In this episode I visit with Joel Solomon, author of “The Clean Money Revolution”. Solomon has worked in the investment community for many years, both in the United States and Canada. He heads Renewal Funds, which is Canada’s leading mission venture capital investment firm, with $98 million of assets under management in early growth stage Organics and EnviroTech companies in Canada and the USA. The Fund has over 150 individual, family, and foundation investors mostly split between Canada and the USA, with several in Europe and Asia. The goal is above market financial returns from a portfolio of companies offering positive societal advances. Renewal Funds dynamic team is led by Paul Richardson, President and CEO, and Joel Solomon, Chair, with crucial backing from Carol Newell. Renewal Funds has been named a "Best for the World Funds" by B the Change Media, for setting the measurement and management bar for impact investing. It has also been named a B Corp for "Best for the World Company."
We discuss what is mission venture capitalism and Solomon’s leadership in this field. We discuss his book, The Clean Money Revolution and explore how clean money investing is different than other types of investing. We explore the role of money managers in the clean money revolution and explore the broader role of money managers in environmental, social and governance investing and management. We consider the role of the Boards of Directors in public companies in contributing to the clean money revolution. We conclude with a fascinating exploration of the role of US government pull back in ESG and clean money investments; leaving a very large role for corporations to step in and fill going forward.
For more about Joel Solomon, check out his website, joelsolomon.org.