Once viewed as a “finance backwater,” impact investing has come to the forefront as the world collectively comes to grips with issues exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic — from climate change, to systemic racism, to gender diversity in the workplace, to unequal pay, to food insecurity.
While impact investing is now a hot topic (it has $502 billion in assets under management globally), women have been leading the way in this field for decades. Women have been better represented in impact investing possibly because “this sector is inherently — perhaps by design — more diverse and equitable,” Irene Mastelli of Phenix Capital explains.
The list of women shaking up the impact investing field is endless, and we’d never finish this blog post if we listed them all (check out this article for a list of some of them). So in today’s blog post, we’ll just be highlighting three inspiring women in impact investing.
1. Amy Domini, Founder and Chair of Domini Impact Investments
Amy Domini is a well-known leader in socially responsible investing. In the 1970s and ‘80s, she was a stockbroker in the Boston area. It was then she learned that many investors had strong views on what they would, and wouldn’t, invest in. That led her to understand the power of mission-driven investing, and soon she began pushing for divestment from South Africa, which was under apartheid rule. In 1990, she created one of the first social indexes of U.S. companies based on ESG criteria; later that decade, she started her company based on similar sustainable principles.
What are Amy’s hopes for the future of impact investing? “Companies need to report on the impact their operations are having on people and the planet in a manner that is quantifiable and relevant,” she told InvestmentNews. “With this information, investors will make better, more informed choices.”
2. Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President for Sustainable Investing at Impax Asset Management
Julie Gorte leads Impax Asset Management’s Sustainability Research team in conducting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) security analysis on prospective and current investments as well as the firm’s shareholder and public policy advocacy initiatives. According to Julie’s LinkedIn bio, her team was instrumental in the development and launch of the Pax Global Women’s Leadership Index, a custom index calculated by MSCI, in 2014.
Julie serves on the boards of the Endangered Species Coalition, E4theFuture, Clean Production Action, Great Bay Stewards, and is the board chair of the Sustainable Investments Institute. She also serves on the Investment Committee of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative.
3. Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest and Owner and Chair of Ellevate Network
Sallie Krawcheck’s professional mission is to help women reach their financial and professional goals. She hopes this will enable them to live better lives and unleash a positive ripple effect for their families, communities, and economy.
Sallie is the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a digital, mission-driven investment platform for women. Ellevest is a champion of impact investing; ESG funds are a big part of their Ellevest Impact Portfolios because they believe that by investing in companies who follow good ESG practices — and excluding those who don’t — their dollars can help advance women.
Impact Investing with The Humphreys Group
At The Humphreys Group, we’re passionate about helping investors align their money with their values. If you’re interested in getting started with impact investing, reach out to our team today.
