Conference Highlights & Photos: SRI Conference 2019
This year’s SRI Conference was the 30th conference in the books, and my 13th (I think!). I couldn’t be there for all of the days but here are some of the highlights from the days I was there.
There were three main highlights for me-
1. People!
Seeing colleagues, friends, industry leaders, and my dad.
Meeting Connected Investing readers in person, including a in person office hours session (sadly, no photos).
Seeing friends who live in Colorado Springs.
I HAD THE HONOR OF THE FIRST DANCE OF THE CONFERENCE WITH GEORGE GAY, CONFERENCE FOUNDER
Pictured on the right: Renee Morgan, Daniel Burns, Hannah Lucal, and I co-authored a research paper on (lack of) racial diversity in SRI mutual funds. We’ve never all been in the same place at the same time before so it was nice to all connect in person. Read the paper!
2. Speaking
A microphone is my favorite accessory and I always love a chance to share my thoughts on stage. I was honored to interview fellow impact investing leader, my friend Kristin Hull. We talked about the Nia approach to investing with an eye towards equity for women. And in true woman-leader fashion, Kristin took the latter half of the interview to ask me about the Do Better series, and open the conversation to how we can make financial services a more inclusive industry for women and people of color.
3. Learning
This year’s highlights for me were:
Photo 1: A very frank discussion on improving lives and investment outcomes by focusing on racial and gender justice. Panelists included Lisa Hayles of Boston Common, Ivy Jack of North Star, Renee Morgan of Impact Investors, and Molly Betournay of Clean Yield. Read some quotes and more specific highlights in the tweet thread I wrote during the panel.
Picture 2: Hearing from Joe Keefe. Joe has been both hero and mentor to me for many years and I always enjoy seeing him speak, especially when he gets animated on the urgency of brining corporate boards to gender parity.
Picture 3: Seeing my dear friend Danielle Burns bring practical tips to advisors looking to grow their business using ESG. I hear she gave a shout-out to Connected Investing, but I missed it because I left her session when I realized I had forgotten to check out of my hotel room. 🤦🏻♀️
Picture 4: Hearing from Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America.
If you’re looking for a speaker for an engaging speaker for your next financial services event, let’s chat!