INVEST FOR BETTER MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2023
Invest for Better
Invest for Better is a nonprofit campaign that provides resources for women to become effective impact investors.
Embracing Diversity & Inclusion
As we enter February (where did January go!), diversity and inclusion are on our minds. For one thing, February is Black History Month. This year the theme is resistance, recognizing the ongoing battle that black people in the United States have endured in their efforts to achieve the country’s promise of offering equality and dignity to all. Achieving economic and financial success is a critical element of that promise, and it is a place where, we hope, Invest for Better can help.?
We are committed to diversity across our organization. From our earliest days, we are happy to report that we have benefited from a diverse membership, but we know that we can do much better. We want any woman, who is ready to grow her wealth and use her assets to build a better world, to feel not only at home in, but drawn to, our community. As a result, we are striving to ensure that our curriculum, programs, and services are welcoming and inclusive. Last year, we hired a DEI consultant to highlight ways in which we could improve our outreach and appeal. Now we are actively seeking grant funding to help us implement those recommendations. We will keep you posted on our progress.
Black Women in Finance
It is not a surprise to most of us that women are underrepresented in the financial services industry, particularly in the top jobs.?Less than 30% of financial advisors ?and only?10% of investment managers ?are women. Last year, the percentage of VC investments that went to women-founded startups actually dropped from a pathetic?2.4% to a measly 1.9% . And the statistics get much worse when you look beyond white women, as they receive less than 1% of that money.?
Fortunately, many women resist. They are not willing to settle for the status quo. Nor are they ready to succumb to the barriers that are placed in their way. They are smart. They endure. They find a way around. And, they succeed. We want to thank Ellevest for pointing us to this list of?Ten Inspirational Black Women in the Finance Industry . Women like Maggie Walker, daughter of a slave who rose to charter a savings bank in 1903. Or women like Valerie Mosley and Racquel Oden, who are changing the odious statistics by becoming leaders within large financial institutions.?
We celebrate these leaders and we celebrate all the women in the Invest for Better community who are committed to creating positive social change through the way they live their lives and invest their money.
Being Gender Smart
As part of our commitment to diversity and empowerment, we have two exciting opportunities this month.?
First, we are delighted to announce the initial offering of our?Gender Smart Investing Deep Dive ?course. Developed in collaboration with?Alison Pyott ?of?Veris Wealth Partners , this 3-month course exposes participants to the history, vocabulary, and strategies behind investing with a goal of supporting and uplifting the lives of women and girls. Offering specific examples of gender smart investments across asset classes, the course gives you the tools to learn, act, and invest. Whether you choose to decide to allocate one investment to support women or go all in like?Suzanne Biegel , one of the earliest advocates of gender lens investing, you will really enjoy your learning journey. This course is being led by the incomparable, funny, and engaging?Tuti Scott ?– a leader in the gender smart space and just a whole lot of fun to hang out with.?Sign up ?to participate now as course registration will be capped. It?is free to members and available to any woman who signs up to?become a member ?before the course starts on February 22nd.
Second, our co-founder, Janine Firpo, recently spoke on the panel discussion “Men & Women in Financial Relationship.” Janine joined Dr. Ruth Shaber, author of The XX Edge, and Sheila Schroeder, whose book, “Let’s Talk About Money’” is expected to be published later this year. Together, they explored what happens to our investment returns when women are included in financial decision-making in the financial industry, corporate settings, and … at home. View?here .
News From Our Community:
Silvia Mah
Remember that statistic about only 1.9% of all venture capital in 2022 that went to female founders? Well, one of the women that is working hard to change that statistic is?Silvia Mah , an IFB Pathfinder, Founder & Chairwoman of Stella, CEO of She Invests!, and Adjunct Professor at Biola University. You do not have to look far to realize that this woman is a powerhouse! And, she is 150% committed to investing in, and supporting, amazing female CEOs - and to helping other women become angel investors themselves.?
Through Stella, Silvia leads Stella Labs, an accelerator and community for female founders, and Stella Angels, an angel network for female funders with a VC fund - Stella Impact Capital. In addition, her organization runs and oversees an annual nationwide?Women’s Fast Pitch ?competition that culminates in the?Women’s Venture Summit , an in-person conference that takes place each Fall in San Diego.?Stella ?is a community of over 5,000 people who are committed to empowering female founders, and?She Invests! ?is a podcast that highlights the growing number of female angels.?
If you have ever thought about becoming an angel investor, participating in some of the amazing events that Silvia hosts is a great place to start. Listen to her podcasts, watch some pitch events, take some courses, join a cohort, or attend the summit.?
Oh, and by the way, that PhD behind her name comes from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where she received her doctorate in, of all things, Marine Biology! If you ever connect with Silvia, you might want to ask her how she went from being a denizen of the deep to a start-up maven.
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If you would like to share a story about your money, your work, or your leadership with the Invest for Better community, please?let us know . We would be happy to consider it for a future edition of the newsletter.
领英推荐
February Calendar
Date: February 10th at 10:00 am – 11:00 am PT/1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET
Title: Anti-ESG is Anti-Business
Andy Behar, CEO of As You Sow
The recent wave of anti-ESG rhetoric has left many investors confused. How can a framework for assessing investing risk be somehow associated with “devil-worship?” Why are you hearing that most ESG is simply green-washing? The truth is that the handful of well-funded disinformation players perpetuating these lies are terrified that thoughtful investors now consider material risk in their portfolio decision-making. This session will explore who is behind the misinformation and what motivates their actions, what are the facts about ESG and sustainable investing, how are the regulatory authorities helping or hindering investors’ ability to invest responsibly, and what you can say the next time a friend or colleague questions the shift to a regenerative economy based on justice and sustainability.
Our speaker,?Andy Behar , is an expert on shareholder advocacy and engagement. With a 30-year track record of success, his organization, As You Sow, advances values-aligned investing and uses shareholder power to compel companies to reduce material risk on issues including climate change; toxins in the food system; ocean plastics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; racial justice; and wage equity. Andy has also been tracking the anti-ESG movement closely. There are few people who will be able to provide the level of knowledge and insight that Andy will bring to this session.?
This event is free. Invest for Better members can?register through Mighty Networks , and non-members can register via Eventbrite?here .
Date: February 16th at 9:00 am – 10:00 am PT/12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Title: Domini Impact Bond Funds: What Are They and How Do They Work??
Carole Laible, CEO of Domini Impact Investments
Investing in bonds – not exactly something we think about very often. For many, it is confusing, a place to safeguard some of our assets, and relatively stable. That story certainly changed last year when the bond market suffered some of their worst returns in history. And that happened at the same time the stock market was tumbling. Two events that are not “supposed” to happen together.?
Domini is a mutual fund firm that got its start back in 1991 when Amy Domini, the company’s founder created the Domini Social Impact Equity Fund. Women-run and impact-focused, Domini now offers a range of domestic and international stock funds. They also offer an impact bond fund that is available to any investor.?
Join us as we talk to?Carole Laible , CEO of Domini Impact Investments. She will explain how their bond fund works, the types of impact investments it makes, and what she foresees in the bond market for 2023.?
This event is exclusive to Invest for Better members. The event will be recorded.?Register through Mighty Networks .
Date: February 21st at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm PT/6:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET
Ask the Expert: Understanding RoboAdvisors?
Emily Green, Director of Private Wealth at Ellevest
In addition to providing a women-centered robo-advisory investment platform, Ellevest also offers private financial advisory services to its clients.?Emily Green , this month’s financial expert, is the Director of that business line. She has more than a decade of experience in both private and corporate investing banking, and has worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and J.P. Morgan. Like her colleagues, Emily is dedicating to helping women achieve their financial goals. She is also on the board of Plan International USA and a steering committee member of Alvin Ailey’s Young Patron Circle.
If you want to know more about robo-advisors as an option for your portfolio, or any question about your financials and investing, then this Ask the Expert session is not to be missed. Remember, Ask the Expert sessions are not recorded to ensure the privacy of our members.
This event is exclusive to Invest for Better members. There will be no video recording.?Register through Mighty Networks .
If there are specific topics or speakers you would like to hear about – or from – in the months ahead, please let us know.
When you join Invest for Better as an annual member, you will receive your own copy of the book. All profits from book sales are donated to Invest for Better.
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Invest for Better is a non-profit educational organization. We are not registered investment, legal, or tax advisors. The information we provide is offered for general educational purposes only and is not intended to replace financial planning, legal, tax, accounting, or investment advisory services. Specific investments are described for informational purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or endorsement. Since investing is risky, you should always perform your own research and/or seek professional advice before making your investment decision. You can find our complete disclaimer?here .?