Meet the five impact ventures we invested in 2022
It’s 2023. We are expanding our team, perspective, and objectives as a family office. We’ve kicked off the year with a fully refreshed website design to reflect how we are growing. Last year, impact investing became a more significant focus for our team, especially for Jake Sandler, who manages the Temerity Impact Fund.
Outlining our goals for this year begins with taking a step back to ask ourselves how we did in 2022. Did we discover new founders making their marks and finding solutions to impact positive and substantial change in various social sectors? While we only hit 50% of the goal we set last year, we’re proud of the people we met, the ideas they shared with us, and the courage they have for taking the first important step forward in making this world better than they found it.
The conditions we set for our threshold of impact investing include:
- companies that promote financial inclusion,
- prioritize impact SaaS,
- improve mental health,
- build climate solutions,
- and companies that were founded by overlooked and underserved founders.
Meet the five ventures we invested in that met our threshold for impact, with two being women-founded and women-led (BrightAction and 4PFoods). We looking forward to seeing how they grow in 2023.
Fennel
Fennel is a mobile investing app that distinguishes itself from other investing platforms through its Environmental, Social, and Governance tools.
The power and control corporations have amassed have piqued consumers’ interest in company policies and practices. People are more in touch and concerned with a company’s principles now more than ever. Through Fennel, socially conscious investors and stakeholders can see what social and environmental impacts a company of interest is making and the internal standards it sets for how fairly its company is run.
BrightAction
BrightAction advocates for climate change solutions by providing companies and teams with strategies and plans to reduce their carbon footprints through actionable solutions.
The big idea behind BrightAction is to meet the global goal of reducing 50% of emissions by 2030 and be net zero by 2050. They realize those goals need the backing of not just a few but many. That’s why they orient their platform for corporate teams and community organizations. With advanced analytics to create personalized experiences and track users’ progress, the platform helps teams form and maintain sustainable lifestyles.
Manual
Manual is all about cultivating a self-improvement community for men.
With access to dozens of online classes and trainings as well as moderated community forums where users can take part in open and honest conversations with others, Manual helps men form, reach, and maintain their emotional, physical, and mental health goals. The online sessions cover a wide array of topics on developing life purposes, fitness fundamentals, and sexual health and wellness. Each user can also chat anonymously with a trained Health Guide who can also keep them accountable for the goals they set.
4PFoods
4PFoods is working to make regenerative and equitable food systems the norm for food distribution and consumption.
Regenerative farming practices rehabilitate and holistically enhance the soil health of many farms, which can stabilize the earth’s carbon cycle. These practices diverge from standard industrial farming methods that increase greenhouse gas emissions and pollute the environment. 4P Foods works with independent farmers who partake in these regenerative practices and encourages more farmers to use these methods. Residents in the DMV area can purchase locally and responsibly sourced groceries through its eCommerce store at 4Pfoods.com and sign up for weekly or bi-weekly subscription produce, protein, or fruit bags. 4P Foods also delivers wholesale quantities of locally-harvested food to universities, school systems, restaurants, grocery stores, and other retailers and markets.
Percent Pledge
Percent Pledge is an employee engagement SaaS company helping companies engage their workforce for workplace philanthropy and social impact.
While many workers’ day-to-day lives are often focused on making ends meet, many don’t have the additional capacity to campaign or volunteer for social or environmental causes. Percent Pledge creates and nurtures a work-advocacy balance with its Workplace Giving Platform, where social impact experts offer corporations and their workers a single source for donations, volunteering, charity vetting, and impact reports.
With 2023 in our sights, we’re interested in discovering and investing in more startups specializing in financial inclusion, climate-fintech, climate SaaS, and mental health and maintaining our commitment to fund overlooked founders and companies building impact-as-a-service.
