Not everyone experiences climate change in the same way. The impacts of climate change are more harmful to those with fewer financial resources, and those who do not have the ability to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels, higher temperatures, lower crop yields, or declining water and air quality.
In the midst of the economic turmoil that followed the Covid 19 lockdowns, one commentator on National Public Radio remarked that “we are all in the same storm but we’re not all in the same boat.” In other words, the severity of the impact on families and individuals was inversely proportional to the economic resources that could be marshaled to address the challenges. The results, as we know, were anything but equitable.
Hiring top talent is crucial to company financial performance. And as we have seen recently with low unemployment rates, retaining that talent is equally crucial. Companies cannot afford to discriminate based on gender, either consciously or unconsciously. Gender equity is in everyone’s interests, including shareholders.
It’s a reasonable question. Racial equity and social justice are increasingly important to many investors, but are they investable ideas? We believe the answer is yes, but that successfully incorporating these values into a portfolio requires a very different approach from that taken by traditional Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds.
Before founding Adasina Social Capital, Rachel Robasciotti had already built a successful values-driven wealth management firm. So, she knew from experience what clients mean when they say, “I want to make a difference with my money.” Not only were her diverse group of clients interested in making investments having a positive impact, but they also wanted a management team that represented them. Rachel and her team really wanted to fulfill their clients’ desire for impact but weren’t happy with the ETF or mutual fund options available. So, they decided to create a fund that would check all the boxes.
Thus, JSTC was born! Created and managed by a Black woman-owned asset management firm with a diverse staff, this ETF offers advisors a diversified, cost-effective public equities portfolio that aligns with their client’s values and uses tried-and-true investing methods.
JSTC is an easy-to-purchase public equities ETF that is screened for racial, gender, economic, and climate justice. In addition to excluding companies that fail social justice criteria, JSTC enables investors to contribute to large-scale systemic change through Adasina’s leading-edge approach to advocacy and engagement.
