INVEST FOR BETTER MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER MARCH 2023
Invest for Better
Invest for Better is a nonprofit campaign that provides resources for women to become effective impact investors.
Celebrating Our Stories
March is National Women’s History Month – and this year, it is a time for women to tell their stories. We all know that our written and oral histories reflect the attitudes, characteristics and beliefs of the chroniclers of those narratives. So, it is apropos that this year’s NWHM’s theme is Celebrating Women Who Tell Their Stories. When we are empowered to tell our stories, to share our truths, and to be heard, we step into the light. We felt seen and we experience a profound sense of community and belonging.?
This month, and throughout the year, the National Women’s History Alliance will “encourage recognition of women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, and more.” We applaud those efforts – and we believe that all of us have stories to tell regardless of our life choices or occupations. At IFB, our members start on the path to transforming their relationships with money by sharing their stories. It is only when we recognize where we have been that we can begin to reclaim our power and create a new way forward.
News From Our Community:
According to Fidelity's 2021 Women and Investing Study, the number of women who are investing outside of retirement jumped from 44% to 67% between 2018 and 2022. What happened? In part, the answer is the pandemic, which left women with more time to think about their money and the implications of not taking action. One of those women is Ashima Aggarwal, an IFB member and Circle Leader.?
Although Ashima claims that she grew up with parents who had a pretty typical approach to money, we believe it was anything but that. Her father was so interested in financial matters, that he said he would be a financial advisor if he could do another job. So, it is not surprising that Ashima turned her portfolio over to her dad and let him manage it – on and off - for decades. After all, she was busy attending law school, growing into her current role as the Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Legal for John Wiley & Sons, and raising a family. When did she have time to focus on making investment decisions?
During COVID, Ashima began thinking about her child, intergenerational wealth, and money. As she started doing research, Ashima decided it was time to take control of her assets. Around that time, she attended a webinar where Janine spoke about her book, Activate Your Money, and about Invest for Better. Both felt so accessible and meaningful that Ashima wanted to share them with others. So, she decided to lead an IFB Circle. Ashima brought 19 women in, all of whom were very excited and enthusiastic. As they worked through the curriculum together, Ashima began to realize that there is such a thing as having a relationship with your money. That awareness had a profound impact on her. As she said, “Discovering Janine’s book and working through the Invest for Better curriculum and Activate Your Money are among my greatest joys and proudest accomplishments of 2022.”
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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.
Opening Doors
Invest for Better is proud to be a supporter of the Women of Color Connecting (WOCCON) Virtual Summit, which will be held from March 7th through March 9th between the hours of 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm ET.?
This is an invitation-only convening for investors, allies, and policymakers who want to deepen their understanding of the problems with the system that continues to keep women of color entrepreneurs locked out.?
The Summit will share stories about the unique entrepreneurial journeys of women of color, facilitate honest conversations about allyship, and propose solutions that can lead to systemic change. Attendees will be supported in finding a path to taking action to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.?
To request an invitation, view the full agenda and learn more about the Summit, visit:?woccon.org/summit .
March?Calendar
Date: March 9th at?10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET
Title: Investing in Reproductive Justice
Avary Kent, Chief People Officer, Spring Activator
We were among the majority of women in the United States who were aghast when the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, throwing decisions about women’s reproductive rights to State governments and landing us in the current situation of chaos and crisis. It is only because?Avary Kent ?is a colleague that we learned about the opportunity women have to support reproductive rights not just through our philanthropy, but through our investments.?
When the Court’s decision was handed down in June 2022, Avary could not sit idle. She let her managers at?Spring Activator , a Canadian-based impact accelerator, know that she was leaving their employ to fight for every woman’s right to an abortion. Fortunately, Spring had a different idea. They supported Avary and empowered her to catalyze the entrepreneurs, partnerships and infrastructure required to safeguard a woman’s right to choose.?
Join us for an extraordinary webinar in which Avary will tell us about some of the opportunities we can invest in right now to protect women. Like me, you might be surprised to learn that there are options in both the public and private markets.?
领英推荐
This event is exclusive to Invest for Better members. The event will be recorded.?Register through Mighty Networks .
Date: March 14th at 9:00 am PT/12:00 pm ET
Ask the Expert: Achieving Impact in the Stock Market?
Kristin Hull, Founder & CEO, Nia Impact Capital
A strong supporter of Invest for Better and herself a champion of the movement that is helping women repurpose their money for good,?Kristin Hull ?is always ahead of the pack. When she could not find the gender and sustainability focused stock fund that she wanted for her own portfolio, she decided to build it herself. The result was?Nia Impact Capital , an impact firm that invests in publicly traded companies that are building a regenerative, just, and inclusive economy.?
Kristin and her colleagues select companies for the fund across six solutions themes, based on their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impact, and include only those companies that have women in leadership positions. Nia also actively engages with companies in their portfolios, holding them accountable to the most inclusive, sustainable, and ethical business practices.
If anyone knows how to apply impact lenses to investments in the stock market, it is Kristin. Join us for this special Ask the Expert session where you can ask your questions about how to determine if a public company is having a positive impact and how to perform due diligence before you invest.?
This event is exclusive to Invest for Better members. There will be no video recording.?Register through Mighty Networks .
Date: March 24th at 9:00 am – 10:00 am PT/12:00 pm -?1:00 pm ET
Title: Place-Based Investing to Close the Racial Wealth Gap
Deborah Frieze, Founder & President, Boston Impact Initiative – and?
Betty Francisco, CEO & Investment Committee Member, Boston Impact Initiative
Many of us care deeply about the place where we live, but we’re not quite sure how to invest in our own community.?Betty Francisco ?and?Deborah Frieze ?of the?Boston Impact Initiative ?will introduce existing and aspiring impact investors to the role integrated capital can play in building regenerative and equitable local economies. They’ll share stories from BII's experience in Massachusetts and from a network of 15 other communities around the country that are building place-based funds in their own backyards. This is a powerhouse duo!
Deborah is a professor, author, entrepreneur and activist. She teaches impact investing at Tufts University’s Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning. In 2013, she founded the Boston Impact Initiative, an impact investing fund working to close the racial wealth divide and build a resilient and inclusive local economy in Massachusetts. Deborah is co-author (with Margaret Wheatley) of?Walk Out Walk On , an award-winning book that profiles pioneering leaders who walked out of organizations failing to contribute to the common good—and walked on to build resilient communities.
Betty is a business executive, impact investor and community leader with more than 24 years of experience. In 2022, Boston Magazine named Betty as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston and the Boston Business Journal named her as a 2020 Power 50 – Extraordinary Year Extraordinary People honoree. She is the co-founder of?Amplify Latinx , a social venture that’s building Latino economic and political power in Massachusetts.
If you are interested in investing in your own communities, this session will offer inspiration and ideas for how to move forward!
This event is free. Invest for Better members can?register through Mighty Networks , and non-members can register via Eventbrite?here .?
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 .?