make a lifetime of smart decisions with their resources.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, he decided to leave the large corporations and start his own independent firm. It is his passion to keep the clients best interest in mind when making recommendations. Everyday Emlen wakes up knowing he has an opportunity to learn something new and is excited to share what he has discovered with people in need of it. He has a bachelor’s in business administration and is currently enrolled in coursework to obtain the certified financial planner designation.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
-The current state of women advisers
-The a-ha moments for Haleh and Kacie and why they became ESG advisers
-How utilizing ESG has helped them succeed
-How ESG practices can keep women in the advisory space throughout their careers
-The power of values-based client relationships that are at the heart of sustainable investing, and why that is opportunity for women advisers
-Outlooks for sustainable investing in 2022
ESG study shared with SEC reveals fund labels are often useless
Guest Bios:
Haleh (pronounced Holly) Moddasser is the senior vice president and lead advisor of our Chapel Hill office, where she works with clients of all ages and in all stages of life. Haleh also leads Stearns women’s advisory practice where she focuses on issues surrounding women and finance, as well as ESG investing as a tool for creating social change. She is the author of two books; Women On Top: Women, Wealth & Social Change and Gray Divorce, Silver Linings: A Woman’s Guide to Divorce After 50 (Stearns Financial Group Field Guide Series Book 1). Haleh speaks at local and national events and serves as a media resource on a wide range of financial topics. Prior to joining SFG in 2011, Haleh used her CPA credential at Price Waterhouse Coopers and in a treasury and finance role at a public company.
Kacie Swartz has been helping individuals and families pursue financial independence as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner since 2012. Kacie is an advocate of socially responsible investing and is a frequent public speaker promoting general financial literacy and educating investors about sustainable investing. Her background in investment education makes her a good fit for clients broadening their knowledge of financial planning and investments and helping people through major life changes like ending a marriage or losing a spouse.
Kacie’s interest in Environmental, Social & Governance funds (ESG) started as an extension of her personal commitment to living a more sustainable lifestyle. Kacie turned her years of experience constructing advance portfolios as a Certified Investment Management Analyst® to researching ESG fund options. She found clients were also drawn to the topic and has helped countless people better understand how their dollars are invested and how best to align their values with those investments. Kacie has spoken to local groups, including the Austin Women's Investing Group, about the fundamentals of ESG investing and how to get started. Kacie also recently spoke to other advisors about ESG investing as a panelist at the Investment News Women Adviser Summit in New York City.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Overview of Nuveen's sixth annual responsible investor survey.
- Investor trends in 2021.
- How the climate disasters of 2021 played a role in investment decisions.
- Investors' rising concern about social risk and DEI.
- Measuring social risk and DEI.
- Clients desire for advisers to educate on ESG issues.
- Advisers' ESG experience can affect trust and loyalty.
- ESG in 401(k) plans.
- 2022 outlook.
Get your copy of the survey here
Expect a flurry of new ESG rules
ESG investing is about to get a lot easier
Guest Bio:
Amy leads a 20+ member team and is responsible for creating a holistic RI vision and unified framework across Nuveen and TIAA, partnering with internal stakeholders on implementation in day-to-day business activities. The framework establishes the firm’s overall RI philosophy as well as guidelines for incorporating RI disciplines in investment decisions and new product development.
Throughout her 25-year career in RI, she has worked on a wide range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and impact investing initiatives across TIAA. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, she served as director of corporate social responsibility at the Pension Boards - United Church of Christ. Previously, she was research manager at the Council on Economic Priorities.
Amy has served on the Boards of the Social Investment Forum (SIF), the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute for Corporate Responsibility (IRRCi) and the Steering Committee of the Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings (GISR). In 2018, she was identified by Barron’s as one of the most influential people in ESG investing.
Amy graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Boston College and an M.S. in Environmental Management and Policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- COP26 being the first COP to materially include the private sector — and why that matters.
- GFANZ.
- Addressing the fear of banks leading the charge against climate change.
- The importance of focusing on small victories along the arc to net-zero.
- Climate change is now a boardroom-level, top-3 issue, regardless of industry.
- Carbon markets.
- Invest or divest to decarbonize?
Read: The Glasgow Climate Pact
Related Article: How BlackRock made ESG the hottest ticket on Wall Street
Related Article: What are carbon offsets? ‘Crazy’ market needs regulation
Related Video: Slaughterhouse worker’s haunting story is food for thought
Dickon Pinner is based in McKinsey’s San Francisco office where he co-founded and leads McKinsey’s global work in clean technologies and serves as the global leader of the firm’s Sustainability Practice. Dickon helps companies address the resource-productivity challenges the world will face in terms of energy sources, transportation, food, land, water, and basic materials. He serves investors (venture capital, private equity, pension funds, sovereign-wealth funds), large energy and industrial incumbents (oil and gas companies, industrial original-equipment manufacturers, utilities, automotive original-equipment manufacturers), technology start-ups, and policy makers/influencers (government agencies, nongovernment organizations, regulators).
Dickon also helps clients who manufacture or use highly engineered products for companies in aerospace and defense, power generation, and oil and gas industries. Functionally, he focuses on increasing engineering productivity and transforming their product development systems, deploying techniques such as design to value, increased modularity, and increased automation. His experience extends to high tech as well; he previously was a leader in McKinsey’s Global Semiconductor Practice where he served many of the world’s leading semiconductor companies on strategy, capital productivity, and operational turnarounds.
He received a master's in science in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Fulbright scholar, as well as a Ph.D. in physics at Cambridge University. Dickon is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry forums, including, most recently, the Clean Tech Investor Summit.
In this episode, Steve chats with Sarah Cone about:
- What is Social Impact Capital?
- Sarah's journey.
- Her investment success stories.
- Women as leaders in venture capital.
- What will it take to grow the ranks of women partners in VC.
- Why use venture capital as a tool for positive change.
Related Article: Venture Capital Is Still A ‘Boys’ Club.’ Let’s Start To Change That
Social Impact Capital
Prometheus Fuels
Andela
Guest Bio:
Sarah Cone is the founder and managing partner at Social Impact Capital. Referred to by Forbes as a "risk-taker who has proven herself," Sarah is an experienced venture capitalist who has proven that impact investing can generate strong financial returns while producing a positive effect on the world. Sarah invests from the earliest stages in founders that have innovative and impactful solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. and helps them show their businesses are scalable in order to acquire follow-on funding from top-tier venture capital firms.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- What is B Lab?
- What are B Corps?
- The legal change required for a company to become a B Corp.
- The B Lab assessment.
- Why a company would become a B Corp.
- Positive effects of becoming a B Corp.
- The backstory of Natura & Co, whose brands include Avon, the Body Shop and others.
- Why it changed to a B Corp.
- The great results of the switch.
Related Article: Elizabeth Warren grills Bitcoin miner on climate
Related Article: Blackstone, Apollo among firms snubbing new climate coalition
https://bcorporation.eu/about-b-lab
https://bcorporation.net/
https://www.naturaeco.com/
Guest Bios:
As CEO and chair of the management board of B Lab Europe, Katie Hill leads the roll out of the B Corp movement across Europe, having set up the UK arm from its inception in 2015. Her previous experience as an economist was in social impact investment, European policy work with the UK government and then in Brussels. Running a social enterprise in Bulgaria for four years was something of a turning point, and she returned to university – late in life to study for an MBA – with a determination to work to join the dots between equity, sustainability, business and policy. It is very much work in progress and made more enjoyable by the phenomenal people from so many different walks of life who are committed to the same goals.
Marcelo Behar is a sociologist and a lawyer graduated at University of São Paulo, Brazil. He has worked in many NGOs and as a journalist on Foreign Politics at Folha de São Paulo. He served the Brazilian government in the Justice (as chief-of-staff and responsible for the Brazilian Disarmament Campaign) and Strategic Affairs (as vice minister) Ministries from 2003 to 2009. He is an executive since 2009, worked in infrastructure and joined Natura in 2013. He is currently the vice president of Sustainability and Group Affairs for Natura &Co, the global beauty group that comprises Avon, Natura, The Body Shop and Aesop, and is committed to address the climate crises, protect the Amazon, defend Human Rights and embrace circularity, all by 2030.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- The genesis for the film festival.
- The story of making our first Impact documentary in 2018.
- The mark that the production of that documentary left on both Matt and me.
- About the first ESG Film Festival.
- The power of storytelling.
- Why storytelling matters so much for our industry.
- How and why advisers need to tell stories to win.
Impact: Investing with a Purpose documentary
Related Article: Helping investors cut through the noise of ESG investing
Related Article: Experts downplay need for universal ESG standards
Guest Bio: Matt Ackermann: I've spent the past 20 years working for various wealth management media outlets to create content that really stands apart. For the past eight years, I was director of multimedia at InvestmentNews, where I was honored with 15 ASPBE awards for digital content creation, including our work on Practice Makeover, a reality series about helping financial advisors jump-start their business, and a documentary on impact investing that debuted at the United Nations. Before working at InvestmentNews, I worked at Financial Planning, American Banker, and the New Jersey Law Journal, where I was honored with the New Jersey Press Association’s “Rookie of the Year” Award in 1997.
Most people would be surprised to discover that I have coached semi-pro baseball for the past 25 years, accumulating over 600 wins, three New Jersey state titles, and the 2019 Metropolitan Baseball League Title. When I’m not coaching baseball, I’m spending time with my wife Marisa, who is a counseling director at a high school in Union County, N.J., and our two sons, CJ (9) and Ryan (3). CJ, who is already smarter than his Dad, has an encyclopedic knowledge of Harry Potter, and I’m hoping Ryan will someday be a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles.
In this episode you'll hear about:
- The scale of gender-based violence and importance of reducing it
- The importance of talking about it openly
- Four ways that investors can use their dollars to affect change
- Specific examples
- How investments of this type help to change the behavior and attitudes that sustain these violent acts
Related Video: Investing to eliminate gender-based violence
Teresa and Joy's paper: Investing to Address Gender-Based Violence
Guest Bios:
Teresa Wells co-leads Tiedemann’s Seattle office, and has direct responsibility for managing client relationships. She works closely with clients to understand their goals and objectives; manage their investments, including impact investing; and integrate their investment strategy, philanthropy, and estate planning into a cohesive wealth management plan. She serves as a member of the firm’s Internal Investment Committee and is also on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Teresa joined Tiedemann when the firm acquired Threshold Group, where she served as the Managing Director of Investment Strategy. In this role she partnered with the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Impact Investing to contribute to the firm’s broad investment strategy. She was a member of both the Portfolio Management and Investment Committee and the Global Asset Allocation Committee. She also led the Wealth Management and Foundations services team in Seattle.
Joy Anderson is a prominent national leader at the intersection of business and social change, whose insights and experience have helped shaped hundreds of ventures as well as the movements of impact investing and gender lens investing. She is founder and president of Criterion Institute, the leading think tank on using finance as a tool for social change, which demonstrates new possibilities through its groundbreaking research, innovative trainings, convenings and institutional engagement. In recognition of her leadership, Anderson was listed in Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business.
Joy was co-founder of Good Capital with Tim Freundlich and Kevin Jones in 2006. She formerly served as faculty on leading social innovation award programs, including Unreasonable Institute and Echoing Green, advising the next generation of leaders in impact investing. As chair of the board of directors of Village Capital and through involvement in Investor’s Circle, she was actively involved in shaping early stage social investments. And through her role in developing and leading Structure Lab© workshops she has helped over 300 organizations think through their legal and financial structures.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Free Little Libraries — take a book, leave a book initiative to improve kids reading.
- Read in Color — a program to promote diversity in children's books.
- The importance of local projects.
- Craig Jonas' background.
- The current status of the infrastructure bill.
- What will it do for sustainability and equity?
- What opportunities will be opened for investors and entrepreneurs?
- CoPeace's mission of bringing impact investing to all people.
Related Article: Racial Equity in Infrastructure, a U.S. Goal, Is Left to States
Related Article: New opportunities for infrastructure investors
Related Video: Infrastructure plan would significantly impact energy sector
LittleFreeLibrary.org
Read in Color
Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Color
Guest Bio:
Craig Jonas is a lifelong entrepreneur with a history of success across the fields of business, academics and athletics. He has over 30 years of experience in management with a passion for team-building and drawing individuals with big ideas together. Craig founded CoPeace in 2018, put together a highly-talented team and board, and quickly helped CoPeace achieve Certified B Corp. and Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) status. He launched CoPeace’s holding company with strong initial investments in sustainable infrastructure and impact-related services. In order to democratize access to the equity game, Craig spurred the creation of a successful crowdfunding investment vehicle. He has been featured in Forbes, Worth, Triple Pundit and numerous other publications and outlets and is a frequent guest on investing-related podcasts.
Prior to CoPeace, Craig served as COO of Basketball Travelers and BTI Events, an elite sports event management and media conglomerate. In this role, he supervised international sporting events and tours worldwide. He served as the head or deputy head of the American delegation for the Summer and Winter World University Games from 2007-17.
In this episode you'll hear:
- An update on the vibe as COP turns from announcements to brokering negotiations.
- Big announcements from Finance Day and from the Investment COP fringe event.
- Youth activists.
- Carbon pricing.
- Ensuring a just transition.
- Pension funds committing to green investments.
- Thoughts on the remarks of Scottish First Minister.
ESG Clarity's COP26 coverage
Yellen to urge finance CEOs to put more funds into climate fight
Climate resilience metrics launched at COP26
Natasha Turner is deputy editor for ESG Clarity
In this episode you'll hear about:
- What's it's like for a journalist to finally be back on the road.
- The great energy of Glasgow and the COP26 event.
- Big takeaways from the first few days.
- Big announcements from the UK finance sector.
- Getting outside perspectives on ESG by talking with high school students.
- What else is expected to come out of COP?
ESG Clarity's guide to COP26: Here
Related Video: Investing to eliminate gender-based violence
Related Video: Market will sort out ESG funds
Related Article: 30 finance firms pledge to end deforestation
Guest Bio:
Natalie Kenway is the global head of ESG insight at ESG Clarity
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- A brief look ahead to COP26.
- Lots of chatter about commitments; will there be real action?
- The ESG markets in Asia, the EU and the US.
- Will the Asian ESG market overtake the US market in terms of fund flows?
- The role of data.
- Morningstar's desire to be a global leader in sustainable investing.
Related Video: How to Wield Two Tools in ESG Investing
Related Article: ESG information buffet can confuse hungry investors
Related Article: Regulators warn climate change poses threat to financial stability
Guest Bio:
Hortense Bioy joined Morningstar as an equity ETF analyst in 2010 from Bloomberg, where she was a financial journalist. She began her career as an M&A analyst at Société Générale in Hong Kong.
Hortense holds a master’s degree in finance from Paris Dauphine University and a postgraduate degree in finance from Paris Sorbonne University. She is also a CFA charterholder.
In this episode you'll hear about:
- The timeline for the DOL proposal for ESG.
- The effect it will have on retirement plans.
- How the field of ESG may be impacted.
- What the UNEP FI program is and aims to do.
- What finance institutions can do to manage and drive SDG action.
- Impact reporting.
Related Video: American investors most focused on ESG returns
Related Article: Labor Department issues ESG rule proposal for 401(k)s
Related Article: ESG would get massive boost from DOL proposed 401(k) rule
Guest Bio: Careen Abb leads UNEP FI’s SDG and impact work, which aims to catalyze the finance sector’s ability to finance sustainable development and the transition to a more inclusive and sustainable economy – as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. At the heart of the initiative lie the Principles for Positive Impact Finance and the belief that impact-based business and financing models will be key to addressing the SDG financing gap.
This focus builds on close to 10 years at UNEP FI, during which Careen helped to develop and expand the sustainable finance agenda in emerging markets, by supporting the development of strong in-country sustainable finance networks and the creation of a training program on environmental & social risk management. A strong believer in the need for simple communication tools for banking practitioners, Careen is also co-author of UNEP FI’s Guide to Banking & Sustainability.
In this episode you'll learn about
- The Ripple Center, a new program to educate future sustainable business leaders.
- How social entrepreneurs will disrupt and reshape our economy.
- What it takes to be a successful social entrepreneur.
- Ripple Center curriculum and timeframe.
- What it's like to be acquired as a young social entrepreneur.
- Why Silicon Ranch acquired Clearloop, and what CEO Reagan Farr saw in Laura that was special.
Related article: Silicon Ranch Corp. buys Clearloop solar energy company, weighs new investor backing
Related article: ESG proponents push for legislation addressing retirement investing
Related podcast: Investing in the Energy Transition with Salim Samaha
The Ripple Center
Clearloop
Silicon Ranch
Guest Bios
A longtime educator and entrepreneur, Mike Chodroff is the founder and CEO of The Ripple Center. He was an educator for 20 years and launched his own publishing company.
Laura Zapata is CEO and a co-founder of Clearloop, which aims to make renewable energies available to all. She is a former communications director for Phil Bredesen and head of global communications for Uber Eats.
As co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of Silicon Ranch, Reagan Farr is responsible for ongoing operations and execution of the company’s strategic growth plan. Under his leadership, Silicon Ranch has transacted in excess of $1.5 billion of project financing with regional and global financial institutions, while successfully commissioning every project the company has contracted since it began operations in 2011. From developing the initial ambitious plan for Silicon Ranch to growing a company that has earned a global reputation as one of the premier solar energy providers in the industry, Reagan has been instrumental to the company’s growth. Reagan also serves on Silicon Ranch’s Board of Directors.
In this episode you'll hear:
- How communities are leery of capital offers and need education about how to take advantage of available programs.
- Why the pandemic economically impacted certain communities that already faced uphill battles.
- Ways the impact investment in New Mexico will help those most economically impacted by the pandemic.
- How an experience with Sen. Robert Kennedy two months before he was assassinated helped lead Ron Homer to impact investing work.
Related Video: RBC’s Ron Homer on the ‘sweet spot’ for impact investing
Access Capital Community Investment Fund
RBC Impact Bond Fund
Articles discussed:
Are asset managers giving plain old funds a green tint?
Overseas disclosure rules lead some asset managers to nix ESG labels
Guest Bio: Ron Homer, chief strategist for U.S. impact investing at RBC Global Asset Management, has extensive experience in community investing that enables him to identify a broad range of solutions for clients. He is often sought to consult with leading government officials on a variety of community impact issues. Before joining the organization, he was co-founder and chief executive of an investment adviser specializing in community investments that was acquired by RBC GAM in 2008. Previously, Ron enjoyed an extensive banking career, including 13 years as president and CEO of a large bank in Boston. He joined the financial services industry in 1969.
In this episode you'll hear:
- How the switch to a net zero economy will be the largest reallocation of capital in human history.
- A variety of statements from keynote speakers including Al Gore, the president of COP 26, and the UN special envoy on climate and finance.
- What is climate justice and how do we achieve it?
- The role of finance and investors in the coming transition.
- Who will lead the world into the net zero economy?
Related Article: Climate Week NYC kicks off with calls for action and collaboration
Guest Bio: Dickon Pinner is based in McKinsey’s San Francisco office, where he co-founded and leads McKinsey’s global work on clean technologies and serves as the global leader of the firm’s sustainability practice. Dickon helps companies address the resource-productivity challenges the world will face in terms of energy sources, transportation, food, land, water and basic materials.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Climate Week NYC returning for a 13th year with some live events, all aimed at driving action on climate from governments and businesses.
- How Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Trevor Noah, etc., are coordinating to promote climate action.
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochkul and other guests will showcase what companies and technologies are doing.
- How listeners can attend Climate Week NYC live in New York Sept. 20-24.
- Why China and the U.S. are making organizer Helen Clarkson more optimistic about avoiding catastrophic climate change.
Related articles:
Late-Night Shows Are Teaming Up to Tackle Climate Change
Investing in a disruptive climate
Gensler defends ESG disclosures against Republican backlash
ESG loyalty will be tested as performance starts to lag
Resources: climateweeknyc.org
Guest bio:
Helen Clarkson is CEO of Climate Group, the international nonprofit that’s hosting Climate Week NYC in conjunction with the UN General Assembly .
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- How the private sector must help developing nations because there are not enough public funds or capacity.
- What developing nations need in addition to funding to reach the goals.
- Why these global partnerships are critical for attaining the SDGs.
- Whether the U.S. should be giving more to developing nations; today the U.S. contributes about 0.17% of its gross national income in development assistance.
Related Story: Regulators scrutinize ESG more closely as greenwashing explodes
United Nations SDG #17
Official Development Assistance data
UN Capital Development Fund
Guest Bio:
Esther Pan Sloane has been head of partnerships, policy and communication for the United Nations Capital Development Fund since 2015. In this role she engages with the private sector to attract funding for projects that work toward achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A U.S. national and former diplomat, Sloane was part of the U.S. team that negotiated the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
In this episode you'll hear:
- How a for-profit company supports TRU Color’s social mission of reducing violence.
- What George Taylor learned about why individuals join gangs and how he gained the trust of gang members over time.
- Why it’s so important for TRU Colors to be a national brand if it wants to help promote peace.
- When and where you can buy TRU Colors premiere launch, TRU Lite.
- How it feels to have someone offer an economic opportunity instead of violence .
Related video: The story of TRU Colors
Information on the U.N. SDG #16
TRU Colors
Guest bios:
George Taylor is the CEO of TRU Colors and a successful entrepreneur with 30 years of experience.
Anthony Brumm (Bhig Ant Shaka) is Community Manager at TRU Colors.
In this episode you'll hear:
- A briefing on what shareholder advocacy is and how it works.
- Why Green Century, a unique mutual fund company owned by nonprofits, utilizes direct engagement as a purposeful strategy.
- How companies like Bunge Limited, JPMorgan Chase and Proctor & Gamble have all adopted more sustainable practices as a direct result of Green Century's work.
- What investors and advisers can do to support this kind of engagement.
Related Article: Stay ahead of ESG regulatory changes
Information on the U.N. SDG #15
Green Century Capital Management
Credit Suisse/Responsible Investor study on biodiversity finance
Documentary film, Lever, exploring shareholder activism
Guest Bio:
Annalisa Tarizzo is a Green Century shareholder advocate, leveraging the Funds’ and the firm’s clout as a shareholder to drive companies to adopt more environmentally sustainable policies and practices. Prior to joining Green Century, she served as a sustainability program specialist, a waste reduction coordinator and an environmental organizer. She holds a BA in Romance Languages and Literature with a minor in Global Sustainability from the University of Michigan.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- How more than 3 billion people rely on the oceans for their livelihoods.
- Why the oceans are a nature-based solution that can help combat climate change.
- What impact plastics — which are entering the oceans at the level of "a dumptruck's worth" every minute of every day — are having on marine ecosystems.
- Fish will play a crucial role in feeding the growing global population so changing fishery practices that damage the seas will become increasingly important.
Guest bios:
Johan Bergenas is World Wildlife Fund’s senior vice president for oceans.
George Baunach is a co-founder of Hatch, an aquaculture technology investment firm that has invested in more than 30 companies that have a declared mission to create a more sustainable aquaculture industry.
Resources:
UN Sustainable Development Goal #14
Hatch
Montana Microbial Products
World Wildlife Fund
In this episode, you'll hear:
- What is climate change and why is it occurring?
- What is the Net Zero America Project?
- How can the United States create a net-zero economy by 2050?
- What role will finance play in the revolution in the economy?
Related Article: Climate report to add pressure on governments to decarbonize
Related Article: SEC’s Gensler takes to Twitter to push mandatory climate disclosures
Related Article: What the U.N.’s climate change report means for advisers
United Nations SDG #13
The Net Zero America Project report
IPCC Climate Change Report: Sixth Assessment
Guest Bio: Chris Greig commenced a 25-year career in industry in 1986 as the co-founder of a successful process technology and contracting company, which he sold in 1999 to a major European engineering company. From 1999 to 2011, he held senior project and executive roles in the construction and energy resources sectors, including as CEO of ZeroGen, a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. In 2011 he joined the faculty of the University of Queensland (Australia), where he led both the UQ Energy Initiative and the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation. He also served as chairman of the Energy Policy Institute of Australia, deputy chairman of Gladstone Ports Corporation, and non-executive director of two ASX-listed engineering companies. He was a Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow in Energy and Environment at the Andlinger Center from 2018 to 2020, and joined Princeton University as a senior research scientist in August 2020. He also holds an adjunct professorship at UQ. Chris has a PhD in chemical engineering from UQ and is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. His research interests lie in energy transitions, economics and policy, energy for development, mega-project implementation, and CO2 capture and storage systems.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- How TerraCycle allows companies to conveniently participate in reuse without instituting big changes.
- Why consumers are willing to take an additional step to benefit the planet.
- Whether it's possible to lead a no-waste existence.
- Why consuming less is really the best way to support sustainability.
Related Story: What investors should know about the sustainability revolution
United Nations SDG #12
Guest Bios:
Tom Szaky is founder and CEO of social enterprise TerraCycle, which aims to eliminate the idea of waste by turning used goods and packaging into new products. It operates in 21 countries to collect typically nonrecyclable items through national, first-of-their-kind recycling platforms. Leading companies work with TerraCycle to figure out how to make hard-to-recycle materials, such as ocean plastic, into new products. Its Loop platform aims to change the way the world shops with favorite brands in refillable packaging offered with convenience and style.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Why making cities more sustainable requires solving political and other challenges.
- How fixing cities can achieve other goals like fighting poverty, and cleaning up the air.
- What investors can do to help beat the challenge of creating affordable housing.
- How impact investments can be created that account for adviser interests, too.
Related Story: What investors should know about the sustainability revolution
United Nations SDG #11 Information
New Market Funds
Expanding Access to Impact Investments
https://www.neo.inc/en/home
World Resources Institute
Guest Bios:
Anjali Mahendra is director of global research at World Resources Institute's Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. She leads the research agenda and guides its worldwide team in conducting policy-relevant, innovative and interdisciplinary research across all program areas of the center. She also is co-leading development of the World Resources Report, Towards a More Equal City, a flagship WRI publication, working with thought leaders from around the world. Her current research focuses on how rapidly growing cities in the global South can manage urban expansion in a way that ensures equitable access to core services, and more resource-efficient economic and environmental outcomes.
Derek Ballantyne is a member of New Market Funds' management committee and is responsible for the Community Forward Fund Assistance Corp. He has more than 20 years of experience leading community housing and development corporations as CEO of Toronto Community Housing and COO of Build Toronto. He has deployed over $500M in real estate in Canada. He holds a BA from Carleton University.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- The four pillars of a quality job.
- How job quality affects worker equality.
- How bad jobs can dramatically negatively affect a business that provides them.
- Magazine Luiza's Black-only training program.
Related Video: Sustainable companies treat employees as assets
United Nations SDG #10 Information
Magazine Luiza
GINI Index as calculated by the World Bank
The World Inequality Database
Good Jobs Institute
Schroders
Guest Bios:
Sarah Bratton Hughes is Schroders’ head of sustainability North America (NA). She has been at Schroders for over nine years and is responsible for leading strategy and ESG integration for Schroders’ NA investments. Prior to her current role, Sarah has held several roles at the firm, including investment director for U.S. Equities & Sustainability/ESG Americas, product and associate product manager, and product executive of U.S. equities.
Prior to joining Schroders, Sarah was a senior analyst investment performance at JP Morgan Asset Management. Sarah received her B.A. in Economics as well as her B.S. in Business Management from St. Francis College. Sarah was also a four-year member of the school’s NCAA Division 1 basketball team and served as team captain her senior year.
Ana Luisa Herzog is the corporate reputation and sustainability manager at Magazine Luiza (Magalu)
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- Why Ibrahim AlHusseini believes all the sustainable development goals collapse if nations fail to get SDG #9 right.
- How Erika Karp describes capitalism as beautiful and poetic — while stating that it needs to move away from being extractive and exclusive.
- How Simpliphi Power innovated energy storage to eliminate the intermittency of renewable energies and did so without putting labor at risk.
- Whether environmentally sound tech can upgrade and retrofit infrastructure to be sustainable by 2030.
- How FullCycle prioritizes its investments in growth stage companies with climate-critical infrastructure tech.
Related story: Climate change fight is adding to global inflation scare
United Nations SDG#9 Information
FullCycle
Guest Bios
Erika Karp is chief impact officer of Pathstone, a financial advice firm for families and institutions. In 2021, Pathstone acquired the socially responsible investing advice firm that Karp started in 2013 called Cornerstone Capital. She’s also a board member of a nonprofit group Conscious Capitalism.
Catherine Von Burg is CEO and president of Simpliphi Power, which designs and manufactures efficient nontoxic energy storage and management systems that integrate renewable energy on and off the grid. It’s also part of the Unreasonable Impact Group, a United Nations program of companies that have committed to fulfilling the 17 SDGs.
Ibrahim AlHusseini is founder and managing partner of FullCycle, which invests in growth stage companies that have developed climate-critical infrastructure technology. A sustainability-focused entrepreneur and philanthropist, he has 25 years of experience using clean technology and natural resource-related investments to advance social change.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- Why SDG#8 seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development and decent work for all by 2030.
- How the Empress Tree is so effective at sequestering carbon.
- Ways World Tree plans to help 10,000 small farmers over five years cultivate crops and provide 100,000 jobs.
- How this impact investment brought new clients to Common Interests.
Related video: Sustainable companies treat employees as assets
United Nations SDG#8 Information
World Tree
Responsible Vacation
Fair Trade Certified
Guest Bios
Dr. Cathy Key is president and chief operating officer of World Tree.
Kim Martens is a farmer harvesting Empress Trees in Alabama with World Tree.
Max Mintz is a financial planner with Common Interests, an advice firm that focuses on socially responsible investing.
In this episode you’ll find out:
- Why Steve Lamb geeks out on carbon and whether he buys a solar panel in Tennessee.
- How humans are flooding the planet with carbon beyond what nature’s carbon sinks can absorb.
- Whether most Americans can access renewable energies if they choose to.
- Why Clearloop funds renewable energy projects in certain areas that have been slow to support clean energy sources.
Related story: Blue wave unleashes demand for clean-energy ETFs
United Nations SDG#7 Information
How Exactly Does Carbon Dioxide Cause Global Warming?
A fun and interactive periodic table
Clearloop
City of Jackson Chamber of Commerce
Guest Bios
Laura Zapata is CEO and a co-founder of Clearloop, which aims to make renewable energies available to all. She is a former communications director for Phil Bredesen and head of global communications for Uber Eats.
Phil Bredesen is the former governor of Tennessee, clean energy entrepreneur and a Clearloop co-founder.
Kyle Spurgeon is president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in Jackson, Tennessee, the largest city in west Tennessee outside of Memphis. It’s home to about 60,000 people and is the site of Clearloop’s initial solar project.
KEYWORDS
- microfinance
- finance
- electricity
- renewable energy
- clean energy
- un sustainable development goals
- business
- sustainable investing
- wealth managment
- esg
- investing
- power
- financial services
- impact investing
- sdgs
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- How access rates to clean water and working sewage systems are going up, but not as fast as they need to in order to reach the goal's mission.
- Why water scarcity could threaten 700 million people by 2030.
- Whether climate change is a factor and how water demand and flooding are further stressing clean water supplies.
- How WaterEquity, co-founded by Academy Award winner Matt Damon, supports entrepreneurs and financial institutions that provide clean water and sanitation in developing countries.
- Why it's not just infrastructure that's needed to expand water and toilet access, but it's more about the financing.
Related story: Water, water everywhere — so it’s time for you to drink
United Nations SDG#6 Information
WaterEquity.org
Annapurna Finance
Generosity
BoxedWater
Guest Bios
Gary White is co-founder and CEO of WaterEquity, an asset manager that supports entrepreneurs helping spread clean water and sanitation in developing countries. He's also the CEO and co-founder of Water.org, which also developed a WaterCredit Initiative that creates new financing options for families living in poverty to meet their water needs.
Genevieve Edens is director of impact at WaterEquity, where she develops policies and tools and is involved at all stages of the investment process. Previously, she was director of research at the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and spent several years living in Tanzania, where she worked for the coffee importer Sustainable Harvest.
Paul O'Connell is president of WaterEquity and manages its day-to-day activities. He spent more than 20 years as president and managing partner of FDO Partners, managing currency and equity portfolios for sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and other institutional investors. He has spoken at TED about using the capital markets to help fund sustainable development in emerging and frontier markets.
Dibyajyoti Pattanaik (who also goes by DJ) is the managing director of Annapurna Finance, a microfinance institution in Bhubaneswar, India.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- A quick update on the Exxon shareholder advocacy news.
- What it was like to negotiate a goal based on a premise that not every culture supports.
- How Covid-19 hit women harder than men in terms of jobs, pay equity and their safety.
- Ways gender lens investments support opportunities that improve women's and girls’ day-to-day situations or change ownership and decision-making within corporations or governments.
- Details of the market for women-focused investment products, including private funds.
- Which funds top the list compiled by Gender Equity Funds.org, based on the Equileap Gender Scorecard.
Related story: How advisers can advocate for gender lens investing
United Nations SDG#5 Information
Beyond the Billion campaign
Gender Equality Funds.org
Marigold Capital
Veris Wealth Partners
Guest Bios
Esther Pan Sloane has been head of partnerships, policy and communication for the United Nations Capital Development Fund since 2015. In this role she engages with the private sector to attract funding for projects that work toward achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A U.S. national and former diplomat, Sloane was part of the U.S. team that negotiated the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Patricia Ferrar-Rivas is a founding partner and senior wealth manager at Veris Wealth Partners and has been providing investment advisory and wealth management services since 1992. Prior to Veris, Patricia led the effort by a Silicon Valley-based public accounting firm, Frank Rimerman + Co., to launch its new investment advisory subsidiary, Frank Rimerman Advisors. She also co-founded the New York office of Progressive Asset Management in 1994. Earlier in her career, Patricia worked with Veris co-founder Michael Lent and community leaders in Central America on economic development, local empowerment and social justice.
Sapna Shah is a managing director at the Global Impact Investing Network, where she focuses on how the GIIN can most effectively use its programs to support the network’s mission of growing the impact investing market. She was previously the strategy director at the GIIN. Prior to joining the GIIN, Sapna was the program officer for Africa and regional coordinator for East Africa for CNFA, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening the agricultural sectors of developing economies.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
• Links between education attainment and keeping a job during Covid-19.
• How 900,000 new jobs created in March included only 1% for workers with a high school education or less.
• Ways impact investments can support post-secondary education and helping nontraditional students succeed.
• How Edquity supports post-secondary education, which is seen as key to breaking the cycle of poverty and helping Americans attain livable wages.
• What outcomes financing is and why it may change impact investing.
Related story: Providing the building blocks of financial literacy training
Guest bios:
Christa Velasquez, strategy director of Lumina Impact Ventures, sources, structures, underwrites and negotiates social investments to support the strategic priorities at Lumina Foundation, an private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.
David Helene, founder and CEO of Edquity, which provides emergency aid platforms for high school and college students. Under his leadership, Edquity has worked with principal partners across K-12 and higher education. He has helped the organization attract significant investment funding from the Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Strada Education Network and others.
Andrea Phillips, managing partner of the Community Outcomes Fund and co-founder of Maycomb Capital, has more than 25 years of experience leading, designing and implementing large scale, public-private partnerships that leverage private investment to address pressing social challenges. At Goldman Sachs, she launched and managed the Goldman Sachs Social Impact Fund and led signature social impact bond investments for the firm including the investment in the Rikers Island Social Impact Bond, the first such transaction ever executed by a financial institution and in the U.S. market.
United Nations SDG #4 information
“Great Jobs Report”
Lumina Foundation
Community Outcomes Fund
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- Good health targets in SDG #3 that range from reducing maternal mortality rates, work against AIDS and achieving universal health care coverage.
- Pandemic has revealed the inequalities of access to quality health care and stalled progress toward the goal.
- Only 1% of venture capital funding goes towards women's health, and children's health has largely been ignored, too.
- The critical role venture capital can play in achieving more equitable access to innovative health care for women and children.
Related story: How to help clients plan for health care costs in retirement
Guest bios:
Assia Sidibe, program manager for the United Nations’ UNITLIFE, which is the UN’s initiative to fight chronic malnutrition in children through innovative funding.
Annie Theriault, managing partner, Cross Border Impact Ventures, a Canadian venture capital fund that seeks to be the preferred investor for transformative health technology companies with the potential of meeting the needs of women, children and adolescents across the globe.
Keren Leshem, CEO of Ocon Healthcare, an Israel-based company that produces innovative intrauterine devices, or IUDs.
United Nations SDG #3 information
Inside the US' epic first-quarter venture capital results
Global VC report 2020
In this episode you'll hear about:
• Challenges of producing healthy food sustainably
• Why “local” matters to food growers and consumers
• Pandemic illustrates how “un-resilient” the world’s food systems are today
• Mark Watson describes how Fair Food Fund supports food-based businesses and pays investors a return
• How Cooking with Que pivoted when Covid-19 took away its revenue
Related story: Green pastures ahead for sustainable food post Covid-19
United Nations SDG #2 Information
Guest bios:
Mark Watson is a senior strategic investment advisor for the Fair Food Network based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He supports the network’s impact investing arm the Fair Food Fund, which provides catalytic capital and business assistance to support entrepreneurs in food-based businesses that support their communities.
Dan Horan is CEO and founder of Five Acre Farms. It aims to bring local foods to grocery stores, restaurants and food shops, supplying milk, buttermilk, cage free eggs, and other dairy and apple-based products that are sourced and produced within 275 miles. Five Acre Farms works with farmers using sustainable practices and pays them a fair price to ensure they are sustainable, too.
Quiana “Que” Broden is the owner of Cooking with Que, where she aims to teach people how to “eat to live” by introducing them to more plant-based meals.
Global ESG Summit streams across three time zones on May 27
UN’s World Food Programme
Feeding America
Feed the Hunger Fund
Global FoodBanking Network
correction: Global FoodBanking Network does not invest in hunger-relief work in California and Hawaii, as the episode mentions*
President Jimmy Carter audio clip courtesy of C-Span. From 1977 commencement speech to Notre Dame.
In this episode you'll hear about:
• How poverty can't be overcome without addressing dire environmental and economic situations in comunities.
• Ways the pandemic has exacerbated extreme poverty.
• What it takes to create upward mobility.
• Andy Posner describes how small personal loans and financial coaching from Capital Good Fund are helping individuals escape poverty in 12 states.
• Describes range of ESG investing strategies from exclusionary stock picking to shareholder activism.
Related story: Using this philanthropic giving tool for impact investing
United Nations SDG #1 Information
Guest bios:
Andy Posner is founder and CEO of Capital Good Fund and he believes equitable financial services can unlock the potential of the poor. He started the fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2009 to use financial tools like loans and education to target endemic poverty — first in Rhode Island, then around the rest of the nation.
Jay Lipman is CEO of Ethic, a tech-driven asset management firm he created in 2015 to simplify and popularize the creation of sustainable investment portfolios. Ethic builds separately managed accounts that are optimized to track the market, align with a client’s investment allocation and outperform chosen sustainability criteria. Lipman’s firm also guides clients in developing a personal mission statement.
Sherlie Martinez of Providence, Rhode Island, is a client of the Capital Good Fund.
Urban Institute paper on 2021 Poverty Projections
HBR: The Investor Revolution
S&P Global Market Intelligence ESG Fund Performance
Stern NYU: ESG and Financial Performance
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
• What the SDGs are and how they are to be achieved.
• How did those 17 goals emerge out of the 8 MDGs?
• Pitfalls of not including developing nations when you expect those governments to affect change.
• What the MDGs achieved for a billion people.
• Esther Pan Sloane describes what it was like in the room as the SDGs were negotiated.
• Sustainable investment manager Jay Lipman explains how advisers can use the SDGs to connect with clients.
• The investor role in attaining the SDGs.
Related Story: What sparked today’s love of ESG?
Guest Bios
Esther Pan Sloane has been head of partnerships, policy and communication for the United Nations Capital Development Fund since 2015. In this role she engages with the private sector to attract funding for projects that work toward achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A U.S. national and former diplomat, Sloane was part of the U.S. team that negotiated the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Jay Lipman is CEO of Ethic, a tech-driven asset management firm he created in 2015 to simplify and popularize the creation of sustainable investment portfolios. Ethic builds separately managed accounts that are optimized to track the market, align with a client’s investment allocation and outperform chosen sustainability criteria. Lipman’s firm also guides clients in developing a personal mission statement.
Hosts Liz Skinner and Stephen Lamb preview their brand new series Impact Adventures. Meant for investors of all types and financial advisers, Impact Adventures will educate through amazing stories of entrepreneurs and businesses working to change the world.