Sonya Dreizler Sonya Dreizler

"Indexing is absolutely compatible with impact. Index funds are not." An interview with Josh Levin of OpenInvest

When I first heard about OpenInvest a few years ago, I was intrigued by their combination of a digital platform for customizing portfolios to investors’ unique ESG desires while also letting those investors vote their shares via their smartphones. Since they are based in San Francisco, I went to meet them in person. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Josh Levin, Co-Founder of OpenInvest over the past few years. Just as fun has been watching them open up their platform to RIAs so that advisors could take advantage of the values customization technology. Though we agree on almost all of the big picture items, we don’t always agree on the details. I hope you enjoy this spirited conversation as much as I did.

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Sonya Dreizler Sonya Dreizler

“You can’t serve two masters.” Garvin Jabusch, CIO of Green Alpha, on Why Benchmark Tracking is Broken

This year, I’ve been exploring the intersection of indexing and impactful investing in public equities. Can we have our cake and eat it too? I wrote my thoughts here and interviewed Jon Streur, Calvert CEO. After I saw that Garvin Jabusch, CIO of Green Alpha, wrote about a similar topic in this Financial Times piece, I sat down to get his thoughts to share with my Connected Investing readers.

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Sonya Dreizler Sonya Dreizler

Has Indexing Caused Us to Lose Sight of What Investing Really Is?

One of the benefits of using impact investing and ESG strategies with clients is that it allows clients to connect with their investments on more than just financial considerations. I wonder though, if the appreciation of knowing what you own is reflective of a larger trend. Has the move toward indexing led us to lose sight of what investing really is?

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I started blogging in 2017 to stay in touch with clients and prospects. The practice has since turned into a newsletter, several series’, including the widely shared Do Better series, conference write ups, and impact investing leader interviews. I am a contributing writer at Morningstar and Financial Planning, and have also written articles for CNBC, and FA Magazine. Most of my writing falls into the categories of ESG & Impact Investing, or Race & Gender in Finance.