Launch of the Crowdfunding Campaign for the Haas Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Fund
By Jo Mackness, Executive Director, Center for Responsible Business
Last week, we gave you a preview into our new crowdfunding campaign that the Center for Responsible Business (CRB) is launching today to raise $100,000 for our groundbreaking, student-run Haas Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Fund.
I am thrilled to let you know that the campaign for the Haas SRI Fund is now up and running! You can click HERE to donate today.
Your donation will elevate student learning to a new level, enhance the Fund’s influence and shape new leaders in sustainable finance. Jumpstarting our efforts, Haas alumnus Charlie Michaels, BS ’78 and a force behind starting the Haas SRI Fund, has offered to match every dollar donated during this campaign (turning $100,000 into $200,000).
All of the money raised will go directly to the Fund to be invested by Berkeley-Haas student principals, providing them the opportunity to experience the fiduciary responsibility of managing a multi-asset class fund. To get a better understanding about what motivates students to get involved with managing the Fund (it’s a hefty three semester commitment and competitive application process) and what they expect to learn, we caught up with one of the principals, Chad Reed.
The “Impatient Optimist”
Chad Reed, a first-year Berkeley-Haas MBA student and CRB Alumni Scholar, describes himself as an “impatient optimist”. He recently joined the Haas SRI Fund because he is interested in exploring solutions to overcome persistent challenges impeding the flow of capital to socially responsible ventures, clean energy technologies, and climate resilient infrastructure. “I am passionate about fostering shared and environmentally sustainable prosperity,” he explains.
His background and excitement over learning about socially responsible investing is typical of the strength and quality of Haas students. He has years of experience under his belt working in the field of energy and sustainability, including working with the Rockefeller Foundation on the financing of urban sustainability projects such as renewable power generation, stormwater retrofits, and universal energy access projects. “Through that role I became very interested in accelerating finance to socially responsible causes more broadly,” shares Chad. Through interfacing with some investors, he came to see the centrality of finance to the successful completion of sustainability projects.
The Haas SRI Fund was of interest to Chad in part because he does not have a traditional banking background. Chad concludes: “Honing my expertise on the intricacies of investment management and gaining additional exposure to equity analysis and corporate valuation were very attractive to me personally.”
Coming Up
To share the importance of the Haas SRI Fund and the great impact your donation will have on its students, we will continue to feature some of the many people involved with the Fund in the coming weeks. If you have been inspired, you can learn more and donate here. Please join us and help to spread the word with your networks too!
