US SIF FORUM 2021 Speakers and Agenda Announced

• By: admin
• On: 05/19/2021 05:29:12
• In: Events

Washington, D.C., May 18, 2021 – US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment announced its initial agenda and line-up of speakers for US SIF FORUM 2021. The event marks the organization's 10^th annual conference and activities will take place virtually June 14^th-18^th.

“The confluence of the coronavirus pandemic and its outsized impact on communities of color, a renewed reckoning with racial injustice and a worldwide focus on climate change have led to an acceleration in interest in sustainable and impact investing. This conference is the must-attend event for investors, advisors, companies and policymakers who will hear from experts on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues,” said Lisa Woll, CEO of US SIF.

On June 14^th, US SIF will offer an abbreviated version of its live virtual course on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment. Programming for US SIF Members only is on June 15, including the latest policy briefings as well as a session on the future of sustainable investment. The Annual Conference follows from June 16^th-18^th. Live conference programming will begin each day at 11:00 am ET and will conclude by 2:30 pm ET.

The annual US SIF FORUM gives attendees an opportunity to network with leaders in the sustainable and impact investing community and to learn about new approaches, trends and policy developments. US SIF conferences are focused on a broad range of environmental, social and governance issues, centered on substantive sessions and exciting networking opportunities. Registration is open on the US SIF conference website.
 
Speakers, Agenda and Participants
 
Confirmed speakers include, among others:

• Mehrsa Baradaran, Author of How the Other Half Banks and The Color of Money; Professor of Law at University of California, Irvine
• Judy Heumann, Disability Rights Advocate, featured in Oscar Nominated Film, Crip Camp
• Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft
• Tobias Read, Treasurer, State of Oregon
• Anne-Catherine Husson-Traore, CEO, Novethic
• Kate Finn, Executive Director, First Peoples Worldwide
• Erin Fitzgerald, CEO, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action® (USFRA®)
• Michelle Friedman, Executive Director, MSCI ESG Research
• Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Investing, Impax Asset Management
• Louisa Greve, Director of Global Advocacy, Uyghur Human Rights Project
• Edward Kamonjoh, Director of Impact Management, Calvert Research and Management
• Erika Karp, Chief Impact Officer, Pathstone
• Amy Hall, Social Consciousness Strategic Advisor, Eileen Fisher
• Esohe Denise Odaro, Head of Investor Relations, International Finance Corporation
• Shawn Escoffery, Executive Director, Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation
• Yusuf George, Managing Director of Corporate Engagement, JUST Capital
• Tina Owens, Senior Director of Food and Agriculture Impact, Danone North America
• Jim Roach, Senior Vice President of Retirement Strategies, Natixis Investment Managers
• Lisa Mensah, President and CEO, Opportunity Finance Network 

Selected sessions:

• Addressing the racial wealth gap and financial inclusion  
• The latest policy briefings from US SIF, interwoven throughout Member Day and the conference
• Examining the future of investing in regenerative agriculture 
• Investing in racial justice 
• The potential role of auditing as a gamechanger for ESG disclosure
• Achieving a just economic transition
• An overview of the major international ESG related regulatory shifts and implications for US regulation and investors
• Identifying and addressing climate risk in portfolios
• The intersection of human rights issues and company supply chain risks
• Sustainable investment and advancing disability inclusion in the workplace
• Four sessions designed for (but not exclusively for) financial advisors

The complete 2021 conference speaker lineup and a detailed agenda is available on the US SIF conference website.
 
Participants at this year's conference include representatives from investment management and advisory firms, foundations and family offices, research firms and rating agencies, financial planners and advisors, universities, broker-dealers and community development institutions, federal government and private and public corporations.

In addition, the Peter DeSimone Student Scholarship Program, now in its eighth year, provides up to twenty undergraduate or graduate students interested in a career in sustainable investment with an opportunity to attend US SIF FORUM 2021. Scholarship recipients will be announced in late May.

2021 Sponsors

Committed sponsors for the 2021 conference include:

Lead Sponsor: Calvert Research and Management
Prime Sponsors: Aegon Asset Management, CRF USA, FAIRR Initiative, Natural Investments LLC, Parnassus Investments, Pathstone and Trillium Asset Management
Engagement Sponsor: ClearBridge Investments
Virtual Technology Sponsor: Natixis Investment Managers
Supporting Sponsors: Carillon Tower Advisers, Dana Investment Advisors, Envest, Impax Asset Management and North Sky Capital
Peter DeSimone Scholarship Sponsors: Boston Trust Walden, Calvert Impact Capital, Praxis Mutual Funds and PIMCO
Contributing Sponsors: Allianz Investment Management, Bain Capital, Incapital, MSCI, Nuveen, Self Help Credit Union and RK Invest Law, PBC.

This event is also supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

Firms interested in sponsoring the 2021 conference can learn more here.

About US SIF
 
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable and impact investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, community investing organizations and nonprofit associations.
 
US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research activities to advance the mission of US SIF.

Learn more at ussif.org.