The Journey to Impact

Tim Ring, Co-Founder & Chairman of TeamFund, talks about his transition from CEO of a large medical technology company to co-founding TeamFund, catalyzed by an inquiry from his wife who asked “How do you feel that more than half of the world does not have access to the medical technology you make?” He tells us of the dissonance he felt as a human being and what’s expected as a company CEO which further motivated him to utilize his many years of expertise in business to chip away at the barriers to healthcare technology access in low-resource communities. Underlying all this, Tim’s story illustrates how our life partner can help us reveal a much greater purpose beyond ourselves.

Nicole Systrom, Founder of Sutro Energy Group, details her advocacy efforts to tackle climate issues. She discusses how becoming a parent has caused her to reframe her thoughts on conservation. She now viewsthe crisis through the lens of human impact. Nicole insists the time is now to create positive change through climate-focused application of philanthropy, policy, and investing.

Amy Novogratz, Founder & Managing Partner of AquaSpark, fervidly details her vision to disrupt the fastest growing food industry in the world, aquaculture. She talks about the need for clarity around where our food comes from, especially in the aquaculture industry where, currently, the whole sector is out of sight. Amy seeks to realize the greatest potential in an industry that can be revolutionary to our food systems if care and transparency are embedded in every layer of production from feed and disease to technology. Amy’s passion, innovation, and creativity are at the core of her efforts to restore and reinvigorate an industry that has been long overlooked.

Natasha & Alex Lamb eloquently dance back and forth about their beginnings as a couple together focused on sustainability. They each share stories of their youth that inevitably established the roots of impact and how their present partnership, personally and professionally, fuels their ability to fearlessly confront power for positive change. Natasha & Alex ultimately see sustainable investing as an opportunity to express their voices and share their hearts

Scott Saslow, Founder & CEO of OneWorld TI, shares his vision for widening the impact ecosystem by weaving social impact education and development throughout organizations, small and large. He confirms that impact investing is not black and white, but rather shades of grey that is fueled by the synergy of both financial gains and impact outcomes. Scott believes education, training, and strong relationships will be what tips the scale for a growing impact community.

Bruce Campbell, Founder and “Chief Happiness Officer” of Blue Dot Law, explores the resistance to love within the business world and shares how he seeks to integrate love and happiness into a field where emotion is often neglected. He discusses the cooperative, consensus-based model that makes his impact law firm unique and touches on his inner dialogue between power and humility

Paolo Fresia, Founder of 100% Sustainability, recounts the story of his inheritance and how his relationship with loss has led to an expansion of his impact imagination. He takes us through the somatic experiences that have illuminated his path in impact, from a panic attack during the financial crisis to the center of a cholera outbreak in Haiti to an eye-opening visit of a poultry processing factory in China. Paolo’s encounters around the globe have taught him to prioritize the areas that are most neglected when it comes to his investments and philanthropic endeavors.

Geeta Aiyer fluidly migrates between the grammar and poetry of impact as she lends us a depth of knowledge around finance while sharing stories of past and present that continue to motivate her work in impact. She emphasizes shareholder engagement in order to change the foundations of corporations and the urgency behind transitioning to responsible investing practices. Geeta acknowledges many eternal topics, most notably power, affirming that our current economic system is only operating at a fraction of its capacity to regenerate individuals, the environment, and society at large.

Jesse Fink is a venture philanthropist who has dedicated the past two decades to working on solutions to climate change and other environmental issues. Jesse shares his approach to catalyzing impact through the fusion of multiple forms of capital and through systems-wide analysis. He takes us on a ride through his endeavors with his wife, Betsy, from local, family farming to mapping food waste, on a quest to find global solutions to climate change. Jesse reveals the natural progression of his impact journey as a result of nurturing human capital. Jesse and his family continue to work from the ground up, supporting, mentoring, and learning from entrepreneurs, artists, farmers, researchers, and many others living intentional lives.

Tripp Baird, the co-founder and managing partner of The Builders Fund, eloquently shares how his occupation in business is deeply intertwined with his journey through Right Livelihood. He recognized early on that he couldn’t build a career around something he wasn’t passionate about, pivoting away from big bureaucracy towards purpose-driven business. Tripp details the competitive advantages of a purpose-driven business model that holds transparency, respect, and open communication at its core while creating value for all stakeholders.