In a Nutshell: By appreciating the connections between capital, communities, the environment, and equality, a new generation of social justice investors and advisors want to broaden the definition of wealth. Instead of a traditional focus on ROI, these folks are aiming to improve what I call Return on Life — using money to enrich our whole lives, including the world around us.
Guest: Rachel Robasciotti, the Founder and CEO of Adasina Social Capital, an investment and financial activism firm serving as a critical bridge between financial markets and social justice movements.
My Key Takeaways:
- Everything is connected. The financial changes you help your clients make can ripple out into the wider world.
- Diversity is good for business. Filtering decisions through a wider variety of perspectives will lead your firm to more thoughtful and impactful initiatives.
- Take a stand. Live your values in everything you do and you will attract like-minded clients and partners who will help fulfill your greater mission.
Also Learn:
- The differences between ESG investing and what Rachel calls “social justice investing.”
- Why Rachel believes that “financial impact first, financial returns second” is a false dichotomy that obscures the promise of social justice investing.
- How Rachel’s family history and a tragedy in her hometown laid bare the connection between wealth, social justice, and the environment.
- The “four interlocking levers” that Rachel and her team are trying to maneuver to create large-scale systemic change.
- The criteria that Rachel uses to decide if a company is investible and how sticking to those standards has created better corporate citizens.
- The three tools that Rachel’s team uses to spread their message and mobilize activist investors.
- Why Rachel says that “tension is the spark of life” that will ultimately pull us towards solutions to our biggest problems.
Complementary podcast: Natalie Taylor, a Certified Financial Planner™ and Behavioral Financial Advisor™ spoke to members of my ROL Advisor community about how to help clients align their finances with their values. Listen/read here.
