Season 3

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of domestic violence. Please listen at your own discretion.

Episode Description. What does financial freedom mean to you? For many survivors of domestic violence, financial freedom means having the ability to leave an abusive relationship. Financial, gender-based violence is expensive, and 84% of survivors identify financial insecurity as their biggest barrier to safety. In this episode, Kimberly Jones and Nuray Ozbay from Self-Help Credit Union and Amy Durrence from FreeFrom talk with us about how allies can actually use their investments to support survivors of economic violence and help them achieve financial independence.

Featuring:
Amy Durrence, Director of Systems Change Initiatives, FreeFrom

Kimberly Jones, Director of Community Engagement-Midwest, Self-Help Federal Credit Union

Nuray Ozbay, Investment Officer, Self-Help Federal Credit Union 

Episode Description. After a year where The Barbie Movie, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce have all broken records in the entertainment industry, the world has gotten a glimpse of the economic power of women. According to the US Department of State, the financial contributions of women are vital for achieving a more stable and secure financial system. In this episode guests Beth Bafford and Anna Mabrey from Calvert Impact share why investing in gender equity is not just good for women – it’s good for business and good for society.

Featuring:
Anna Mabrey, Director, Investor Relations, Calvert Impact

Beth Bafford, Vice President, Syndications and Strategy, Calvert Impact

About Calvert Impact.
Calvert Impact is a nonprofit investment firm that has helped thousands of people and institutions channel over $2 billion in impact investments to social enterprises throughout the US and around the world.

Episode Description. According to a new study, Black and Hispanic real estate developers together make up less than 1 percent of their industry. This gap in the real estate industry isn’t just a representation crisis, it’s also a huge missed opportunity – the study estimates a more diverse industry could create more than $100 billion in new revenue. Investing in systemic change could close this gap and actually bring lasting economic growth to many communities. US Bancorp Impact Finance, a subsidiary of US Bank, has taken a lead role in addressing systemic issues by investing in community development across the nation. In this episode Miranda Walker, US Bancorp’s Affordable Housing Impact Capital Manager, shares how they are creatively working with CDFIs and BIPOC led developers to uplift local communities.

About Miranda. Miranda Walker joined U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance in 2022. In her role as impact capital manager, Miranda focuses on deploying capital to emerging developers of color. Prior to joining U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, she managed the development of affordable housing in the Twin Cities. Her nearly 15 years of development experience involved feasibility analyses, site acquisition, entitlement, design development, construction management, financial modeling, tax credit application and financing, and permanent financing conversion. In addition to her affordable housing work, Miranda has served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Brooklyn Park and as a volunteer for Hands On Twin Cities and Habitat for Humanity. Currently, she serves on the board of Alliance Housing and provides advisory support for Twin Cities LISC. Miranda earned a B.A. in Studies of Cinema and Media Culture and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Episode Description. Climate change is impacting not only our oceans and ozone, but our own cities and homes. That means there are environmental, economic, and social repercussions that we have to start thinking about today. Investing in climate resilience means finding ways to prepare people and communities for our climate-changed world. In this episode, Andrew Crosson and Baylen Campbell from Invest Appalachia share how they are using the existing strengths of Central Appalachia and economic development to create a climate-resilient region.

About Invest Appalachia.
Invest Appalachia is a regional blended capital platform, designed to accelerate and expand community investment across Central Appalachia.

About Andrew.
As Invest Appalachia’s founding CEO, Andrew (he/him/his) is responsible for overall strategy and impact. Andrew has been integral to the planning and design of IA since its inception. Previously, Andrew worked for 9 years with Rural Support Partners to advance community economic development in Appalachia, leading major initiatives related to local food systems development, clean energy, impact investing, network development, non-profit management, and strategic planning. Andrew was born and raised on a family farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina. 

About Baylen.
Baylen Campbell (he/him/his) is Invest Appalachia’s Director of Community Impact. Originally from and based in Hazard, Kentucky Baylen brings experience working as an economic development and social impact practitioner. In partnership with the Community Advisory Council Baylen leads IA’s Catalytic Capital development, deployment, and community accountability. Additionally, he manages IA’s impact measurement, policy research, and partnership development with a focus on capacity building. He is passionate about utilizing strategic communications and storytelling to shift outdated narratives of Appalachia.

Episode Description. To “MacGuyver” something is to use something in an inventive way, using what you have in a creative way to repair or make something new. In the context of finance, traditional capital systems don’t always work with the resources we have on hand, so many of us find ways to “MacGuyver” money to fit our needs as best we can. In this episode, Lakota Vogel shares how Four Bands Community Fund finds inventive solutions to make products and services that work for local Indigenous communities. Four Bands translates the traditional Lakota values of self-sufficiency, wise resource management, and a spirit of entrepreneurship into practical applications for today’s modern economy.

About Lakota.
Lakota Vogel is the Executive Director at Four Bands. In this role, Lakota provides leadership for Four Bands, establishes new and fosters existing partnerships, and leads and manages efforts to reach organizational goals. Prior to becoming the Executive Director, Lakota served as the Assistant Director at Four Bands for five years. Before Four Bands, Lakota taught on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation at Todd County High School with Teach for America. Lakota obtained a BA in Sociology at the University of Notre Dame and an MA in Social Work Degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Lakota also completed a summer fellowship with National Congress of American Indians, served on the Native American Alumni Board of Directors at the University of Notre Dame, and initiated program evaluations at the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. In recognition of her leadership, initiative, and dedication, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development named Lakota as part of its 2018 class of “Native American 40 under 40.” Currently, Lakota serves on USDA’s Equity Commission and sits on the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ board of directors. Lakota is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Episode Description. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with almost 2.2 million people in prison, and 1 in 7 Americans have an immediate family member incarcerated for more than a year. And yet the prison-industrial complex remains a robust, well-funded system. The right data gives us not only a picture of the dire state of incarceration, but a powerful tool to invest in social change. In this episode, Tanay Tatum-Edwards, Founder & CEO of FreeCap Financial, shares how social justice-informed financial data can help investors take real action against mass incarceration.

About Tanay.
Tanay Tatum-Edwards is the founder and CEO of FreeCap Financial, Inc, a research company that provides investors and money managers with intelligent, social-justice oriented data to equip individuals and collectives with the tools they need to enact positive change in this world. Before FreeCap, she developed a lifelong commitment to using investment strategies to create systemic social change while working in asset management. Tanay has multiple loved ones impacted by mass incarceration and is committed to using her expertise to address it. Prestigious fellowships have supported her work, including Echoing Green, Fulbright, Halcyon Incubator, and Roddenberry Foundation.

Tanay regularly shares insights from FreeCap’s research at events, including SOCAP, Confluence Philanthropy, Stanford University, Vassar College, Tufts University, Georgetown University, and Yale University. Her thought leadership has been spotlighted in major news outlets, including MarketWatch. A foodie, NBA fan, and lover of hip-hop, Tanay received an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where her classmates elected her commencement speaker, and a B.A. in Africana Studies & Sociology from Vassar College, where she served as student body president.

Episode Description. What does it really mean to invest in social justice, and how do we know it’s making a difference?  And is it something everyone can do? In this episode, Rachel Robasciotti, Founder & CEO of Adasina Social Capital,  joins us to share how they have answered these questions. We’ll talk about how Rachel and Adasina combine data and financial activism to make social justice investing accessible for everyday investors.

About Rachel.
Rachel J. Robasciotti is the CEO and Founder of Adasina Social Capital, an investment and financial activism firm that serves as a critical bridge between financial markets and social justice movements. Rachel’s passion for social justice investing is rooted in her background as a Black, queer woman and growing up in a community that struggled for safety and financial security within a rural town that was largely segregated. Rachel is a fierce advocate for social justice in the financial industry and is regularly featured in the media as a leader in the field for integrating issues of racial, gender, economic, and climate justice into investment portfolios.

Episode Description. What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) have to do with financial activism? And what should investors know as the field continues to evolve? This episode Renegade is joined by Katy Knight, President & Executive Director, Siegel Family Endowment and Deepti Doshi, Co-Director, New_Public to learn more about AI and innovation in this field. Our guests share how leveraging technology for the public good is a critical part of building inclusive access to information, education, and wealth-building opportunities.   

About Deepti.
Deepti Doshi is a community organizer who has been working at the intersection of social change, social media, and leadership development across the private, non-profit and public sectors. As a Director at Meta, Deepti helped establish the New Product Experimentation team and created the Community Partnerships team. She founded Haiyya, India’s largest community organizing platform; Escuela Nueva India, an education company that serves the urban poor; the Fellows Program at Acumen Fund to build leaders for the social enterprise sector.

About Katy.
Katy Knight is President and Executive Director of Siegel Family Endowment, a foundation focused on the nexus of technology and society. Beginning as Deputy Executive Director in 2017, she has pioneered an inquiry-driven approach to philanthropy, grounded in the scientific method and centered on reframing big questions and learning alongside grantees. Katy has been recognized for her leadership in Crain’s Notable Black Leaders in 2022, and City & State’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in 2015. She previously led Community Engagement at Two Sigma and held positions on Google’s Communications and Public Affairs teams, where she acted as a liaison to stakeholders in local government, communities, and nonprofits.