Ethic

🌲 On Wednesday we kicked off a monthly salon at the Align Impact NYC office with a thoughtful guest list + a conversation on "What Does it Mean to Invest in Nature?" alongside our partners at Ethic, Johny Mair and David Sternlicht 🌲 We started the conversation with all 25 attendees sharing an answer to "What does nature mean to you?" in 30 seconds or less. The answers were beautiful and grounding and reminded me how important it is for us to continuously go back to our "why". The 'why' is what drives our team at Align Impact and it's what drives our clients to be bold enough to consider more intentional ways of designing their investment portfolios to address broken systems. Not spot solutions. Driving systems change by showing up fully. So, LinkedIn community, what does nature mean to YOU? 💫 I shared that for me, nature has meant baptism. I immerse myself and come out refreshed, renewed, hopeful, peaceful. I reflected on a 4-day hike I did through the Himalayas in the midst of dealing with serious health issues- I think the joy on my face speaks for itself and reflects the power of nature to heal.

This week we are highlighting some of the key learnings we gathered from the Hollywood Climate Summit for wealth advisors, investors, and fellow media professionals communicating about this vital issue. -Unlock understanding through curiosity. Science communicator and (in his words) “famed mechanical engineer” Bill Nye emphasized the importance of curiosity in fostering understanding. "We are in charge of a whole planet, we need to manage it," he said. "That takes understanding, and understanding takes curiosity.” Climate change can be a hot button and alienating topic to dive into. It may be more effective to begin by finding out what your audience is innately curious about and connect with them on that level. -Leave cynicism at the door: Vulnerability and action. The producers and hosts of the Drilled podcast partnered with the Carmack Collective on a panel on the role of big business in climate disinformation. Here, panelists collectively stressed the importance of vulnerability in environmental communication. "The two places that don’t require action or vulnerability are hopelessness and having your head in the sand," one speaker noted. Embracing vulnerability is challenging but essential for genuine engagement and meaningful action. The pathway to vulnerability begins with leaving cynicism at the door and creating a space where hopeful and constructive conversations around impact can take place. -Use simple equivalencies. In a panel on effectively communicating about a clean energy future, Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Energy, was joined by director Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). While the pairing was unexpected to say the least, we did glean a valuable piece of advice that we already emulate at Ethic — the use of simple equivalencies to make complex topics more relatable. One example Secretary Granholm used was to explain the building of solar capacity “in terms of Hoover dams." Tangible, familiar equivalencies can help the public grasp the scale and impact of renewable energy projects. This approach can demystify technical subjects and make them more accessible to a broader audience. Dive deeper with our latest Insights article from Ethic studio team members Kylie Holloway and Chris Fanelli https://lnkd.in/e9QkH9GC

Last month, creative team members Kylie Holloway and Chris Fanelli journeyed to the Hollywood Climate Summit to rub shoulders with producers, writers, and storytellers who represent the leading voices in climate communication. It was an engaging and exciting experience with so many takeaways for investors and advisors who may find climate conversations to be a bit daunting. Check out this week’s Insights article on our key learnings from the Summit.  https://lnkd.in/e9QkH9GC

It's been a tumultuous few years in the voluntary carbon markets. In this week’s Insights article, Amelia Sadler, CFA and David Sternlicht of our nature investments team shares their insights into why and what’s next. https://lnkd.in/ev38CkpW

It’s Pride Month, a celebration of the sacrifices made and achievements gained by pioneers of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. It is also a fantastic opportunity to zoom in on the many things our queer employees contribute to our team. We sat down with the founders of Ethic’s LGBTQ+ affinity group, including Alexandra Acosta, to discuss what makes a queer- friendly workplace in our most recent insights article. https://lnkd.in/eGa-RiPs

Last week our LGBTQ+ Affinity Group gathered at the NY LIBERTY game for a fantastic evening of community building, cheering on the most exciting mascot in the league, and celebrating the Liberty getting a W! 

While the benefits of opting for an SMA strategy are numerous, we do know that this option requires additional education on the part of the advisor for their end clients. That’s why, in this week's newsletter, we’ve gathered all of our content on SMAs in one place to make that education easier. Subscribe for more weekly insights into the world of personalized, values aligned, sustainable investing https://lnkd.in/eeMrjWkf

LGBTQ+ voices from our team have weighed in on the process of establishing an affinity group and cultivating a supportive environment for members and allies Read more more from Sophie Griffith about the goals of our recently founded LGBTQ+ affinity group here: https://lnkd.in/eGa-RiPs

On this Juneteenth we are looking back and raising a glass to the incredible work of our Black affinity group Eth(n)ic. Since the group was founded in 2023, Morgan du Plessix and the have team organized: - Caribbean Night: A talk and dinner highlighting the cultures and cuisines of the Caribbean nations represented by our team. - Intersectionality Dinner: Asia & the Caribbean, a talk and dinner cohosted by Eth(n)ic and our AAPI affinity group around Asian influence within Caribbean cultures. - Career Quest: an open door career fair for the students of the CUNY Black Male Initiative. We look forward to continuing these fantastic events that educate our team, enrich our culture, and support communities of color.

This Pride Month, we are celebrating things our queer employees contribute to our team culture. This week, we are highlighting the team members who have worked hard in 2024 to found the Queer Affinity Group here at Ethic. We sat down with Alexandra Acosta (Chief Compliance Officer) and Sophie Griffith (Sustainability Research Lead) to talk about what makes an #LGBTQ+-friendly workspace and how the affinity group aims to contribute to that vision. https://lnkd.in/eGa-RiPs