The program agenda has been designed in response to participant feedback to the following questions: 

1. What are your burning questions on these topics (sustainable/ESG/SRI investing, intentionally designed endowments)? 
2. What, if any, unique information or expertise might you have to contribute to this conversation? 
3. Please complete this sentence: "This meeting will be successful, if at its conclusion, I ..." 

Program sessions were a combination of brief panel presentations, and plenty of time for dialogue with experts and peers at small tables. The sessions addressed key topics identified by participants, including:

• How to engage stakeholders in constructive dialogue on these topics
• History, background, trends and terminology of sustainable investing
• Financial performance
• Fiduciary duty
• Sustainable investment products and strategies
• What's happening at other institutions

For a list of speakers from past events, please click here. 

For more details about previous events, including videos of panel speaker sessions, please click here.

For a list of institutions represented at the Forum, please click here. 

 

Program Agenda

 

Monday, November 9^th

 

12:00-1:00    Registration and networking 

 

1:00-1:15       Welcome remarks

• Wim Wiewel, President, Portland State University

 

1:15-1:35       Context and higher education’s sustainability leadership

• Georges Dyer, Principal, Intentional Endowments Network
• Barbara Simonetti, Chair, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation

 

1:35-2:00       Dialogue: Why are you here?

• Where is your institution on the spectrum of intentionally designed endowments?  What are the issues on your campuses – what stakeholder concerns are presenting challenges?

 

2:00-2:40       Panel: An Overview of Sustainable Investing: History, Trends, and Strategies

• Bennett Freeman, Investment Consultant
• Tom Kuh, Executive Director, MSCI
• Sonal Mahida, Senior Network Consultant, Principles for Responsible Investment

 

2:40-3:00       Dialogue:  Understanding sustainable investing

                       

3:00-3:15       Break

 

3:15-3:25       Stories Across the Spectrum:

• Chris O’Brien, Lecturer, Kogod School of Business, American University and Director of Higher Education Programs, Altenex

 

3:25-4:05       Panel: Performance – Measuring Financial and Social Impact

• Sarah Cleveland,Founder & CEO, Sarah Cleveland Consulting
• Dinah Koehler, Director, UBS Asset Management
• Ken Locklin, Managing Director, Impax Asset Management
• Glen Yelton, Head of Impact Research, SNW Asset Management

 

4:05-4:45       Dialogue:  The business case

• How might you use this information to support conversations on your campus?

  

4:45-5:30       ‘Popcorn’ Presentations: Strategies for Sustainable Investing

• Sam Sussman, Alternative Investment Group
• Wes Selke, Better Ventures
• Robert Schultz, Greentech Capital Advisors
• John Chaimanis, Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure
• David Miller, Clean Energy Venture Fund
• Kevin Lehman, Research Analyst, Breckinridge Capital Advisors
• Patrick Drum, Saturna Capital
• Charles Sandmel, Shelton Capital Management
• Stephen Scofield, South Pole Group
• Mark Orlowski, Sustainable Endowments Institute

 

5:30-6:00       Break

 

6:00-7:00       Networking reception

 

7:00-9:00       Dinner and Keynote

• Robert Litterman, Chair or the Risk Committee, Kepos Capital, LP

 

 

Tuesday, November 10^th

 

7:00-8:30       Networking breakfast

 

8:30-8:40       Dialogue: Review / preview

 

8:40-8:50       Story from Across the Spectrum

• Amy Jaffe, Senior Advisor, Energy and Sustainability, University of California Regents

 

8:50-9:30       Panel: Sustainable Investing and the Responsible Fiduciary

• Susan Gary, Professor, University of Oregon School of Law
• Keith Johnson, Institutional Investor Services Chair, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
• Jonas Kron, Senior Vice President, Trillium Asset Management 

 

9:30-10:00    Peer Dialogue: Engaging trustees on questions of fiduciary duty

 

10:00-10:15  Break

 

10:15–10:25   Stories Across the Spectrum

• Felicia Davis, Managing Director, Building Green Campuses, Clark Atlanta University 

 

10:25-11:00  Panel: From Creating the Investment Beliefs Statement to Portfolio Construction

• David Dinerman, Trustee, Hampshire College
• Alice DonnaSelva, Investment Consultant, Prime Buchholz
• Michael Pearce, Managing Director, Cambridge Associates
• Alex Bernhardt, Principal, Head of Responsible Investment, US, Mercer

 

11:00 -11:30   Dialogue: Putting institutional values into action in the portfolio

 

11:30–12:00   Open Space Session: Engaging the Network on Your Issues

• Participant-organized small group discussions on topics of interest to participants

 

12:00-1:00    Lunch

• Open space conversations continue through lunch with tables designated for workgroups and/or topics

 

1:00-2:00       Open Space Sessions (cont.)

• Continued peer dialogue on topics of interest to participants

 

2:00-2:15       Break

 

2:15-2:30       Proposals to continue your conversation

• Invitation to propose new Working Groups for the IEN

 

• Robert Nava, President, SF State University Foundation
• Phil King, Director, SF State University Foundation
• Brian Sharpes, UBS Institutional Consulting
• Tanvi Pradhan, Research Assistant - Divestment (formerly), SF State University Foundation

 

2:50-3:20       Action Planning: The Next Chapter of Your Story

• What will you do when you get back to your institution?

 

3:20-3:50       Market Place: Peer-to-Peer Invitation

• Garrett Ashley, Vice Chancellor, University Relations and Advancement, The California State University

                         

3:45-4:00       Closing and Adjourn