Using finance as a tool for social change
Leveraging each investment for good
Our Investments
Boston Impact
The Boston Impact Initiative invests in enterprises throughout Eastern Massachusetts that address the growing wealth gap and ecological challenges of our times. They believe that there won’t be any change in the fundamental conditions that contribute to persistent poverty and injustice until and unless we create the opportunity for people to own and control their future. Their ambition is to build a model that other investors can contribute to in Boston, as well as to share their learning with communities elsewhere.
Capital Sisters International
Capital Sisters International was created as a platform to advance economic justice and financial inclusion for marginalized women entrepreneurs in the informal sector. The mission of Capital Sisters International is to connect impoverished women in developing countries who need tiny business loans with investors willing to provide them. Capital Sisters delivers its mission through two programs, an Investment Program and an Advocacy Program. The Investment Program provides capital to microfinance institutions in developing countries. The Advocacy Program works to raise awareness about the need for more enabling public policy on financial inclusion.
Certifiably
Certifiably's mission is to make it easier for like-minded, certified, values-based businesses to connect, because the more successful each becomes, the greater impact each can have. Their dream is that someday every business purchase made will be measured by the impact that purchase can have in making progress against the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
Change.org
Change.org is the world's largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see.
I met Ben years ago and have been following his progress as well as participating on the site. I wanted to help support the notion of non-profits becoming sustainable businesses that no longer rely solely on donations and grants. I also am fully on board with platforms that empower everyday citizens to take action in the areas they care about.
CNote
CNote is an award-winning investment platform where you earn a better return while investing in the causes and communities that matter to you. CNote was founded on two core principles. That everyone deserves a shot at financial freedom and that each of us can play a part in building a more equal world.
HUB Cities
Hub Cities is dedicated to proving the model that when a group of talented, dedicated, and creative individuals with shared values and aligned aspirations come together in a collaborative environment, new ideas flourish, businesses grow, and positive social change is given a framework to build upon continued successes.
Hub Cities is providing support to this social change incubation movement nationwide. We love that Hubs are growing, sprouting up and are building a nationwide, and worldwide community of folks concerned about and working toward solutions to our world's greatest problems.
Illumen
Illumen Capital provides a pathway for investors, foundations, and family offices to access the world's top impact funds and actively reduce bias throughout global financial markets. By partnering with Stanford University, Illumen Capital creates and applies bias-reducing interventions to help venture capital and private equity fund managers unlock latent financial return and impact, to create a more equitable, empathetic, and prosperous world.
Impact America Fund
Impact America Fund is a GIIRS rated private equity fund led by Kesha Cash. Its mission is to generate financial returns while enhancing the quality of life for underserved communities in America. IAF invests in high growth companies that are scaling solutions in the Health & Wellness, Education, Essential Services, and Financial Inclusion sectors.
Impact Assets
ImpactAssets is a nonprofit financial services firm that increases the flow of capital into investments that deliver financial, social and environmental returns. Through their innovative Donor Advised Fund model, our funds are invested in Sevamob, Waste Capital Partners, and will soon be deployed into Clean NG, Lipisha, StreetOwl, and Save Energy Systems.
I have been impressed with Tim's trail blazing. I am honored to be investing in this DAF product that promises to revolutionize the way both individuals and institutions invest their charitable dollars. I also see great potential to channel more and diversified dollars to entrepreneurs doing good work. With a minimum investment of $2,500 per company, I see Impact Assests as lowering the bar to entry of impact venture investing, which is exciting.
Investibule
Investibule opens the door to a diverse range of investment opportunities in your community—whether that's the place where you live or groups you care about. The universe of community-based investments is growing, but remains highly fragmented. Investibule solves that problem by gathering community-based investment opportunities spanning Kiva, Credibles, Direct Public Offerings and JOBS Act-enabled crowdfunding offerings onto one easy-to-use platform. Investibule supports all forms of community capital and partners with community-based financial organizations for mutual benefit and to grow the movement.
Kiva
Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.
Kiva is an easy way to get started in conscious investing. I like the transparency of being able to choose the specific entrepreneur as well as the type of business or industry you want to support. I LOVE that anyone can make a 0% interest loan starting at $25.
Nia Global Solutions
Nia Global Solutions brings the concept of Impact Investing to public markets, offering investors a managed portfolio of publicly traded stocks that harness the innovative social purposes of capitalism. The portfolio is carefully constructed of companies that create meaningful outcomes, not only for its investors, but for people and the planet too.
I was drawn to create Nia Global Solutions as a way to bring conscious investing to the public markets. At Nia we engage in a very careful due diligence process looking at solution-driven products, run by diverse management teams. We are unique in that we bring activism into the public markets by engaging with both our chosen companies as well as those who do not make our buy list for the portfolio. NGS will also donate a percentage of profits to those non-profit organizations who are working on issues of corporate accountability.
People's Community Market
PCM will be a small-format, full-service neighborhood food store, health resource center and community hub that supports West Oakland families to attain healthier and more socially connected lives.
Many areas of Oakland are "food deserts," where fresh, healthy food is difficult to access. People's Community Market is changing this landscape. What I particularly like about this business is that they are involving the local community as investors starting at $2,000, so that a wide variety of folks can invest in their own community.
Portfolia
Portfolia helps women discover and interact with new companies and entrepreneurs, and invest in these innovative and growing companies–individually or with colleagues, friends, and mentors.
I was inspired by the gender lens woven throughout this endeavor. I wanted to support this women led team to encourage, support, and grow the field of women investors.
Red Bay Coffee
Red Bay Coffee is building a global community through their commitment to sourcing, developing, roasting and delivering the best and most beautiful coffee to the people. They focus on creating opportunities within the community at large while fostering single origin, fair trade, direct trade, organic and sustainable coffees. They believe in the creation of a value chain emphasizing ethics and diversity, not just a supply and demand chain. They envision a world in which coffee is a vehicle for inclusion, social and economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and environmental sustainability.
RSF Social
RSF Social Finance is a pioneering non-profit financial services organization dedicated to transforming the way the world works with money. In partnership with a community of investors and donors, RSF provides capital to non-profit and for-profit social enterprises addressing key issues in the areas of Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship.
I really love RSF for so many reasons. They are local and invest in and loan to the companies and organizations that I care about. Don Shaffer is a key leader in our economy by transforming the way we interact with money. Their transparent process of business is exemplary and as an investor I get to have a say in how much interest I am earning. Amazing.
Solar Mosaic
Solar Mosaic is a crowd-funding style investment platform for large/commercial/community space solar installations.
Solar Mosaic is revolutionizing the way we do both energy and investing. For as little as $25 you can go on their website and choose a community solar project that you would like to invest in for an interest rate of 4-5%. Their team is taking this field to the next level and beyond in an inclusive and sustainable way, democratizing impact investing by lowering the minimums.
SJF Ventures
SJF Ventures is a venture fund focused on the resource efficiency, sustainability and technology-enhanced services sectors. Representative investment areas include efficiency and infrastructure, asset recovery including reuse and recycling, sustainable agriculture and food safety, health and wellness technology, education technology and digital media and marketing services.
Nia is invested with SJF because they are active in job creation.
ToSomeone
“To|Someone – Good Email” is a startup revolutionizing the way we engage with email. To|Someone combines immediate real time events with rich historical data to help answer the toughest questions about retention, growth, and engagement, helping large organizations make informed decisions with historical & real time data.
