Leader Argues For Impact Investing
This post was originally produced for Forbes.
As we look closer at where the leaders are in the impact investing world, we’re finding more evidence that high-net-worth families and individuals are among those who have the greatest experience in the space.
Matthew Weatherley-White runs The CAPROCK Group, a multi-family office that focuses on impact investing. On Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 5;00 Eastern, Weatherley-White will join us for a live discussion about impact investing. Tune in here then to watch the interview live.
In preparation for the interview, Weatherley-White explained, “I find the notion that capital markets should not be morally reflective laughable. Of course they reflect our morals. The question is not whether or not they should reflect our morals. The question is ‘What morals do we want them to reflect.’”
Similarly, he asks capitalists to consider the impact of all of their investments, “I am a full-throated capitalist, and passionate advocate for the power of the capital markets to effect change. And I would encourage anyone who feels similarly to ask a simple question: ‘if we accept the premise that every investment decision has an impact, what is the impact we seek?’”
He notes that capitalism can easily be made to drive positive outcomes, “Some believe that capitalism is, almost by definition, evil. I disagree without hesitation. Capitalism is simply an optimization mechanism. Knowing what we know about climate change, opportunity inequality and growing pressure on resources, we just need to redefine what it is that we want to optimize for, set the rules accordingly, and then let capitalism drive the solution set.”
More about the CAPROCK Group:
The CAPROCK Group is a multi-family office and outsourced Chief Investment Officer that develops customized, comprehensive and strategic financial solutions for high net worth individuals and families who don’t have the expertise or the time to do so on their own. We base every decision on unbiased analysis that suffers no outside pressure and that has only one goal: to protect and grow our clients’ wealth. We invest in people and technology to deliver transparent, comprehensive performance reporting. We impose structure on what we frequently see as quasi-organized confusion. And we enthusiastically bring this coherent expertise to the world of impact investing: deploying capital to generate positive financial return as well as to create social or environmental value.
Matthew Weatherley-White
Weatherley-White’s bio:
Shaping The CAPROCK Group’s initiative in Impact Investing and having led their successful bid to become a founding B Corp, Matthew is a sought-after speaker and emerging thinker in the impact investing discipline. In addition to keynoting the 2013 European Commission’s Annual Award for Social Innovation in Brussels, Matthew has guest lectured at Harvard, Tuck, Kellogg K -0.12% and Booth business schools, has presented at conferences throughout the US and Europe, and serves as an advisor to several Impact Investing funds. Prior to founding The CAPROCK Group, Matthew was a partner in The Owyhee Group, a boutique advisory team within Smith Barney. During his thirteen years with the company, he was a member of Citigroup C +0.71%’s elite Leadership Development Program and helped craft the firm’s Private Wealth Management platform, an initiative designed to support ultra-high-net worth families. Matthew graduated from Dartmouth, departing the college “With Distinction”. An itinerant adventurer, competitor and lover of high, wild places, when not working (which is not NEARLY frequently enough) Matthew can usually be found in the mountains, encouraging his daughter to enjoy wilderness with the same irrational exuberance as her father.
Remember to “join the cavalry” by subscribing to Devin’s content here.
The post Leader Argues For Impact Investing appeared first on Your Mark On The World.