SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

Millennials care much more about how their investments affect the world around them. Since they’re set to inherit the largest wealth transfer in history, we’re seeing a shift toward impact investing. Today’s episode is proof. My guest is Liesel Pritzker Simmons, a millennial who’s rewriting the rules of wealth management with her single-family office, Blue Haven Initiative. It’s one of the world’s...

In the pursuit of social change, every bit of investment can make a difference. Learn how Social Finance is leading the charge through social impact bonds. Today, I’m interviewing Adam Swersky, CEO of Social Finance (UK), the non-profit enterprise responsible for creating the world’s first social impact bond. He’s here to talk all about social impact bonds and has been at the forefront of designin...

What if your investments could be a force for global change? At BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, they’re steering capital towards a sustainable future with green bonds and ESG fixed-income investing. In this episode, I’m speaking with Ashley Schulten, the Head of ESG Investment for Global Fixed Income at BlackRock. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Ashley entered...

Imagine your portfolio as a catalyst for change, where each investment contributes to solving the world's most pressing social and environmental challenges. That's the promise of impact investing. Today, we're discussing everything you need to know about impact venture capital investing with a guest whose career trajectory embodies this ethos like no other—Gordon Eichhorst, a trailb...

Does your pension fund contribute to a more sustainable world? CalSTRS does and has been since the 1970s/80s. To lead this conversation is the very first pension fund guest for SRI 360°, Chris Ailman, one of the world’s most recognized and respected Chief Investment Officers. Multiple award winner, Chris currently acts as CIO of CalSTRS, managing its $311.5 billion portfolio, making it the second-...

The transition from traditional investment in energy production to renewable energy represents a significant shift in addressing climate change challenges. To help us understand the intricacies of investing in renewables and utility-scale battery energy storage systems, I am joined by Ben Guest, the Managing Director of Gresham House New Energy Division. Ben has over 29 years of investment experie...

In this episode, I speak with Paul Miller, Managing Partner and CEO at Bethnal Green Ventures, which has invested in over 150 startups that aim to create a more sustainable planet, an inclusive society, and healthy lives. Paul is a trailblazer who spearheaded early-stage impact venture capital investing in the early 2010s at a time when this was highly unusual for VCs to do. He was awarded an Offi...

In the fast-evolving world of impact investing, few individuals stand out as prominently as Michael O'Leary. Recently appointed as a Partner and Co-Head of L Catterton Impact Fund, Michael has a wealth of experience and a compelling vision for responsible capitalism. Formerly a Managing Director at Engine No. 1, Michael made headlines globally by orchestrating one of the most successful impac...

In this episode, I am joined by Harald Walkate. Harald isn't just another voice in the sustainability space. He's a seasoned navigator, guiding us across the complex landscape of ESG and impact investing. With 25 years of experience, he's seen both sides of the table, working with major asset managers and corporations. This unique perspective fuels his passion for bridging the gap b...

In the world of hedge funds, where the focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors is often considered secondary, Nordis Capital stands out as a pioneer. Born in a small farming town near Montreal, François Bourdon's journey into sustainable investment is as unique as the hedge fund he co-founded. From working in agriculture to earning the moniker "Mr. Risk Manager"...

In this episode, we explore Ed Marcum's unique journey from Santa Cruz to leading the charge against labor exploitation as the Managing Director of Working Capital Fund. Marcum's career choices were heavily influenced by his parents' commitment to social activism. After studying political science at UC Berkeley, Marcum had a brief but impactful tennis career, instilling in him lesso...

Andrew Behar, the CEO of As You Sow , is a well-known advocate for shareholder advocacy. With a rich background in documentary filmmaking, entrepreneurship, and technological innovation, he brings a unique perspective to shareholder advocacy. Behar's journey as a shareholder advocate was influenced by his personal experiences. Growing up near Long Island Sound in Connecticut, he witnessed the...

In this episode, I am speaking with Tammy Newmark, CEO and Managing Partner of EcoEnterprises Fund. Billed as ‘An Investment Fund for Nature’, EcoEnterprises Fund has pioneered investing in small businesses in Latin America that preserve the integrity of natural capital while contributing to local economies and biodiversity. Originally an “East Coast Girl”, Tammy completed her undergraduate studie...

In this episode, I am chatting with Micah Schulz, Head of Office at Lendlease Australia. Micah grew up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, in a farming area, and living on what he describes as a ‘hobby farm’, with horses, cows, and chickens.  He studied Business Management, majoring in Real Estate & Development at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, a decision which could perhaps be att...

In this episode, I sit down with Stefano Bacci, Partner and ESG Manager at Ambienta, a private equity asset manager that was purpose-built to pursue environmental sustainability investing in resource efficiency and pollution control. Ambienta is the largest private equity fund manager in Europe dedicated to investing entirely in environmental sustainability. Stefano grew up in Milan, (despite main...

Mark Dowding is Chief Investment Officer at BlueBay Asset Management. Mark is a macro fixed income specialist who meets regularly in that context with global policymakers and has been actively involved in sovereign ESG engagement. He began his career in 1993 as a fixed income portfolio manager, after earning his economics degree at the University of Warwick. In today’s episode, Mark speaks about h...

Mitch Reznick is the Head of Sustainable Fixed Income at Federated Hermes and the Co-Portfolio Manager of the company’s SDG Engagement High Yield Credit Fund.  With over 23 years experience in the corporate credit industry, he was previously the Co-Head of Credit Research for the global credit team at Fortis Investments, and prior to that was an associate analyst in the leveraged finance group at...

Daniel Klier is CEO at ESG Book, part of the Arabesque Group, a global group of financial technology companies offering sustainable investment, advisory and data services through their advanced ESG and AI capabilities. Prior to joining Arabesque, Daniel was Global Head of Sustainable Finance for HSBC, where he developed the global climate strategy for the bank and led the development of the sustai...

Dave Chen is CEO at Equilibrium, a sustainability driven, real asset investor in the agriculture and food, and carbon transition infrastructure. He is responsible for strategy, executive leadership, and developing the firm’s investment products and asset strategies. Dave is a preeminent thought leader in sustainable real asset investing, particularly in the realm of agriculture and food investment...

Philipp Mueller is Chief Executive Officer of BlueOrchard, a leading global impact investment manager and member of the Schroders Group, that connects millions of entrepreneurs in emerging and frontier markets with investors. Philipp joined BlueOrchard in 2018 from Partners Group, where he served in a number of capacities in Switzerland and in the UK, most recently as Senior Vice President of Inve...

Amy Novogratz is Co-Founder of AquaSpark, a global investment fund based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. AquaSpark is a holding company of innovative, novel solutions to some of aquaculture’s biggest challenges, investing in companies developing a sustainable, optimal food system all along the aquaculture value chain. Amy’s career as a change agent has focused on building collaborative solutions to s...

Stewart Langdon is Partner and Co-Head of South Asian Investments at LeapFrog Investments, a private equity impact investment firm that invests in financial and healthcare services businesses providing essential services to low-income populations in emerging markets.  Stewart leads financial services investments, primarily in India, and digital financial services across Asia and Africa, with a foc...

Patrick Drum leads the Environmental, Social & Governance investment research at Saturna Capital, a private investment management firm with $5.5 billion in assets under management.  He is the portfolio manager for Saturna’s Sustainable Global Fixed Income Fund; the Amana Participation Fund (the oldest and largest family of funds in the United States following principles of Islamic finance), an...

Radha Kuppalli is Managing Director of Impact and Advocacy at New Forests, a leading asset manager in institutional funds management business, providing forestry and land-based investment solutions through sustainable forestry investments. Her 20-year career has been focused on driving capital markets toward investing in climate change solutions and sustainable development. Radha is a director of...

Simon Bond is Executive Director of Responsible Investment Portfolio Management and until recently, was the portfolio manager of the Threadneedle UK Social Bond Fund and the Threadneedle (Lux) European Social Fund at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the asset management arm of Ameriprise Financial, which has total assets under management of $593 billion (as of 30 June 2021). With over three and...