Have you ever felt the ick factor? That’s that icky feeling when you believe in certain values (social justice, environmental progress, etc.), but know that your money is supporting all the things you hate (sweatshops, private prisons, fossil fuels, etc.). Synonym: steel plate in the head phenomena (keeping your social values on the left, investments on the right). I’ve spent the last 17 years influencing over $150 billion from asset owners interested in the prospect of impact investing to align their values and money. And I’m just one of so many people who are making the move into this relatively new, exciting field. You can feel better about what your money is doing in the world (even as it makes you more money). What is impact investing? You may have heard of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors being used as a negative screen on funds and investments by those who want to avoid supporting terrible things. However, more recently the field of those who want their money to do good in the world has adopted the term and practice of impact investing. Impact investing is investing in a way that actively creates positive social and environmental impact, not just avoiding the bad stuff. Done right, impact investing can lead to transformative change.via