OUR SIGNATURE PROCESS
1

Ethical Screening & Exclusions

We begin with rigorous screening that excludes companies involved in preventable harms. Our criteria cover both product-based exclusions (animal products, weapons, fossil fuels, addiction, surveillance) and conduct-based exclusions (human rights violations, environmental damage, corporate misconduct). This comprehensive approach ensures your investments align with your values.

PRODUCT-BASED EXCLUSIONS

We exclude companies whose business models depend on creating products that harm living beings.

Animal Products

  • → Meat, dairy, eggs production
  • → Leather, hide, fur, silk production
  • → Fishing & hunting equipment
  • → Factory farming operations
  • → Animal testing for non-medical purposes
  • → Entertainment using live animals

Weapons & Military

  • → Weapons manufacturing
  • → Military materiel & consulting
  • → Defense contracting
  • → Private military contractors

Fossil Fuels & Extraction

  • → Fossil fuel extraction & refining
  • → Thermal coal (≥30% revenue/operations)
  • → Coal power (>10,000 MW capacity)
  • → Extractive industries (>20M tonnes annually)

Addiction & Public Health

  • → Tobacco products
  • → Harmful chemicals & toxins
  • → Addiction-enabling businesses
  • → For-profit prison operations

Surveillance Technology

  • → Privacy invasion for profit
  • → Data exploitation without consent
  • → Surveillance technology for oppression
  • → Social manipulation technologies
  • → Authoritarian surveillance enablement

CONDUCT-BASED EXCLUSIONS

Even companies making beneficial products can cause harm through their conduct. We track patterns of behavior that damage communities, workers, and ecosystems.

Human Rights Violations

  • → Labor rights violations
  • → Child labor exploitation
  • → Anti-union activities
  • → Human trafficking involvement
  • → Workplace safety negligence
  • → Discrimination & harassment

Environmental Damage

  • → Deforestation & habitat destruction
  • → Climate change acceleration
  • → Pollution & toxic waste
  • → Environmental cover-ups
  • → Ecosystem destruction

Corporate Misconduct

  • → Corruption & bribery
  • → Tax avoidance schemes
  • → Consumer fraud
  • → Regulatory capture attempts
  • → Greenwashing & deception

Global Impact

  • → Supply chain responsibility failures
  • → International law violations
  • → Community displacement
  • → Indigenous rights violations
  • → Developing nation exploitation
  • → Predatory lending practices

Do Our Best, Then Do Better

Our criteria are meant to avoid involvement with all preventable harms we are aware of. This excludes 57% of the S&P 500 (as of June 14, 2025). Our complete methodology is open source on GitHub under an MIT license.

57%
of S&P 500 excluded
(as of June 14, 2025)
Open Source
methodology

Open Source & Collaborative

Our complete framework lives on GitHub under an MIT license with full version control—think of it as a living document with a conversation attached. Want to suggest changes? Send us a pull request. See something we missed? Raise an issue. Have ideas for improvement? Join the discussion forum. This collaborative approach helps us catch blind spots and adapt to emerging patterns of harm we haven't considered yet.

Join the Collaboration →
2

Intersectional Company Analysis

We make sure these are real companies with sustainable business models through intersectional analysis that maintains a holistic view. While we consider six key areas that matter for long-term success, our analysis isn't limited to these. About 1-2% of stocks generate 99% of returns over multiple long-term periods (ASU research), and those amazing, successful companies are often unique in—you guessed it—unique ways. We don't want to limit our analysis to some rubric because these are living organisms that evolve and adapt. Any single factor can be dispositive, moving a company's Tick rating from 0 to 10 or vice versa:

People

  • Staff retention rates
  • Governance quality
  • Company culture

Product

  • Innovation potential
  • Market share position
  • Strategic KPIs

Execution

  • R&D returns
  • Sales effectiveness
  • Operational results

Valuation

  • Price-to-earnings ratios
  • Asset valuations
  • Free cash flow

Moat

  • Disruption resistance
  • Competitive pressures
  • Community engagement

Risk

  • Adoption challenges
  • Regulatory risks
  • Capital loss potential
3

Strategy Design & Portfolio Customization

First, we design core strategies using only the top 1% of securities that pass our analysis. Then we meet with you to customize the perfect mix of strategies for your specific needs, risk tolerance, and ethical priorities. Position sizing comes directly from our scoring process, ensuring each holding earns its place.

Our Three Core Strategies

Growth Strategy

  • Full ethical criteria implementation
  • ~25 concentrated positions
  • Long-term growth focus
  • Our flagship strategy

Income Strategy

  • Income-generating focus
  • Ethical dividend companies
  • Balanced risk approach
  • Regular distributions

Diversification Strategy

  • Broader diversification
  • Risk management focus
  • Ethical foundation
  • Portfolio stabilization
4

Decision Refinement & Continuous Improvement

We don't just monitor—we actively refine our decisions through rigorous analysis and systematic learning. This isn't set-and-forget investing; it's a continuous cycle of improvement that makes our process stronger over time.

Our Refinement Process

  • Scenario Analysis: Testing how portfolios perform under different market conditions
  • Collaborative Review: Internal team analysis of investment decisions and outcomes
  • Mental Model Assessment: Identifying and evaluating our decision-making frameworks
  • Weakness Analysis: Systematic evaluation of past investment decision weaknesses
  • Regular Re-scoring: Continuous updates to company scores based on new information
  • Criteria Evolution: Updating our ethical framework as new patterns emerge
A Natural Cycle: We rebalance portfolios on the new moon—a systematic timing approach that removes emotional decision-making from our process while ensuring regular review cycles.
KEY INSIGHT: We help you take your first step or go all-in, whatever feels right for you. Mix our strategies to target your exact risk tolerance and income needs. The goal is progress, not perfection—helping you invest as ethically as possible within your real-world constraints.

When ethics and excellence converge, sustainable investing outcomes follow.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Throughout our process, we're guided by simple principles: ethics reveal quality, transparency builds trust, and sustainable investing means considering all stakeholders.

// PROCESS

▸Institutional Rigor, Boutique Attention

We combine analytical depth with personalized service. Every holding is hand-researched, every client relationship carefully tended.

▸Radical Transparency

Our exclusion criteria are open source. Our process is documented. Our reasoning is clear. You deserve to understand exactly what you own and why.

▸High-Conviction Concentration

We maintain focused portfolios of 15-25 companies. Depth of research over breadth of holdings.

// PRACTICE

▸Continuous Evolution

Ethics is not static. As companies evolve and disappoint we adapt. Our screening is a living framework, refined through ongoing research and client dialogue.

▸Intellectual Honesty

We acknowledge uncertainty, learn from mistakes, and evolve our approach. Humility serves our clients better than false certainty.

▸Business-Focused Investing

We invest in companies, not stories. Real businesses with proven models, sustainable advantages, and ethical operations.

BEGIN YOUR ETHICAL INVESTMENT JOURNEY

Ready to invest with intention?

Schedule a consultation to discuss how our process can work for your unique situation.

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