Janine Firpo Joins DelRae Messer for “EmpowerHER: Activate Your Money” On September 24, 2023

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Janine Firpo, co-founder of Invest for Better, will be joining DelRae Messer for “EmpowerHER: Activate Your Money. Invest in Your Future, Invest in the World!” event happening on Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT in Minneapolis, MN.

The event will start with a panel discussion moderated by DelRae Messer. Participants include:

 

It will be followed by small group discussions led by Janine Firpo. Discussions will focus on money stories, values discovery, and understanding risk. Closing out the event will be a Q&A with the panel and listing of actions attendees can take to transform their relationship with money.

Event highlights will include:

  • Inspiring keynotes and interactive workshops
  • Investment strategies for sustainable growth
  • Empowerment through financial literacy
  • Networking opportunities for lasting connections

Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out, our diverse lineup of expert speakers will meet you where you are on your financial journey.

  • Gain insights from industry trailblazers and learn proven strategies to navigate the world of investing. From stock markets to sustainable portfolios, we’ll equip you with the knowledge to confidently invest in your financial future.
  • Network with like-minded women who are passionate about creating a better world through conscious investing. Share experiences, forge new connections, and ignite the spark of collaboration.
  • Discover how your investments can drive positive change in the world. Learn from experts who have harnessed the power of finance to make a difference, while still achieving remarkable growth.

Don’t miss this chance to invest in yourself, your future, and a world of positive change.

Reserve your seat today and be a part of a movement that’s shaping the future, one investment at a time.

 

 

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

 

Janine Firpo, Co-Founder, Invest for Better 

Janine Firpo is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money. From the early years of Apple Computer to senior positions with Hewlett-Packard, the World Bank, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Janine has always found herself making an impact. In 2017 she left a successful 35- year career in technology and international development to focus on how women can create a more just and equitable society through their financial investments. Janine walks her talk. She is taking action to move all her own assets into investments she feels good about and is watching them grow with market-rate returns. In 2021, she joined forces with Ellen Remmer to co-found Invest for Better.

Brittany Howard, Owner, Victory Business Solutions

Brittany has been in the finance and accounting industry for over 8 years starting at TCF Bank as a teller then moving onto becoming an assistant branch manager. Once Brittany discovered she had strengths in the industry she decided to move forward and study accounting in college. After graduating from college Brittany opened Victory. Brittany noticed that small businesses (including BIPOC) were unable to access a good but affordable accountant to help them remain compliant with the IRS and head in the right direction. It is part of Britany’s mission to help educate small business owners on finances, taxes and the importance of having an accountant while operating. Within two years Victory has become the biggest black-owned accounting firm in the state.

Dr. Anna Thurmes, PhD, Impact Entrepreneur and Investor

Anna Thurmes Barigayomwe, PhD, MA, CCC-SLP, is a highly accomplished individual with a diverse background in academia, healthcare, and entrepreneurship. With a PhD in family social science, Dr. Anna has published research on the impact of social capital and collaborative healthcare on quality of life. Her work has shed light on the transformative potential of building strong networks and connections within communities. She is not only a researcher but has been in the trenches leading a team of over 40 healthcare professionals for nearly two decades. In addition to her academic achievements, Dr. Anna has made a remarkable transition from her previous career to become a successful entrepreneur and real estate investor, all while dedicating her time to helping families on their journey towards health and wealth freedom. Dr. Anna’s passion for empowering others to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams is evident in her role as a go-giver.

MORE ABOUT WELLSPOKEN:

 

Wellspoken Lifestyle mission is to inspire mindfulness and contribution by connecting well-rounded content with well-rounded humans. We believe that with a thoughtful curation of resources, everyone is equipped to guide one another towards fulfillment, synergy, and savoring simplicity. We strive to give readers the power to influence change, gratitude and service without toxic social media consumption or misinformation.

Dr. DelRae Messer is Founder of Wellspoken Lifestyle. She graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 2007. Her passion for solving the health care crisis started as a young athlete in a rural farming community in North Dakota. After creating a sustainable lifestyle weight loss program in her chiropractic office, she moved her business online, to coach clients and healthcare professionals with the ability to design her work around her two girls, McKenna 16 and Gianna 6. As a single mom, she is passionate about helping women in social impact entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, volunteerism, environmental impact and has created a platform to fundraise for non-profits through experience-driven events.

Ellen Remmer Presents at the 2023 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium

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At the upcoming Innovations in International Symposium on September 7-8 in Cambridge, Ellen Remmer will be co-leading a session with Steering committee member Kathleen McQuiggan on “Investing with Your Values” and moderating a session on “Practicing Investing to reach the SDG’s” with Andy Behar of As You Sow, Lisa Hayles of Trillium Asset Management and Margot Brandenburg of the Ford Foundation.

As with the previous two events, the Symposium will bring together donors, foundations, companies, and investors who are actively engaged in international philanthropy and seeking to propel forward the capacity and impact of their globally minded work. The past Symposiums supported the growth of strategic and collaborative international philanthropy by offering participants the opportunity to explore trends in philanthropy, gain practical skills and knowledge to increase the levels and impact of their giving across borders, learn from peers, and network with funders actively engaged in supporting international development efforts.

2023 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium is co-hosted by the Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global) and The Philanthropic Initiative’s Center for Global Philanthropy.

“PRACTICING IMPACT INVESTING: ALIGNING YOUR VALUES AND YOUR INVESTING”

Date:  Friday, September 8, 2023 at 9:05 am ET

There are many ways to leverage capital. How can you deploy all of your financial resources for social good? Learn how to align your values with your investing.

“PRACTICING IMPACT INVESTING: HOW TO USE IMPACT INVESTING TO REACH SDGs”

Date:  Friday, September 8, 2023 at 2:30 pm ET  

 

 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL PHILANTHROPY SYMPOSIUM

The 2023 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium is organized and co-hosted by Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global) and The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI). Jointly NEID Global and TPI offer a long tradition of philanthropic advising and a vibrant funder network to support the creation and design of the Symposium.

ABOUT NETWORK OF ENGAGED INTERNATIONAL DONOR (NEID GLOBAL)

The Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global) is a unique peer-to-peer learning network based in Boston that serves a community of passionate & dedicated international philanthropists across the world. For over 10 years NEID Global has been creating community among internationally focused donors to help address the world’s big problems. At NEID Global we start with humility. Through strategic networking, educational opportunities, and information sharing we strive for transformational social change. NEID Global members foster equitable partnerships, learn from each other, connect deeply with one another, inspire each other, and act together to build a world where everyone can thrive.

ABOUT PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVE’S CENTER FOR GLOBAL PHILANTHROPY

The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI) is a philanthropic consulting group whose mission is to promote effective giving and improve the practice of philanthropy around the globe by helping individuals, families, foundations, and companies increase the impact of their giving. For nearly 30 years, TPI has worked with hundreds of donors, foundations, and corporations, has directed more than $1 billion in giving, and has influenced billions more. In 2010, TPI established its Center for Global Philanthropy with a mission to promote and increase effective international philanthropy that strengthens local organizations and positively transforms lives and communities around the globe.

 

How Women Lead Launches New Initiative ‘The New Table’

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In 2022, an estimated $445 billion was invested in startups. Yet only 17.2% of these venture dollars went to companies with at least one female founder, and only 2.4% went to startups founded solely by women. Although female entrepreneurs were given more venture dollars than ever before by Q3 2022, their capital gain still paled in comparison to their male counterparts. This grave divide is not due to a lack of entrepreneurial women, as more women are entering the business world than ever before, but rather reflects continued gender bias, lack of diversity, and social inequality within the venture capital sphere.

A new initiative coined The New Table, spearheaded by our partner organization How Women Lead, is bridging this gender gap by catapulting women into the world of Venture Capital (VC). Founder Julie Castro Abrams believes that women need a more dominant seat in the VC realm and is constructing a brand-new table – built by women, made for women – with the goal of permanently altering the gender inequity in VC.

 

 

The New Table seeks to inspire 10,000 women to invest some of their capital in venture, specifically in companies and funds founded by women. By integrating women more fully into the world of VC, The New Table aims to change the balance of power and to shift control over which types of business are – and aren’t – funded. This “women supporting women” initiative will catalyze progressive change within the start-up industry that so often excludes women from the narrative. It will also positively impact Black, Indigenous, and BIPOC female founders, who are even more underserved and underrepresented.

The transformative power of a more gender-balanced venture capital sphere will extend far beyond the realm of business. Funding female founders who create innovative, disruptive, and women-focused technologies opens the door to products and services that are designed with women as the primary, not the secondary, customers.

Women are statistically more likely than men to invest their money in ways that align with their ethics and values. Encouraging women to command their seat at the VC table will not only lead to a more equitable distribution of venture funds, it will also shift the capital pool towards emphasizing social responsibility. The New Table will catalyze social change, fighting inequity and inequality within the existing male-dominated economic system.

NOTE: Angel and venture investing are risky. You can educate yourself about this form of investing through IFB’s How Angel Investing Works Deep Dive course.

Catalysts & White Labels

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Our partnership with Better Finance is an excellent example of one of the ways IFB is achieving scale. We have developed both Catalyst and White Label structures to enable others to build upon – and expand – our work.

Catalysts are organizations and individuals who want to deliver an exact or modified version of our Circle model to a different demographic, geographic, or other specialized audience. In addition, we are exploring white labeling our content to help financial advisory firms, investment platforms, finance/investment educators, and a range of other players in the financial services industry easily integrate values-aligned messaging and content into their materials.

Want to know more? Please reach out to Janine Firpo, who is leading these efforts at jfirpo@investforbetter.org.

 

 

IFB Hiring Partnerships & Business Development Manager

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About Invest for Better

Invest for Better seeks to empower women in the US and globally to understand the power of their investment assets, learn how to align their investments with their social and environmental values, and activate those resources to make a more just and sustainable world for all. As a 501(c))3 organization, we work at the intersection of the movements to democratize values-aligned investing, address the structural inequities in the financial system, and bring greater investment competence and agency to women. Our primary programs are:

  • Invest for Better Circles – small groups of 8-20 women who participate in structured learning and community building experiences
  • Leadership development – we recruit and train volunteer peer Circle Leaders to effectively manage the transformative Circle experiences in leadership cohorts
  • Membership in a trusted investing community – we provide the opportunity to participate in monthly speaker series, investment presentations, shared experiences, and partner benefits.
  • Movement-building partnerships & collaborations – we co-create special programs, co-sponsor events, white label our content, and replicate our model with other organizations

Established in 2021, we are a small but mighty team who work remotely across the nation and the world. Thus far, we have directly engaged over 1000 women through over 100 Invest for Better Circles, as well as influenced thousands more. We aim to grow those numbers by a factor of 5-10 through partnerships. Our fundamental belief is that all women have the right to harness their financial assets to influence things they care about and, collectively, we can build a more equitable and sustainable financial system.

Summary of Position

Invest for Better (IFB) is looking for a talented and dedicated Partnerships and Business Development Manager to play a pivotal role in growing our reach and expanding the movement by establishing and nurturing strategic partnerships with external stakeholders, including professional networks and associations, complementary service and product providers, education platforms, corporations, national and community-based women’s organizations and other nonprofit organizations. The position requires a visionary leader and team player with exceptional written and oral communications skills, a strong network, and a passion for women’s empowerment.

Job Title: Partnerships and Business Development Manager
Location: Remote/Virtual
Time Commitment: Part-time, 20 hours per week
Compensation: $50,000 for 20 hours/week
Reports to: Co- Founders
Start Date: ASAP

Key Responsibilities

As a key partner in the management team, you will provide strategic support and drive implementation in the following key areas:

  1. Membership growth: Identify and cultivate relationships with networks, organizations and other partners that will extend our reach and expand the movement. This includes new approaches and relationships to promote recruitment and visibility.
  2. White label and catalyzer relationships: Work with co-founders to identify, structure, and build relationships with organizations and individuals who white label or adapt the curricula to new audiences.
  3. Enhanced membership experience: Identify, cultivate, and structure relationships with partners that will enhance the membership experience. This could include new and/or discounted services, products, and reciprocal privileges.
  4. Events support: Work with program and membership teams to expand the reach of our in-person regional and online events. Identify and promote participation in partners’ events.
  5. Public relations: Work with team on messaging and media channels.
  6. Fundraising: Work with co-founders on developing and implementing strategies to secure financial support from corporations, foundations and individual donors.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a partnerships, business development, fundraising, and other development role
  • Strong interest in and commitment to Invest for Better’s mission, vision, values, and beliefs
  • Self-starter with attention to detail, ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously
  • Proven experience in growing an organization/program through innovative partnerships
  • Exceptional written and oral communications and negotiation skills with the ability to effectively engage and influence a diverse range of stakeholders
  • Strong personal presence with ability to be one of the outward faces of IFB
  • Ability to think strategically, anticipate trends and identify new partnership opportunities
  • High level of proficiency using all Microsoft Office Suite and experience with CRM systems
  • Strong leadership skills with a collaborative and inclusive approach
  • Team player who is enlivened by building strategy, implementing results, and working with others
  • Established personal network in the fields of women’s empowerment, financial literacy and/or investments preferred.

Equal Opportunity

Invest for Better is committed to the diversity of its workforce and strongly encourages applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, marital status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

To apply for this position, please submit cover letter and résumé to jobs@investforbetter.org.

 

 

 

Invest for Better Expands into Europe

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Through a partnership with Better Finance, our investment Circle model and content will be piloted in four European countries later this year. This work was made possible through a generous grant from the Climate Finance Fund (CFF), a philanthropic platform that helps mobilize capital for climate solutions. Over 800 women (and some men) will take part in IFB-like Circles in France, Germany, Spain, and Poland this Fall.

The initiative came together because CFF recognized that Europeans needed more information about how they could put their investments to work to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Better Finance, a Brussels-based non-profit, was identified as an excellent partner because of their focus on supporting European citizens as financial service users and due to their broad reach across the continent.

Members of the Better Finance team participated in a few IFB Circles and examined our curriculum, particularly the content developed for our newest Deep Dive on Investing for a Sustainable Environment. They creates a modified version of our model and adapted our content so it meets the specific needs and unique investment environments of each of the four pilot countries.

We are very excited about this collaboration, and grateful to the Climate Finance Fund for their support. This image, which came from the CFF website, is so appropriate to our work and to this effort because it shows that we are all in this together. And it reminds us that we are all needed to make the immediate and dramatic changes that are required to counter climate change, achieve sustainability, and build long-term economic models that support equity, people, and planet.

She Leads – Suzanne Biegel

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This post is dedicated to honoring one of the most important women in our community – and, indeed, the ecosystem of values-aligned investing by and for women – Suzanne Biegel. Suzanne is an incredible leader, who gives life to Invest for Better’s tagline “women lead the way” in distinctively female ways. She’s brilliant and insightful.  And she’s also extraordinarily generous. She excels at catalyzing new projects, organizations, and collaborations. And she exemplifies the meaning of grace. Suzanne is bold, restless, and ambitious about driving change.  And she takes the time to lift us up when we could use a boost. She is a trailblazer, mentor, advisor, and connector. She leads.

You might think that Suzanne’s diagnosis of Stage 4 terminal cancer in the summer of 2021 would mean she would sit back and enjoy the English countryside. But Suzanne has a vision for change and so “she persists” and continues to inspire us all to do more. Read on to learn more about the legacy that Suzanne has already created and her invitation to us all to do more.

A Critical Connector for Invest for Better

It’s fair to say that Invest for Better would not be here in its current form without Suzanne. Fresh on the heels of her decision to close the Women Effect pilot– which was envisioned as a connecting point and curated community around gender lens investing – Suzanne flew from London to Boston to join the summit that produced IFB. She served on the IFB Steering Committee in those formative years, always providing the BEST insights, and – doing what Suzanne does so skillfully – she connected Ellen and Janine to one another. She continues to serve as a resource and donor to IFB, most recently making an appearance in our Activation webinar on gender lens investing.

 

 

An Ecosystem Builder

Suzanne’s accomplishments in building and shaping the gender-smart ecosystem are legendary. She founded, co-founded and led numerous ventures such as Clearly Social Angels, Women Effect, and Gender Smart aimed at promoting more and better gender smart investing. She knew how to evolve these efforts for more impact –including transitioning Women Effect’s intellectual content to the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, which then produced four important Project Sage research studies quantifying and cataloging the size and growth of the gender lens investing field. More recently, she merged Gender Smart, a global field-building initiative dedicated to unlocking the deployment of impactful gender-smart capital at scale, with 2X Collaborative to become 2X Global. In addition to her own entrepreneurial efforts, Suzanne continues to serve as a valued Board member, advisor, investor, and collaborator to other field builders.

 

Heading for Change

Her most recent creative engine for good, conceived in partnership with her husband Daniel Maskit, is a donor-advised fund to make investments and grants that would advance both climate and biodiversity solutions and gender equity, called Heading for Change. With an initial $1MM contribution by Suzanne and Daniel, it manifests Suzanne’s passionate belief in a model that forges issues, approaches, people and organizations to shape a better world. An impressive group of advisors will help steward the fund’s direction, provide counsel on investment decisions and support grantee and investee partners. Other donors – at literally any level — are invited to join and become part of an “inclusive community with a shared learning journey.” Invest for Better was privileged to serve on the host committee for this initiative’s launch event on April 25th (view event here).

Thank you, Suzanne. And thank you to all of Suzanne’s partners and colleagues and friends who continue to help make her ambitious leadership possible. We share your dream that if we work together, we will be heading for change.

 

 

 

“The PowHer of Money Series” With Sabine Gedeon Featuring Janine Firpo

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Join Sabine Gedeon in “The PowHer of Money Series” on June 23rd at 10 am PST and learn from Janine Firpo, co-founder of Invest for Better. Janine is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money.

 

 

Sabine Gedeon is the CEO of Gedeon Enterprises, a certified Women’s & Minority Business Enterprise (WBE and MBE), and Founder of She Leads Network, her unique approach to leadership development has been proven to be effective across a range of industries. As an experienced HR Executive, Transformational Coach & Leadership Consultant, Sabine Gedeon has helped clients in both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies address their development needs and achieve their growth goals.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is available here.

 

Janine Firpo Joins ASBN For ‘The Anti-ESG Movement: Combating the Attack on Business & Impact Investing’ Event

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Ahead of the upcoming ASBN 2023 conference in Berkeley, the American Sustainable Business Network and Hanson Bridgett are hosting a panel discussion with executives from Morgan Stanley, As You Sow, Nia Impact Capital and Invest for Better. The aim of the panel is to address the growing opposition to ESG and sustainable investment practices, explore the reasons for this and discuss strategies to combat the anti-ESG movement.

The panel consists of leading experts from diverse backgrounds, each bringing unique perspectives.

  • Darya Allen-Attar, Financial Advisor, Investing with Impact Director, Lending Specialist, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Morgan Stanley Wealth Management – Darya Allen-Attar is a highly accomplished Financial Advisor in the Santa Monica, California, office of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. She has been with the firm for more than 30 years, placing her among the longest serving women at one of the world’s most respected financial institutions.
  • Andrew Behar, CEO, As You Sow – Andrew Behar is CEO of As You Sow, the nation’s leading non-profit practitioner of shareholder advocacy and engagement.
  • Janine Firpo, Co-Founder, Invest for Better – Janine Firpo is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money.
  • Kristin Hull, Founder and CEO, Nia Impact Capital – Kristin is founder and CEO of Nia Impact Capital, a women-led Registered Investment Advisor leading the charge to change the face of finance by hiring and training women and people of color in sustainable and transformative investing.

 

 

ABOUT ASBN:

American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) is a movement builder in partnership with the business and investor community. ASBN develops and advocates solutions for policymakers, business leaders, and investors that support an equitable, regenerative, and just economy that benefits all⁠—people and planet. As a multi-issue, membership organization advocating on behalf of every business sector, size, and geography, ASBN and its association members collectively represent over 250,000 businesses across our networks. ASBN was founded through the merger of the American Sustainable Business Council and Social Venture Circle. Learn more about the history of ASBC and SVC here.

Janine Firpo Featured On ‘Wellspoken’ Podcast with Dr. DelRae Messer

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In the latest episode of Wellspoken podcast, hosted Dr. DelRae Messer, DelRae joins Janine Firpo, co-founder of Invest for Better, for a thought-provoking conversation around women’s empowerment, working at the intersection of women and their money

Janine’s deep passion for sparking positive change led her to end her successful 35-year career in technology and international development in 2017. Her primary focus was to help women create a more just and equitable society through financial investments. As a testament to her commitment to this cause, she is the author of ‘Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World‘. Driven by a desire to put theory into action, Janine co-founded Invest for Better with Ellen Remmer later that year. This nonprofit organization is at the forefront of a movement that educates, educates and empowers working women to harness the power of their money for personal growth and global impact.

Listen to the podcast here.

 

 

 

MORE ABOUT WELLSPOKEN:

Wellspoken Lifestyle mission is to inspire mindfulness and contribution by connecting well-rounded content with well-rounded humans. We believe that with a thoughtful curation of resources, everyone is equipped to guide one another towards fulfillment, synergy, and savoring simplicity. We strive to give readers the power to influence change, gratitude and service without toxic social media consumption or misinformation.

MORE ABOUT DR. DELRAE MESSER:

Dr. DelRae Messer is Founder of Wellspoken Lifestyle. She graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 2007. Her passion for solving the health care crisis started as a young athlete in a rural farming community in North Dakota. After creating a sustainable lifestyle weight loss program in her chiropractic office, she moved her business online, to coach clients and healthcare professionals with the ability to design her work around her two girls, McKenna 16 and Gianna 6. As a single mom, she is passionate about helping women in social impact entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, volunteerism, environmental impact and has created a platform to fundraise for non-profits through experience-driven events. Her current projects include school gardens, vertical growing systems, promoting positive mental health through contribution and creating a team of servant leaders, who want to make a difference.