Featuring purpose-driven leaders who are making a meaningful impact in their communities, industries, and around the world.
Katherine Pease is the Chief Impact Strategist of Cornerstone Capital Group, Inc. headquartered in New York, NY. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube and learn more at cornerstonecapinc.com.
TELL US, WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
My name is Katherine Pease and I help people invest their money to make the world a better place. In my day job, I am the Chief Impact Strategist at Cornerstone Capital Group, a purpose-built registered investment advisor providing investment advisory services to foundations, family offices, and individuals. We help our clients develop and manage a customized investment strategy aligned with their financial and values-based objectives. When I’m not working, I try to be a good parent to my two children and I volunteer for a number of organizations focused on environmental and social justice causes.
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? WHY IS THIS WORK IMPORTANT TO YOU?
The world literally needs everyone to change the course of events currently underway. We need people who are committed to providing their human and financial capital to stop climate change and who will make meaningful contributions, and even sacrifices, to make a difference. We need people who will speak up for justice and equity and who will step aside to create space for those whose voices have been silenced for too long. We need people who have the courage and audacity to stand for the things they believe in and who will take risks to fight for what they believe is right.
WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU MAKING?
At Cornerstone Capital Group, we are making a difference every day by helping people invest their money for positive social and environmental impact. As importantly, we are committed to sharing our understanding of sustainable and impact investing with everyone. We research, write, speak, and educate people on sustainable and impact investing and we share it widely. We strive to make an impact every day and in everything that we do.
WHAT (OR WHO) INSPIRES YOU TO DO THIS WORK?
I was inspired to work in the nonprofit community as a child by my parents and my experience living abroad, where I learned that different societies approach progress and opportunity in very different ways. Today I am inspired by the abundance of science that tells us that we must make changes in how we live if we are to save the planet and I am inspired by the countless people who are fighting for justice and equity around the world.
WHAT’S YOUR VISION, YOUR BIG DREAM FOR THE IMPACT YOU WANT TO MAKE?
My vision is that we will make a global commitment to fundamentally change how we treat each other and the planet. At Cornerstone Capital, we recognize that finance and investing are key components of the change that is needed and we aspire to bring a new ethos, rooted in concepts related to a regenerative and inclusive economy, to everything that we do.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THAT DREAM COME TRUE?
For this vision to be realized, we need people with even small amounts of assets to commit to finding out what their money is being invested in (including 401k and pension plans) and then commit to investing their money in a more regenerative and inclusive manner. The alternatives to extractive finance are abundant, but the demand for a more regenerative and inclusive economy must come from people.
WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER LEADERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
There are a plethora of resources for investors who wish to make a positive social and environmental impact with their resources – in fact, there are so many it can be hard to figure out where to start! One option is to visit our website. At Cornerstone, we have hundreds of resources – reports, webinars, blogs, focused on a wide variety of broad topics related to impact and specific thematic areas such as climate investing, gender lens investing, and much more. Because our mission is in part to expand sustainable and impact investing broadly, we make all of our research free and easily accessible.
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