March/April 2025

Women & Impact Investing

The Power of Women and Collective Action in Investing for Change by Janine Firpo, co-founder of Invest for Better; (pictured above) an Invest for Better gathering in San Francisco, bringing women together for conversation on their shared passion of making a difference with their money

In recognition of International Women’s Day, we welcome you to our biannual “Women & Impact Investing” spring issue. To amplify the contributions of women leaders, the GreenMoney team is especially excited to launch our new GreenMoney Talks podcast with a two-part conversation with SRI icon Amy Domini.

Our business relationship and friendship course back 30 years to the early days of SRI and community investing, which she reminds us, grew out of the anti-Apartheid social justice movement. Listen here to episode one where Amy shares her perspective on gender inclusion, the power of shareholder advocacy, women-led CDFIs, and how she’s followed her investing mission of helping to create a better world through ecological sustainability and universal human dignity. 

With everything going on in our world, I applaud the overall optimistic tone of the articles in this issue, especially by Laurel Mintz of Fabric VC who stated, “Change isn’t coming, it’s already here. Venture capital is undergoing a seismic shift.” Joining Laurel as featured women writers are three leaders including Deirdre Gibson of Praxis Investment Management; Janine Firpo of Invest for Better; and Elizabeth Alm of Saturna Capital.

You will also find the new Clean Carbon 200 companies list and the 2025 Women Transforming Business and Philanthropy list by CNBC Changemakers.

In case you missed our compelling February issue on “Indigenous Peoples and Impact Investing,” the articles, videos and podcasts are all still available here. Rarely do I turn over the curation of an entire issue to a guest editor, but for this under-reported topic GreenMoney was thrilled to have Kate Finn and team at the Tallgrass Institute take the lead. All the content was written and produced by Indigenous Leaders and their allies.

We are pleased to announce Paul Hawken’s new book, Carbon: The Book of Life will be out this month. According to Paul, the book is a journey into the world of carbon, the most versatile element on the planet. “Carbon is the only element that animates the entirety of the living world. Though comprising a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet is lifeless without it. Yet it is maligned as the driver of climate change, scorned as an errant element blamed for the possible demise of civilization.” Here, Paul looks at the flow of life through the lens of carbon. Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, he explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life.

Finally, the spring conference season is here. Stay up to date on all the events on GreenMoney’s Global Calendar of Green Events. Let me recommend a few: the Circularity Conference on Accelerating the Circular Economy in late April in Denver, CO and the US SIF Forum on Catalyzing a New Era in Sustainable Investing in late June in Washington, DC.

– Cliff Feigenbaum, founder & publisher

No Time to Waste for Women to Shape a Better World

Deirdre Gibson
Praxis Investment Management
After she had her first child and came back to work, a former colleague shared with me an interesting observation: she was getting more done at work, and with more impact. The urgent need to get home at the end of the day had sparked within her a new sharpness and focus to her workdays which has led to better relationships, greater excellence at work, and ultimately, greater positive impact on real humans.  
 

Investing in Diverse Founders is Good for the World and Your Portfolio

Laurel Mintz
Fabric VC
Change isn’t coming – it’s already here. Venture capital is undergoing a seismic shift, and if you’re not investing in women-led and diverse startups, consider this your wake-up call. Investors who aren’t yet looking at the untapped potential of these founders are missing out on some of the most exciting and profitable return opportunities in today’s financial markets.
 

The Power of Women and Collective Action in Investing for Change

Janine Firpo
Invest for Better
On a backpacking trip through Sub-Saharan Africa, I saw poverty on a scale I had never seen before. That journey altered the course of my life - dedicating my career to building a more equitable and sustainable world. I also began to rethink how I invested my money. I am one of millions of women that are becoming a financial force. In fact, by 2030, women are expected to control $34 trillion, or 38%, of the wealth in the US.
 

Uncovering the Wonderful World of Fixed Income Bonds

Elizabeth Alm
Saturna Capital
Climate change poses significant challenges to our globalized world – the human and economic toll is already evident. The challenge for investors has always been how to navigate these risks and incorporate their analysis into the investment process. There is still no consensus on the potential impact to financial markets or how much risk is currently priced into the markets.
 

Amy Domini Talks shareholder influence, diversity and investing for good

GreenMoney Talks – In this two-part series, host Cliff Feigenbaum talks with SRI icon Amy Domini about her 30+ year experience in shareholder advocacy across social, gender and ecological standards, as the founder of Domini Impact Investments. She recounts how socially responsible investing (SRI) grew out of the anti-Apartheid movement; creating the first socially screened benchmark stock index; and the role of women’s leadership in the growth of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Hear her perspective on the evolving ESG controversy and investing in the era of climate risk.

Episode sponsored by Newground Social Investment

15 Yrs After its Launch, GINN Examines the Future of a $1.5 Trillion Market

15 Years After its Launch, GIIN Examines the Future of a $1.5 Trillion Market

In 2009, at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting, President Bill Clinton stood next to Amit Bouri and his founding partners as they launched the Global Impact Investing Network. The GIIN started as a 22-member community of Impact investors committed to using their investing power not only to produce financial gains, but also to produce social and environmental benefits.
Carbon Clean Companies Financially Outperform Fossil Fuel and Benchmarks

Carbon Clean Companies Financially Outperform Fossil Fuel and Benchmarks

Andy Behar and Toby Heabs
As You Sow and Corporate Knights
As You Sow and Corporate Knights have released the latest Carbon Clean 200, a global list of publicly traded companies leading the global sustainable clean energy economy. Together, these 200 industry-leading companies generated trillions in revenue from services and products that reduce demand for fossil fuels and water, while offering investors solid returns.
IVF REIT and Rodale Institute Support Farmers Transition to Organic

IVF REIT and Rodale Institute Support Farmers Transition to Organic

Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, an impact-driven leader in the investment and stewardship of organic, regenerative farmland, announced a new partnership with Rodale Institute, a leader in regenerative organic agriculture. Their collaboration will accelerate more US farmland to USDA Certified Organic production, by providing essential, locally-relevant support to a growing community of farmers.
Lucy Lyons of Kestrix- Can Retrofitting Buildings Bring Their Emissions to Zero?

Lucy Lyons of Kestrix: Can Retrofitting Buildings Bring Their Emissions to Zero?

Jackson Trevor
Climate & Capital Media
When asked about her experience as a female operating in the building energy sector which is mostly dominated by men, Lucy Lyons, co-founder and CEO of Kestrix describes a mostly positive one. Investors are “more excited to talk to me because I’m a female founder,” she said. “Yes, I’m a woman, but I’m a woman that venture capital dudes can relate to.”
Women are transforming business and philanthropy-CNBC Changemakers 2025

Women are Transforming Business and Philanthropy: CNBC Changemakers 2025

Julia Boorstin
CNBC
The new CNBC Changemakers list of women who are transforming business and philanthropy, recognizes leaders whose accomplishments span many fields and innovations: biotech breakthroughs, AI advances, women’s health, and new products and services, many focused on female consumers as well as tackling essential societal issues.
A History of the Women who Nurtured the Roots of CDFIs

A History of the Women who Nurtured the Roots of CDFIs

Amy Domini
Domini Impact Investments
From the 2024 Archives: Today our nation has a healthy CDFI network that makes financial services accessible and economic prosperity possible for millions. OFN, is celebrating 40 years, and its members have distributed billions of dollars, creating a million jobs and over 800,000 new businesses in addition to the housing and community services provided to millions.
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