Introduction

Howard Fischer of Gratitude Railroad shares how to shift profit-driven capital into climate and impact investments while balancing financial returns with deep social and environmental good.

Since it's summer, I'll play my "on vacation" card and recycle this podcast, one of our most popular so far.

Plus, Howard and Gratitude Railroad are putting on their upcoming 2023 Gratitude Investor Gathering on Sept. 10 - Sept. 13 at 1440 Multiversity in California. Check it out!

Details here:

"From outdoor sessions under the canopy of thousand-year-old redwoods, to fireside chats around roaring fire pits, this year's Gathering venue - 1440 Multiversity - specializes in curated experiences that inspire the best in the human spirit to cultivate the greater good.

What we're excited about:

• Community-centric and purpose-driven programming designed to explore ideas and catalyze investments in nature-based solutions, the inclusive economy, equitable health, alternative energy, futurist food systems, & more...

  Trusted and deep relationships with values-aligned investors, founders, fund managers, academics, and impact leader

• Investment opportunities and tools for accelerating capital into enduring and equitable impact"

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⭐ My guest on this podcast was Howard Fischer, the Chief Evangelist at Gratitude Railroad.

Gratitude Railroad's mission is to support investors in moving capital from traditional finance to impact investments that create deep social and environmental impact, without compromising financial returns.

His bio on the GR website is delightful in its brevity and insight into who he is. And I quote:

“Uphill over downhill; Snow over sand; Read over watch; Trees over skyscrapers; Pizza over steak; Conversation over gossip; Disagree over agree; Instinct over spreadsheets; Relationship over contract.”

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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:

• His 40 years in hedge funds
• How his rebirth in 2013 while not religious was like a metaphorical move from Gordon Gekko to Dalai Lama
• His financial reckoning during the 2008 financial crisis when his hedge fund went from $3B to $300M
• The risks in wearing the golden handcuffs of fat paychecks from big-brand employers
• How philanthropy is broken, and government is not a great problem solver
• Why we have to move more profit-driven capital to the climate sector
• Examples of the climate investments they’ve made at Gratitude Railroad, including a focus on organic waste management
• His theme of “Free the Money” and related investments in Climate First Bank and First Women’s Bank
• Why we can’t ask people to eat their broccoli (sorry, you have to listen to understand what this means)
• Some of his favorite books, such as The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche, and The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis
• And lots more

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🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate founders, CEOs, and investors scale faster via the #1 peer group community in North America. Our invite-only cohorts grow through monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching calls. Today’s highly vetted members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.

And here's our weekly newsletter — A 2-minute summary of climate tech startups, impact investing, and leading with purpose (and a sense of humor). ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠