“Persistence and perseverance always open up new doors – when you keep knocking, one will open. ”
— Ben Dear
Today, I’m joined by Ben Dear, Founder and CEO of Osmosis Investment Management, and this is the first part of a story that is anything but ordinary.
It’s a true odyssey that began in a small town in England, passed through many entrepreneurial experiments, and ultimately led him to found Osmosis – a $17 billion sustainable investment fund.
But Ben’s journey was far from an overnight success. He faced academic struggles, tried his hand at various careers – including managing a Jamaican restaurant and building a software testing company he later sold for millions – and learned important lessons about taking risks and building trust in business.
A pivotal moment in Ben’s life came when he watched ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ which inspired him to align his career with sustainability and create Osmosis based on values and integrity. It combines investment strategies with a focus on environmental impact, using a rare systematic approach that has driven remarkable growth and success with solutions like green indices and ETFs.
In this first part of the interview, Ben openly talks about the highs and lows of his journey, how he overcame early obstacles, and what it took to convince initial investors to believe in his vision.
Tune in for this inspiring conversation about what it really takes to build something impactful from scratch.
P.S. Don’t forget to join us next week as we dive into the second chapter of this story. We’ll talk about how Osmosis is revolutionizing sustainable investing, share the strategies driving its success, and explore why it’s become a leader in aligning finance with environmental values.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Connect with Ben: LinkedIn
- Osmosis website
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:55] Ben’s background, early life, and education
[23:27] Learning from entrepreneurial ventures
[41:24] Building, scaling, and selling a software testing business
[50:34] ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ epiphany and transition to sustainable investing
[01:08:14] Various investment strategies employed by original Osmosis
[01:14:38] Raising capital activities
[01:20:30] Stop selling, start listening to investors
MORE BEN DEAR QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“I just believe if you build a business on values, look after your customers, treat people well, and pay them properly, you can grow something meaningful. ”
— Ben Dear
“It’s great to see your competitors do well – there’s plenty of the pie to go around. Why resort to arbitrary legal processes to lock down talented, driven, and vibrant young people trying to scale their innovative businesses? Sadly, there are people in the world – miserable old toads – who use power, money, and leverage to stifle progress. I never wanted to become one of them. ”
— Ben Dear
