Preeti Bhattacharji &Impact Investing: Shaping Communities Through Sustainable Investments

Preeti Bhattacharji, Head of Sustainable Investing at J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank, has a fascinating journey that began as a journalist. Her passion for covering historically marginalized communities around the world eventually intersected with the financial crisis. As she witnessed people losing their homes and entire towns being affected, she realized that she lacked the tools to fully comprehend the situation.

Driven by this realization, Preeti made a bold career pivot. She delved into understanding markets, financial engineering, and the potential impact they could have on communities. Her pivotal question emerged: “If markets can devastate a community, could they also be harnessed to improve a community?”

In this episode, Preeti joins host Grant Oliphant to explore the world of impact investing. Impact investing goes beyond traditional grantmaking; it involves large organizations strategically using their assets to drive positive social change. Impact investing allows for a dedication of resources which provides an alignment in organizational values while producing a financial return. Preeti shares her insights and experiences, shedding light on how sustainable investments can shape communities. By aligning investment decisions with values, organizations can create a positive ripple effect that extends far beyond financial returns.

Preeti Bhattacharji’s expertise bridges the gap between finance and social impact, making her a valuable advocate for sustainable investing. Tune in to discover how impact investing can transform communities and contribute to a better world.

Terminology you may want to know before listening to this episode:

• Below/still market rate returns: where a price or order is less than the current market price.
• Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing: used to screen investments based on corporate policies and to encourage companies to act responsibly.
• Fiduciary duty: legal responsibility to act solely in the best interest of another party.
• Financial materiality: a concept determining whether the omission or misstatement of information in a financial report would impact a reasonable user's decision-making.
• Greenwashing: the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice
• Impact investing: Impact investments are investments made with the intention of generating positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
• Market-driven returns: the gain or loss an investment generates over time.
• Private equity: capital investments made in companies that are not publicly traded
• Repricing assets: To change the price of a stock or other asset.
• Secondary Market: a market where investors purchase securities or assets from other investors.
• Proxy voting: allows shareholders to vote when they can't attend a shareholder meeting.

Financial definitions sourced from Investopedia.com

Special Note: While Prebys Foundation is a client of J.P. Morgan Chase, this episode is purely educational and should not be considered as financial advice.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation.

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Assistance by Tess Karesky

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Recorded at the Voice of San Diego Podcast Studio

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