Shows
Livable Future InvestingChris Greene, CEO, Meds and Food for Kids, HaitiChris Greene is the CEO and building on our previous interview talks about the opportunity and the challenge they're now facing with malnutrition, and UNICEF asking them to produce more of these Ready-to-Use Food kits. You can reach out to me at FWitchger@fadica.org if you're interested in learning more about how a group of FADICA Members as part of the Mission Driven Investing working group are stepping up to support and learn how we can do more to meet the opportunities of this moment. 2023-02-0605 min
Livable Future InvestingPatricia Wolff, Founder of Meds and Food for Kids, HaitiAs part of our facilitation of the Mission Driven Investing working group at FADICA, we learned about this remarkable non-profit, Meds and Food for Kids in Haiti. Dr. Patricia Wolff, MD is a pediatrician and shares her 34 year journey accompanying Haitians, especially those suffering from hunger, malnutrition and the associated health problems. She also shares the hopeful story of the non-profit she built and the current relationship with UNICEF and the opportunity they have today. You can learn more here: https://www.mfkhaiti.org/about#our-story-section2023-02-0610 min
Livable Future InvestingDoes seeking perpetuity with our endowment lead us to vice? The sneakiness of greed and how it (often unknowingly) shows up - with Luke BrethertonI learned a new word last week from Luke: pleonexia. So I thought I would share the discussion that ensued.In philanthropy and investing, I often hear family/board members carry the weight of:"I need to invest our assets so the mission (grant-making) can continue into perpetuity."Too often, what’s crouching right alongside that desire to evaluate the investment manager based on whether they’re getting that 8% percent return or not is what Luke Bretherton helps us see as pleonexia (greed). We were reading Colossians together when...2022-06-2320 min
Livable Future InvestingMark Watson - Black Farmers, Potlikker Capital & the Integrator role that helps focus on the Outcomes and Impact we most want to achieveMark Watson spent 30 years in corporate and public finance. Several years ago, he started consulting for the Fair Food Network and Boston Impact Initiative and started seeing significant gaps in how most impact investing wasn't moving the needle on the impact they claimed they wanted to see. For example only one Black Farmer amongst many -- despite the program being about racial equity. In response, Mark started Potlikker Capital - https://www.potlikkercapital.com/ - as an integrator. Where other lenders' credit boxes prevent them from extending access to capital (especially to BIPOC farmers), Potlikker seeks to f...2022-02-1128 min
Livable Future InvestingTaj James - How to listen and reconnect to wisdom - especially with our financial resource stewardshipTaj James offers a re-conceptualization of how we think about the financial resources we steward. And the ecosystems around us. And the choices we have. There is so much to be shifted. There is so much to acknowledge. To reconnect to wisdom, we need to listen to each other and to the Spirit. We need to bring our wisdom to all domains. We cut off the sacred from our business and investing domains -- unless we see how much fear is embedded. Can we move away from the dehumanizing fear beneath racism, militarism and gr...2022-02-1021 min
Livable Future InvestingHow do you invest in emission reductions? Nick from Molecule Ventures explains GHG marketsIn this interview with Nick Krackov, we discuss the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the 12 Northeastern US States, the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme, Califirnia's emissions reduction program -- and more. We briefly cover carbon offsets, additionally, the different prices per ton in the different markets -- but mostly offer a quick look at the world that Molecule Ventures and others are beginning to build out for investors.2022-02-0318 min
Livable Future InvestingWhat new pathways and collaborations do you dream of? Elizabeth and FelipeWhat do you want to go do? Have you taken a moment to take stock of who is here in the workshop alongside you? Together, the participants in this workshop steward more than $125 billion in assets. We also bring a diversity of capabilities and other resource types. Some of us might feel quite small in light of that big number, but might be able to lend our leadership, confidence, conviction. Even a small grant (a -100% investment), can be leveraged to de-risk much larger sums of capital to allow new pathways to get built. What do y...2022-02-0309 min
Livable Future InvestingHow worker ownership and the right capital really makes a difference - with Alison from Project Equity Fund and David MDF2022-02-0334 min
Livable Future InvestingWhat's the leading edge in Social Justice + Public Equities? Meet Rachel from Adasina Social CapitalToo often we settle for a simple negative screen and consider our public equities portfolio values or faith consistent. ESG has added some more texture to these conversations. Adasina Social Capital takes it to a whole new level through relationships with directly affected communities. In relationship with social movement leaders, Adasina capital has built a public equities Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) -- with ticker symbol: JSTC that you can buy right now -- and do more for your social justice values than any other public equities option we've seen. Rachel begins with her own story and then sh...2022-02-0320 min
Livable Future InvestingCan impact investing transform our way of being in the world? with Dr. Stephanie Gripne, Impact Finance Center"What excites you?" is the question Dr. Steph advises folks to start with when recognizing an "impact investing" journey can often feel overwhelming: the governance, philanthropy, public and direct investing implications. In this interview, Dr. Steph tells a couple powerful stories about a small foundation and a division of the Walton foundation and how through their work with her and the Impact Finance Center, they began to find new ways around the blockages that often hold us back. The role of the heart, and being "brave" capital stewards, figured more prominently than I had expected. Topics that g...2022-02-0341 min
Livable Future InvestingWhat we financing genocide? Plus start-ups, DAOs, and co-op ecosystems in Ownership MattersOwnership Matters is a biweekly newsletter for the founders and funders of the emerging solidarity economy.In this preview of OwnershipMatters Issue 19, our Editor, Elias Crim, introduces the key articles: Editorial: Pitching Tents in a Hurricane - Business Start-up trends worthy of consideration...Interview: Cultivating a Cooperative Ecosystem - Molly Hemstreet of The Industrial CommonsBooks: The Economics of ArrivalCommentary: Are You Financing a Genocide? Cooperatives and DAOs -- blockchain and Co-ops? NPQ Event: Black Food Sovereignty — Thurs. Feb. 10You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://ownershipmatters.net/2022-01-2413 min
Livable Future Investing12. How can we reduce the racial wealth gap? with John Green with Blackstar StabilityPredatory Contract-for-Deed lending can feel attractive to prospective home buyers. The reality is quite different. John Green, Managing Principal from BlackStar Stability Fund offers an incredible overview of how they're approaching this problem. The impact story they offer alerts us to the reality that "Red-lining" practices haven't gone away -- they've just taken on new forms. After a 20 minute presentation (email me if you'd like the video version with the slides), we transition to a back and forth around the borrower-centric nature of their approach, th...2022-01-2044 min
Livable Future Investing11. Cooperative economics meets private equity with Rupal and Karlo from Good ScoutIn this conversation with Rupal Patel and Karlo Marcelo (co-founders of Good Scout Capital), you'll gain an appreciation of what brings them to this work and why they've made the special design decisions they've made. You'll hear about their backgrounds with farmworkers, veteran-entrepreneurs, private equity, organizing, and utility-scale solar. You'll also learn about "sweaty" enterprises, employee ownership, and their take on how investors & cooperative economics can help restore the dignity of work for small business owners/operators and workers. Near the end, Rupal describes h...2022-01-1937 min
Livable Future Investing10. What does impact look like in Fixed Income? with Tom Marthaler, retired Neuberger BermanTom Marthaler currently serves on the impact investing committee with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Tom spent 40 years in investment management. Most recently he spent 13 years at Neuberger Berman and was a named manager on several US-domiciled funds, including the $2.6 billion Neuberger Berman Strategic Income fund.In this conversation, Tom gives an overview of the different bond market segments and opportunities for impact. He starts with some distinctions in corporate bonds, then government and mortgage-backed securities. He also offers some helpful commentary around extractive and non-extractive ways investors can act -- and how important flexibility can b...2022-01-1627 min
Livable Future Investing8. What is Shared Ownership? Why is it important? with Zoe Schlag, Schmidt FuturesZoe is one of the most talented leaders re-imagining the shared ownership landscape -- a vital part of non-extractive finance & the solidarity economy. She's currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Schmidt Futures. She spent the past 10 years in impact investing after leading TechStars first impact fund. She's offers a remarkably helpful overviews of this growing landscape and provides significant encouragement for what we can all do to contribute.Topics include: Shared ownership landscape – market segments, distinctionsBuilding wealth for low and middle income folksSmall BusinessSliver TsunamiPerpetual Purpose TrustsSteward Own...2022-01-1429 min
Livable Future Investing9. Co-ops and CDFIs step towards DEI goals with John Holdsclaw, Rochdale CapitalHow can co-ops review our history in a way that acknowledges our mistakes, and boldly affirms resolve to step more intentionally towards Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEI&J) goals as a way of living more deeply into cooperative principles?As part of a DEI peer group organized by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA), we organized a conversation with John Holdsclaw IV, who just founded an emerging Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) called Rochdale Capital. Over the past 15+ years, John has been the Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the National Cooperative Bank. He...2022-01-1122 min
Livable Future Investing0. Catholic Social Teaching and Bold Impact Investing - with Elizabeth and FelipeAs a way of kicking off Module 1: (Re)Awakening -- of our Livable Future Investing Workshop, Elizabeth begins by anchoring us in Catholic Social teaching (CST) and some key principles. Felipe then shares three principles for Bold CST embodiment in our impact investing along with 12 questions for diligence. After some discussion of Risk, Returns, and Impact (an essential 3rd dimension for faith-first investors / mission-driven investors), Elizabeth shares some proposed markers on the journey towards faith-embodied investing. A CST Embodiment scorecard is offered as one potential framework.Topics include transform finance, non-extractive finance, bold faith-embodied investing.=====2022-01-0722 min
Livable Future Investing4. Zacchaeus' Bravery - Sarah Jobe anchors Module 1 with a reflection on Luke 19This episode is the first of three scriptural reflections that will anchor the biblical part of this workshop. Sarah Jobe (from Duke University & Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women) helps us unpack Zaccheaus as a potential model. Zaccheaus is curious about Jesus – he wants to see him – but as a tax collectors he seeks a safer, more comfortable space in the tree. Jesus looks straight up at him and says “come down!” We worship and believe in a God that doesn’t let us stay in the trees of our own choosing. Jesus invites himself over to Zaccheaus’ house - his o...2022-01-0708 min
Livable Future Investing5. Jeremiah buys a Garden at Anathoth - Jeremiah 32 - with Sarah JobeGod tells Jeremiah to buy a garden at Anathoth – to do something that sounds crazy. Jeremiah responds with this long story about God’s goodness. The first thing we learn about investing in Jeremiah 32 is that we’re not called to invest in those things that seem wise. Given the facts on the ground as they stand – we’re called to invest in the futures that we believe are possible. We are called to invest in the futures we hope for. Jeremiahs’ investment even when he knows the city is about to be destroyed. It’s a sign…...2022-01-0708 min
Livable Future Investing6. Rebuilding the Temple (our Economy) - Ezra 3 with Sarah JobeSarah Jobe teaches, studies, and ministers at the intersection of prisons, Practical Theology, and Biblical Studies. She is particularly interested in the theologies that emerge from within incarcerated life and the theologies that support mass incarceration from the outside. Utilizing Christian theology, black feminist theory, collaborative ethnography, biblical studies, clinical psychology, trauma theory, gender studies, and queer theory, Jobe seeks bodied forms of thinking that have the power to fuel just and liberating practices.https://scholars.duke.edu/person/sarah.jobe2022-01-0707 min
Livable Future Investing3b. Erika Seth Davies - From Color Blind to Equity Focused - A journey and ecosystem reflectionIn this second part of our conversation, Erika shares some of her own journey from the Association of Black Foundation Executives to more recent work at Georgetown University that helps understand the context of the important framework and tools she's now building at the Racial Equity Asset Lab. Who were some of the first Black firms in Asset Management? How did they get their start? Are you demanding that your investment managers bring you Black, Latino, or women-led options? Why not? What intention are you bringing to these harder conversations with your managers? What...2021-12-1329 min
Livable Future Investing3a. Erika Seth Davies: How to apply a Racial Equity framework in your Investing?I asked Erika to walk through the framework and assessment tool that she helps folks with and has been building through her 20 years in philanthropy, finance and investment management. She gave a sense for how organizations can move from "color blind" to "equity focused" in their investing. She talks about the importance of representation, yet how diversity is only one important step towards racial equity. Erika Seth Davies is the Founder of The Racial Equity Asset Lab (The REAL), she's also aFellow, Equitable Access to Capital Markets in the Fa...2021-12-1311 min
Livable Future Investing1. Luke Bretherton - What questions should a Christian ask with their investments?What is a Christian to do with their investments? Luke weaves theology and political economy into an analysis of our moment — making intelligible the mega-trends of how we’ve gotten here. A Christian view on capitalism — “can’t accept it’s terms and conditions as good”. Drawing on Jeremiah 29:7 — Luke says we’re “called to bear faithful witness within it and transform and convert it”.Starting with his background in a merchant bank to his professorship in Ethics at Duke University, Luke Bretherton unpacks the problems we’re dealing with today. He helps us see how the commodification of...2021-12-0137 minLivable Future Investing2. Morgan Simon - What does Real Impact investing look and feel like?Morgan Simon, Funding Partner of Candide Group offers a beautiful look at what her 20 years as an impact investor has been like and what she's learned. She summarizes the key principles from her book "Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change" -- and which she's gleaned from her time starting as student activist at Dartmouth, to her stewardship of Candide, which done more than 100 deals and deployed more than $170 million in transformative impact investments. Most powerful for me was the last few minutes where she describes the power she feels when working with faith investors -- o...2021-12-0125 min