The industry’s first publicly available, searchable resource of impact investing fund managers sees record number of applicants and assets, reflecting the innovation and exponential growth that the IA 50 has helped to spotlight over the past decade.
Founded by Claire Smith, Beyond Investing is an advisor to the world’s first cruelty-free and eco-friendly ETF. Beyond Impact Advisors, invests in plant-based and cruelty-free start-ups and animal-replacing foodtech and biotech. And Beyond Animal, works to grow the vegan economy.
Green Century Funds are the first family of fossil fuel free, responsible, and diversified mutual funds in the US. The Funds have an award-winning shareholder advocacy program and are the only mutual fund company wholly-owned by environmental and public health nonprofits.
“What I’m particularly proud of is that it happened during a pandemic. And very importantly, that at a time when you would think women would be more pulled back, we actually had net positive inflows every single week of the year,” said Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of Ellevest
Women are achieving greater prominence and power in both the public sector and the private sector. Janet Yellen now serves as the nation’s first female secretary of the Treasury. Citigroup has a new female CEO as does TIAA, and both the NYSE and the Nasdaq are led by women.
The mainstreaming of sustainable investing is what we have been aiming for, but we still have work to do – particularly with retail investors. This has been my focus with Moxie Future – a platform for engaging with women on sustainable investing – and now with my new book.
As an energy lawyer and the founder of the Providentia Group, Krystal speaks on corporate profits, community good and collective responsibility, as well as the potential for economic and social equity in the climate economy.
My firm focuses on the preservation of biodiversity as an investment theme allowing investors to align their investments with their values – an approach to investing that often has a special appeal for women. It inherently recognizes that we cannot continue to take from nature and not give anything back. It also recognizes that the future of our planet will require a more nurturing approach as is often used in ESG investing.
Many of us realize that racial equity requires much more than intentional conversations and thoughtful grants. Though these are important efforts, there is a growing imperative to address the disparities experienced by people of color, and especially women in the US, with action and systems change. A place to start is by providing equitable access to the resources women of color need to create economic opportunity for themselves and their communities.
Like it or not, in our position as Financial Advisors, we become gatekeepers. At my gate, I give preference to investments that demonstrate not only financial health, but also a deep commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices that intentionally include working to build equity across gender, race, and class through their work as well as increasing representation and equity across management, staff, supply chains, and service providers.
