Editor’s note: This article is part of a continuing series in which Paul Ellis, a well-known advisor and consultant on sustainable investing strategies, interviews industry professionals on the topics of millennials and sustainable investing. What follows is an interview with two industry experts from First Affirmative Financial Network, producer of The SRI Conference: Steve Schueth, president and Laura Isanuk, business development and marketing manager.
To read the first article in the series, click here: /news/the-wise-woman-and-the-millennial-23738.html
To read the second article in the series, click here: /news/millennials-leading-the-way-in-sustainable-investing-24019.html
To read the third article in the series, click here: /news/millennials-mainstreaming-impact-investing-24487.html
To read the fourth article in the series, click here: /news/an-sri-collaboration-across-generations-and-genders-24873.html
To read the fifth article in the series, click here: /news/like-minded-people-with-purpose-and-passion-25457.html
To read the sixth article in the series, click here: /news/green-investing--all-in-the-family-26082.html
Paul: Steve, for almost three decades you and George Gay, your partner at First Affirmative, have organized The SRI Conference (the premier conference on sustainable, responsible impact investing) and introduced thousands of people to our industry.
Steve: That’s right. I think people who attend The SRI Conference are attracted to the concept of making money and having a positive impact with their money at the same time. As you know, this group of investors is growing.
Paul: Laura, your first professional experience with sustainable and responsible investing was at UBS when you orchestrated their lead sponsorship for the 2014 US SIF conference.
Laura: The sponsorship was a side project for the ESG group at UBS. At that time I was a graduate training analyst, but I had always wanted to work with the ESG group. I was a double major in college environmental studies and economics—and SRI synthesized my passions. I was so inspired by the conference and the world of sustainable investing that I decided to focus my career in that world. It feels like a natural progression to be at First Affirmative where everything is SRI focused and I’m not just doing it as a side project.