“We have shown that you can raise billions of dollars of impact capital, but we have not shown that you can create billions of dollars worth of impact. ”
— Jed Emerson
Today, I’m excited to sit down with Jed Emerson once again. Jed is the first guest ever to make a second appearance on the show, and I enjoyed filling in a few gaps from the intervening years.
Jed is a true impact pioneer and has spent decades thinking about and exploring how to create impact and value that is in alignment with who you are – your values, your goals, and your purpose.
Jed’s impact journey began in the gritty Tenderloin district of San Francisco, California, where he founded a homeless youth center at the height of the AIDS epidemic. This experience led to his dissatisfaction with the nonprofit sector, where funding was too often hinged on politics, persuasion, and perception rather than on real performance.
He wanted to rewrite that script.
By a stroke of serendipity, Jed crossed paths with George Roberts – the “R” in the renowned global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). Roberts was searching for a way to do good with his wealth that didn’t feel empty or disconnected from his business roots.
Together, they launched an experimental private equity fund where he learned firsthand that social progress and financial savvy don’t have to sit at opposite ends of the table. They can be integrated into what Jed later called “blended value.”
Fast forward to the present, and Jed is now the Chief Impact Officer at AlTi Tiedemann Global, which is a global wealth management firm, guiding next-generation family members who are questioning the purpose of their inherited wealth.
But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a victory lap story. Jed remains as restless and inquisitive as ever, living by his five-year cycles of asking (and answering) life’s biggest questions about capital, community, and our collective future.
And if you need any proof that Jed is never short on surprises, his book, ‘The Purpose of Capital’ inspired a music video. Yes, you read that right: a music video about impact investing.
In this episode, Jed speaks about impact investing’s greatest hurdle: making sure real, measurable outcomes aren’t lost in a swirl of good intentions and slick marketing. Along the way, he explains why every investment – whether it is in public equities or in niche private investments – carries an undeniable social and environmental footprint.
If you’re ready to think differently about the purpose of wealth and the purpose of capital, join us today to hear a stimulating conversation on how Jed approaches capital with a blunt blend of pragmatic investing and discipline and the moral imperative to leave our world better than we found it.
His story will remind you that success isn’t just about the size of your returns. It’s about finding new questions worth asking time after time.
Tune in to learn more.
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 Jed Emerson: LinkedIn, BlueSky, website
- AITi Tiedemann website
- AlTi Tiedemann LinkedIn
- Toniic Institute
- GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network)
- Book: Impact Investing: Transforming How We Make Money While Making a Difference
- Book: The Purpose of Capital: Elements of Impact, Financial Flows, and Natural Being
- Music video: ‘What If’
- Jed’s first appearance on the SRI360 podcast: listen / watch
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:23] Disenchantment with the nonprofit sector
[09:27] Setting up the first experimental fund with George Roberts
[11:41] Advising family offices
[12:41] The merger of Tiedemann Advisors with Alvarium to create AlTi Tiedemann Global
[18:03] AlTi Tiedemann Global – a high-level overview
[23:16] Sustainability and impact in the wealth management area
[27:25] Translating family values into investment strategies
[37:15] Emerging patterns in family impact preferences
[42:00] Impact measurements and the risk of “cheap impact”
[45:07] Greenwashing & green hushing
[49:47] Jed’s Book ‘Impact Investing’ & the concept of ‘blended value’
[59:39] Jed’s book ‘The Purpose of Capital’
[01:05:40] The music video inspired by ‘The Purpose of Capital’
[01:11:26] Evolution of blended value
[01:13:54] Evolution of blended value
[01:17:26] Rapid Fire Questions
MORE JED EMERSON QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“More and more families are asking: What is the purpose of my capital? It’s not just about growing money anymore. It’s about finding significance, making investments that align with your values, and creating impact that extends beyond just profit. ”
— Jed Emerson
“Impact investing is what we do. Blended value is what we create. ”
— Jed Emerson
