OBERLIN COLLEGE IMPACT INVESTMENT SYMPOSIUM
Hosted by the Oberlin Investment Committee, Oberlin Investment Office, and the Impact Investment Advisory Group, the second edition of the Oberlin Impact Investment Symposium will take place virtually on April 23, 2025. It will engage participants in structural and exploratory discussions on various critical themes at the forefront of sustainable investing for college endowments.
The symposium aims to help those entrusted with the growth and management of endowments to navigate the complex issue of fiduciary roles and responsibilities within impact-focused portfolios, guiding participants in understanding their role as stewards of ethical investments.
Further themes that will be explored include What the AI Investment Boom Means for Emissions Reductions, Targets, and Goals, Microfinance and CDFIs: Recent Developments and Opportunities for Impact, Burning Questions to Ask Your Investment Manager, and Navigating Impact Investing Amidst Increased Monitoring. Together, we aim to shine a spotlight on broader sustainability efforts related to climate change and the journey for educational institutions toward net-zero goals.
Please join Oberlin College and a network of peer institutions to be part of transformative work shaping the future of investing for education institutions.
The symposium aims to help those entrusted with the growth and management of endowments to navigate the complex issue of fiduciary roles and responsibilities within impact-focused portfolios, guiding participants in understanding their role as stewards of ethical investments.
Further themes that will be explored include What the AI Investment Boom Means for Emissions Reductions, Targets, and Goals, Microfinance and CDFIs: Recent Developments and Opportunities for Impact, Burning Questions to Ask Your Investment Manager, and Navigating Impact Investing Amidst Increased Monitoring. Together, we aim to shine a spotlight on broader sustainability efforts related to climate change and the journey for educational institutions toward net-zero goals.
Please join Oberlin College and a network of peer institutions to be part of transformative work shaping the future of investing for education institutions.
In Partnership with the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN).
The Intentional Endowments Network is a non-profit, peer-learning network advancing intentionally designed endowments that seek to enhance financial performance by making investments that advance an equitable, low-carbon, and regenerative economy. Working closely with leading organizations, the network engages leaders and key stakeholders from higher education, foundations, business, and nonprofits. It provides opportunities for learning and education, peer networking, convening, thought leadership, and information exchange around various strategies (e.g., ESG integration, impact investing, and shareholder engagement).
Schedule and Speakers
Session 1 | What the AI Investment Boom Means for Emissions Reductions, Targets, and Goals
Faith Taylor
SVP, Global Sustainability and Social Impact Officer at Kyndryl
Faith Taylor is a purpose-driven executive dedicated to advancing global businesses through strategic environmental and social initiatives. As the SVP, Global Sustainability and Social Impact Officer at Kyndryl, Faith plays a key role in aligning corporate strategies with global sustainability regulations, including CSRD, ISSB, and EU Taxonomy. Her leadership has earned Kyndryl recognition as one of the top 200 global sustainable companies.
Previously, as Senior VP of CSR and Chief Sustainability Officer at Wyndham Worldwide, she led initiatives that resulted in Wyndham being named the greenest hospitality company by Newsweek and earning the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Industry Leader title.
Faith has been honored as a Top 250 Sustainability Leader by Sustainability Magazine, a Top 10 Woman in ESG, and one of the Top 100 Women in Sustainability 2024—a testament to her commitment to driving environmental and social impact at a global scale.
Session 2 | Microfinance and CDFIs: Recent Developments and Opportunities for Impact
Mark Pinsky
Founding Partner of CDFI Friendly America, President FiveFour Advisors.
Mark Pinsky is a pioneering leader in community finance, dedicated to aligning capital with justice and expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities. As the Founding Partner of CDFI Friendly America, he works to connect the $500 billion Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry with under-resourced people and places.
With a career spanning strategic consulting, financial innovation, and advocacy, Mark also leads FiveFour Advisors, where he advises organizations at the intersection of money and purpose. His impact includes the development of The CDFI Fund, The Equity Equivalent (EQ2) product, The NEXT Awards for Opportunity Finance, and the AERIS Ratings System—all instrumental in shaping the modern CDFI landscape.
From 1995 to 2016, Mark served as President & CEO of Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), becoming a national voice for mission-driven finance. He is also an accomplished author and thought leader, co-writing Organized Money: How Progressives Can Leverage the Financial System to Work for Them, Not Against Them and Opportunity. For All.: The Story of CDFIs.
A sought-after public speaker and strategist, Mark continues to champion innovative financial solutions that drive social impact and economic justice.
Session 3 | Burning Questions to Ask your Investment Manager
Eli Dalven '16
Impact Investing and Governance Specialist at Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Trust.
Eli Dalven, Impact Investing and Governance Specialist at Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Trust, helps fiduciaries and investors direct capital toward projects that generate financial, social, and environmental returns. He is responsible for administering approximately $70 million of high-impact investments for private clients of the Sustainability Group, part of LWC. Since its founding in 1987, the Sustainability Group has helped clients align their portfolios with their values through a combination of active stock selection, corporate engagement and shareholder advocacy, and high-impact investing in community development organizations. In addition, Eli leads the firm’s corporate governance research efforts, helping to ensure that proxy votes align with LWC’s Proxy Voting Guidelines.
A graduate of Oberlin College, Eli has long been committed to sustainability and economic justice. As an economics and politics double major, he was involved in a variety of student organizations that focused on labor rights, environmental justice, and responsible investment—the latter helped Oberlin College establish an Impact Investing Platform within its endowment, which in turn, led to the work of the Impact Investing Advisory Group (IIAG) today. His passion for mission-driven finance stems from a belief that capital allocation can and should address critical global challenges
A graduate of Oberlin College, Eli has long been committed to sustainability and economic justice. As an economics and politics double major, he was involved in a variety of student organizations that focused on labor rights, environmental justice, and responsible investment—the latter helped Oberlin College establish an Impact Investing Platform within its endowment, which in turn, led to the work of the Impact Investing Advisory Group (IIAG) today. His passion for mission-driven finance stems from a belief that capital allocation can and should address critical global challenges