They Grow Up So Fast
Published August 30, 2023 | 4 minute read
Two years ago, I started this investment firm with a simple mission: ethical investing for people who feel excluded from traditional financial markets. Today, reflecting on what we’ve built and where we’re heading, I’m struck by how much has changed—and how much growth lies ahead.
The Early Days
Starting an investment firm is humbling. In those first months, I often felt like I was letting clients down. The systems weren’t as polished as I wanted, the processes weren’t as smooth as they needed to be, and honestly, I wondered if I was in over my head.
But our clients stayed with us. They believed in what we were building even when the execution wasn’t perfect. That patience and trust taught me something crucial: authenticity matters more than perfection in financial services.
Who We Serve
This firm exists for kind people seeking long-term ethical growth. That might sound simple, but it’s actually quite specific. We work with investors who:
- Care about the real-world impact of their money
- Understand that markets aren’t neutral
- Want returns that don’t come at the expense of their values
- Are willing to think long-term rather than chase short-term performance
These aren’t the typical “high-net-worth individuals” that most firms target. They’re teachers and healthcare workers and small business owners who’ve saved thoughtfully and want their investments to reflect their values.
The Power of Every Dollar
“Every dollar you deposit here gives this firm a teensy drop of power to shape the system that surrounds us.”
This is what keeps me motivated. Each client who chooses ethical investing over conventional options sends a signal to the market. Collectively, these decisions matter. They influence:
- Which companies get capital and which don’t
- How businesses think about stakeholder impact
- What kinds of investment products get developed
- Where the industry focuses its innovation
We’re not just managing portfolios—we’re participating in a broader transformation of how capital gets allocated in our economy.
Growing Up
As the firm has matured, I’ve learned to embrace the messiness of ethical investing. There are no perfect companies, no flawless screening processes, no investment strategies without trade-offs.
What we can offer is:
- Transparency about our methods and limitations
- Consistency in applying our ethical criteria
- Honesty about both successes and challenges
- Commitment to continuous improvement
The firm is growing up, and so am I. I’m more comfortable with uncertainty, more confident in our approach, and more excited about the conversations we’re having with clients about money and values.
Looking Ahead
I’m planning to expand our outreach by traveling and speaking at events. There are so many people who feel disconnected from traditional finance, who want their investments to reflect their values but don’t know where to start.
Our job is to find them and show them there’s another way.
The investment industry often treats values-based investing as a niche market or a charitable impulse. But we see it differently. We believe that ethical investing is simply better investing—more thoughtful, more sustainable, more aligned with long-term value creation.
The Community We’re Building
What surprises me most about this work is the community that’s emerged. Clients refer friends not just because they’re happy with returns, but because they want to support what we’re building. They understand that we’re trying to demonstrate something important: that you don’t have to choose between financial success and ethical consistency.
This feels bigger than an investment firm. It feels like we’re part of a movement toward more intentional, more humane approaches to money and wealth building.
Growing Into Our Mission
Every successful business eventually faces the question: what do we want to become? For us, the answer is clear. We want to be the firm that proves ethical investing isn’t just viable—it’s superior.
We want to show that when you exclude companies that harm people and planet, you don’t sacrifice returns. You often enhance them by focusing on businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and strong stakeholder relationships.
The firm is growing up fast, but we’re growing into exactly what we intended to become.
Two years in, we’re just getting started. Thank you to every client who believed in this vision when it was just an idea—and to those joining us as we prove what ethical investing can accomplish.