Profile: GG
Some of our members are happy to share their stories, but would rather stay a bit anonymous. That is the case with the woman that we are profiling this month.
GG didn’t learn about investing or the complexities of dealing with money until after she finished college. Raised as a first generation American and refugee to the US, GG remembers that money was never abundant during her childhood. “Yet,” she explains, “I never felt poor. The messaging from my family was about saving, stretching a dollar, generosity, and giving. If I found a quarter on the sidewalk my mom would have me leave it so that the person who dropped it could find it.”
The lack of a financial safety net growing up informed a lot of decisions GG made as an adult and determined the path her life would take. When she found herself in a more stable financial position in her adult life, GG became motivated to learn about impact investing. She came across Janine Firpo’s book, “Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World“, when researching how to ethically invest her money and was “blown away.” GG joined an IFB circle shortly thereafter and has become a valuable member of the IFB community.
Joining an IFB circle was an integral step in her values-aligned investment journey. GG bonded quickly with her group, remembering that they were very welcoming. “I learned so much from these women. We were able to be vulnerable in talking about our dreams, our goals, our opportunity areas, and our fears.”
During the COVID pandemic, GG sent her annual email to her friends and family asking about how they invest and donate their money ethically. The responses she received showed that people were donating, but didn’t feel like they had a coherent strategy for their giving. This peaked GG’s interest in the worlds of philanthropy and values-aligned investing even more. She began sharing her research with friends, and eventually turned these findings into her own finance and social justice podcast.
GG credits her IFB circle with lasting “ripple effects” in her life. She is still in contact with her circle a year later, and is considering joining another circle next year because she believes she could get even more out of the program the second time. And, she is motivated to make her money grow in ways that align with her deeply held values. While GG describes her relationship with money as “ever-evolving,” she points to IFB as a critical tool in response to her interest and an anchor in her continued learning.
