A New Lens Podcast

‘A New Lens’ is a podcast that features conversations between Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, and investors, RIAs, fund managers and philanthropists about their experiences within different impact investing themes as well as explore the power of stewardship and capital.

Most Recent Episode

#70 – Brian Estes on Faith in Bitcoin

#70 – Brian Estes on Faith in Bitcoin

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Brian Estes, CIO of Off the Chain Capital and producer of the upcoming film God Bless Bitcoin. The guys discuss Brian’s long career in financial services, the accident that put him in a wheelchair as a teenager, his...

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Your Host

 

Jeff Shafer
CEO CommonGood Capital

With 25 years of financial services industry experience, Jeff Shafer is Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and sits on the Investment Committee at CommonGood Capital – as well as leads business development, distribution, and strategy.

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#69 – Jerome Ringo on Finding Climate Solutions

#69 – Jerome Ringo on Finding Climate Solutions

Jeff is joined by Jerome Ringo, Chairman of Zoetic Global, which was founded to revolutionize the energy sector through innovative solutions that unleash the power of renewable resources. The guys discuss how Jerome’s transition from a 22-year career in the...

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#68 – Kalen Salmon on Facilitating Second Chances

#68 – Kalen Salmon on Facilitating Second Chances

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, chats with Kalen Salmon, Founder of Identity Ministry - a program that provides material and spiritual support for ex felons returning to society - about his troubled history with the law, his path to living a...

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#67 – Tim Johnson on The Greatest Capital

#67 – Tim Johnson on The Greatest Capital

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, chats with Tim Johnson, the Senior Pastor of Orlando World Outreach Center - about his 9-year NFL career in which he won a Superbowl with the Washington Redskins, dedicating his post football career to ministry in Tennessee and...

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#66 – Sister Charlotte on Charity vs Impact Investing

#66 – Sister Charlotte on Charity vs Impact Investing

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, chats with Sister Charlotte Davenport of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, about how her early life as a biologist in Alaska prepared her for a life as a finance manager, educator, and Impact investor for her congregation, how...

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REPLAY – Pete Leonard on Providing Second Chances

REPLAY – Pete Leonard on Providing Second Chances

In a replay of one of our favorite episodes - Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Pete Leonard, founder and Roast Master of I Have a Bean, on how moving a lot as a child taught him the value of diversity, how a missions trip to Brazil and his...

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#65 – Edmund Higenbottam on Financial Inclusion

#65 – Edmund Higenbottam on Financial Inclusion

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, chats with Edmund Higenbottam, Managing Director of Verdant Capital, discussing his over 20 years of experience in investment capital and investment banking, how his early career in financial services led him to a focus on...

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#64 – Kenny Eck on Prosperity With Purpose

#64 – Kenny Eck on Prosperity With Purpose

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Kenny Eck, Founder and CEO of Patient Sortal, on his favorite part of growing up on a large-production farm, his accelerated educational path the led to 3 degrees in 5.5 years, his shift in focus from medical school...

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#62 – Greg Lanier on Finding Impact by Faith

#62 – Greg Lanier on Finding Impact by Faith

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, chats with Greg Lanier, a pastor and New Testament professor at Reform Theological Seminary, on how his experience in financial services dovetailed nicely into a transition into ministry, how faith-based investors...

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#61 – Alix Lebec on De-Risking Impact and Global Equity

#61 – Alix Lebec on De-Risking Impact and Global Equity

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Alix Lebec, CEO of Lebec Consulting and an entrepreneur and advisor focused on the intersection of impact, philanthropy, and sustainable finance. Alix details her unique formative years growing up as a French citizen...

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#59 – Diane Damskey on Defining Impact

#59 – Diane Damskey on Defining Impact

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Diane Damskey, Head of Secretariat- Operating Principles for Impact Management, on establishing a framework for bringing greater discipline and transparency to the impact investing market, her extensive career in...

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#58 – Paulina Stannard on Changing Perspectives

#58 – Paulina Stannard on Changing Perspectives

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Paulina Stannard, Head of Impact at CI Private Wealth, to chat about how a billionaire client changed her perspective and helped her analytical side and empathetic side combine forces to leverage capital for profit...

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REPLAY: The Second Act of Ron Cordes

REPLAY: The Second Act of Ron Cordes

In a replay of our very first episode that you may have missed the first time around - Jeff speaks with Ron Cordes, a 30+ year veteran of the investment industry, co-founder and former CEO of AssetMark, and co-author of “The Art of Investing”. In 2006 Ron launched the...

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#57 – Toussaint Bailey on Making Money More

#57 – Toussaint Bailey on Making Money More

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Toussaint Bailey, Founder and CEO of Uplifting Capital, to chat about how his “super parents” shaped his outlook on life, his career path from lawyer to manager of lawyers to wealth manager to founder and CEO, how...

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#56 – DIVINE on Financial Empowerment

#56 – DIVINE on Financial Empowerment

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Victor Lombard (aka DIVINE), CEO and founder of Solvent, on his troubled upbringing in Newport, RI leading to his incarceration, to starting a business that facilitates financial education and freedom for those...

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#55 – John Bowman on the Problem With ESG

#55 – John Bowman on the Problem With ESG

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by John Bowman, who serves as Executive Vice President for CAIA Association, to discuss his start in financial services, his eye-opening 14 years at the non-profit CFA Institute, how CAIA protects...

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#54 – Jeff Shinabarger on Supporting Social Entrepreneurs

#54 – Jeff Shinabarger on Supporting Social Entrepreneurs

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jeff Shinabarger, Founder and Executive Director of Plywood People, on his passion for helping people get their ideas off the ground, starting a co-working space for problem solving start-ups, how defining success...

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#53 – Marion Chebet on Integrating Impact

#53 – Marion Chebet on Integrating Impact

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Marion Chebet, Senior Portfolio Manager and Director of Impact Investing at JFG Wealth, on growing up poor in Kenya, her collegiate running career in the US, the process of integrating Impact...

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#52 – Ron Nikkel on Compassionate Criminal Justice

#52 – Ron Nikkel on Compassionate Criminal Justice

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Ron Nikkel, President Emeritus of Prison Fellowship International and author of Hope in the Ruins, on his transition from running a successful business to working with troubled kids, how visiting a prison in Chile...

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#51 – Sam Adams on Inspiring Positive Change

#51 – Sam Adams on Inspiring Positive Change

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Sam Adams, CEO of Vert Asset Management and co-author of Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing, on his experience helping advisors in traditional finance transition from commission to fee-based business, how...

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#50 – Rachel McDonough on Faith-Based Investing

#50 – Rachel McDonough on Faith-Based Investing

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Rachel McDonough, Founder of Wealthfluence and Advisor with Wealth Squared (a team with EverSource Wealth Advisors), an author and financial advisor who is passionate about helping people integrate...

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#49 – Stephen Hester on Managing Risk

#49 – Stephen Hester on Managing Risk

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Stephen Hester, Due Diligence expert and new Vice President of Investments at CommonGood, to talk about how living and learning in Houston drove an interest in energy and energy systems, how stewards of capital are...

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#48 – Jeff Korzenik on Untapped Talent

#48 – Jeff Korzenik on Untapped Talent

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jeff Korzenik, Chief Investment Strategist of Fifth Third Bank and author of Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community, on his path through financial services to bank-based...

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#47 – Chris Bentley on Better Impact Solutions

#47 – Chris Bentley on Better Impact Solutions

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Chris Bentley, Managing Principal of De-Carceration Fund, on his transition from startups to his work in Impact themes like energy, environment, education, and healthcare - leading to his current focus on a fund...

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#46 – Pete Leonard on Providing Second Chances

#46 – Pete Leonard on Providing Second Chances

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Pete Leonard, founder and Roast Master of I Have a Bean, on how moving a lot as a child taught him the value of diversity, how a missions trip to Brazil and his brother-in-law's prison sentence collided to help...

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#45 – Pete Ochs on Pursuing Significance

#45 – Pete Ochs on Pursuing Significance

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Pete Ochs, Founder and Chairman of Capital III, on growing up in Kansas and starting his own investment banking business at the age of 30, his transition from pursuing success to pursuing significance and surrender,...

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#44 – Patrick Fisher on Banking on the Unbanked

#44 – Patrick Fisher on Banking on the Unbanked

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by self-proclaimed “Banking Nerd” Patrick Fisher, Founder and Managing Partner of Creation Investments, to chat about how living in China taught him how important access to banking services was for the poor and the...

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#43 – Sharon Vosmek on Actionable Inclusion

#43 – Sharon Vosmek on Actionable Inclusion

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by economist Sharon Vosmek, CEO and Managing Partner of Astia Fund, to talk about how growing up in Ethiopia, Thailand, and Honduras helped form her life-long focus on actionable inclusion, why she resisted and then...

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#42 – Morgan Simon on Changing the Culture of Money

#42 – Morgan Simon on Changing the Culture of Money

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Morgan Simon, founding partner of Candide Group and author of Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change, to chat about how growing up in a highly segregated Los Angeles taught her to look at money...

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#41 – Sherri Cooke on Educating an Industry

#41 – Sherri Cooke on Educating an Industry

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Sherri Cooke, SVP-Business Development at iCapital Network, founder of AI Insight, Inc, and President of ADISA. Sherri tells the story of how she got into the industry, starting amidst the...

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#40 – Sharna Goldseker on Stewarding a Legacy

#40 – Sharna Goldseker on Stewarding a Legacy

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Sharna Goldseker, a leading expert on multi-generational and next generation philanthropy, to discuss growing up in a major philanthropic family where she was asked for a grant at the age of 14, taking on the...

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#39 – Shundrawn Thomas on Claiming Your Values

#39 – Shundrawn Thomas on Claiming Your Values

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Shundrawn Thomas, President and CEO of Northern Trust Asset Management and author of “Discover Joy in Work: Transforming Your Occupation Into Your Vocation”, to talk about being fascinated by grown-ups in...

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#38 – Kyle Cousins on Finding a Calling

#38 – Kyle Cousins on Finding a Calling

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Kyle Cousins, Orlando area Director of Mission Increase, to discuss being raised in a type-A family, spending a decade of his twenties moving from career to career before finally finding his calling in coaching...

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#37 – Eva Yazhari on Investing With Consciousness

#37 – Eva Yazhari on Investing With Consciousness

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Eva Yazhari, Founder of Beyond Capital and author of 'The Good That Money Can Do', to discuss her early experience in traditional financial services, how her family's experience in Africa motivated a transition...

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#36 – Giti Khalsa on the Rhythm of Investing

#36 – Giti Khalsa on the Rhythm of Investing

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Giti Khalsa, President of Pace Wealth Advisors, to discuss his experience growing up Sikh in Mississippi, his parents cultivating his love for the drums that lead to being a founding member of the platinum...

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#35 – Alexandra Dest on Infusing Love Into Capital

#35 – Alexandra Dest on Infusing Love Into Capital

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Alexandra Dest, founder and CEO of Willow, to talk about her path in financial services from a start in compliance to working her way to a CIO position at Berkshire Bank (all while battling multiple sclerosis),...

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#34 – Bob Doll on 40 Years in Financial Services

#34 – Bob Doll on 40 Years in Financial Services

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Bob Doll, author and commentator and former chief equity strategist at Nuveen and BlackRock, on his long career in the investment management business in large-cap public equities, how he fell in love with...

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#33 – Greg Francis on Justice for Black Farmers

#33 – Greg Francis on Justice for Black Farmers

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Greg Francis, lead counsel for the historic Black Farmers case, a 1.25 billion dollar class action lawsuit for black farmers who faced discrimination by the US Department of Agriculture. The guys discuss Greg’s...

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#32 – Wasswa Robbins on Helping Others

#32 – Wasswa Robbins on Helping Others

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Wasswa Robbins, a high school senior born in Uganda who, after the death of his twin brother and both parents, reached a level of malnourishment that required hospitalization. Later adopted by a christian missionary...

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#31 – Gloria Nelund on Saving Capitalism

#31 – Gloria Nelund on Saving Capitalism

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Gloria Nelund, CEO of TriLinc Global, to chat about her early-life move from Ohio to California where she pivoted from studying to be a teacher to eventually finding success as an executive in financial services,...

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#30 – John Rivers on Faith in Entrepreneurship

#30 – John Rivers on Faith in Entrepreneurship

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by John Rivers, Founder of Four Rivers Smokehouse and CEO of 4Roots, to chat about his transition from a 20 year career in healthcare to the food service industry, how a fundraiser for a little girl with cancer...

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#29 – Russell Ginise on Affordable Housing

#29 – Russell Ginise on Affordable Housing

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Russell Ginise, President of Alliant Strategic Investment, to chat about his time volunteering his legal services to the less fortunate, making the transition to equity investing in Affordable Housing, the...

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#28 – Jeff Shafer on Why Impact is So Powerful

#28 – Jeff Shafer on Why Impact is So Powerful

In a very special episode, we turned the table on Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital and host of this very podcast, to pick his brain on what is and is not impact, how the different generations perceive their portfolios, the power in rejecting fear and greed in...

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#26 – Sean Doherty on Fighting Diabetes with Capital

#26 – Sean Doherty on Fighting Diabetes with Capital

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Sean Doherty, strategist behind the JDRF T1D Fund - to talk about growing up as a military kid who eventually joined the Navy, creating a fund that aims to completely transform the way a cure for Type 1...

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#25 – Michael Whitaker on the Given Life

#25 – Michael Whitaker on the Given Life

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Michael Whitaker, Vice President of Capital Markets also at CommonGood Securities - to talk about transitioning from car wash manager right out of college to the financial services industry, how the world...

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#24 – Justin Miller on Fighting a 40 Year Pandemic

#24 – Justin Miller on Fighting a 40 Year Pandemic

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Justin Miller, to chat about co-founding CARE for AIDS when he was in college, an organization that provides both physical and spiritual support for families affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya, the abundance of...

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#22 – Jeff Lee on Working in Impact

#22 – Jeff Lee on Working in Impact

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jeff Lee, Vice President of Capital Markets also at CommonGood Securities - to talk about being raised by a single mom and his grandmother, making the move to Impact full time with CommonGood, his thoughts on...

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#21 – Coss Marte on Impact After Prison

#21 – Coss Marte on Impact After Prison

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Coss Marte, Founder and CEO of CONBODY – to talk about his younger years selling drugs on the streets of New York which led to a series of prison sentences, being told by a prison-doctor at age 24 that he was so...

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#20 – Patrice Tsague on the Power of Entrepreneurship

#20 – Patrice Tsague on the Power of Entrepreneurship

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Patrice Tsague, an author, business coach, entrepreneur, and co-founder and Chief Servant Officer of Nehemiah Project International Ministries – to chat about moving from a life of privilege in Cameroon, Africa to...

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#19 – Korey Pollard on Using Hollywood for Impact

#19 – Korey Pollard on Using Hollywood for Impact

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Korey Pollard, a 30 year veteran of film and TV production, to chat about his early start as a 16-year old actor in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me, to his big move to Hollywood where he worked his way up from...

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#18 – Andy Loving on Socially Responsible Investing

#18 – Andy Loving on Socially Responsible Investing

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Andy Loving, a veteran RIA and owner of Just Money Advisor, to chat about his early days as minister working with bikers and drug addicts, running a magazine focused on hunger and economic justice, his...

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#17 – Jennifer Murtie on Leaving a Positive

#17 – Jennifer Murtie on Leaving a Positive

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jennifer Murtie, Head of High Net Worth Practice and Senior Wealth Advisor at ‎Ballentine Partners, to chat about the early days of her career working at a single family office, how living in Africa for 18...

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#16 – Heather Fortner on Living Net Worthwhile

#16 – Heather Fortner on Living Net Worthwhile

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Heather Fortner, CEO of SignatureFD, to chat about how her start as a Chief Compliance Officer gave her a broad education into the financial services business, the value in taking the time to be curious and of...

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#15 – Tom Nelson on the Capacity of Capital

#15 – Tom Nelson on the Capacity of Capital

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Tom Nelson, President of Made to Flourish and author of “Economics of Neighborly Love”, to chat about his Biblically-based viewpoint on capital and stewardship, equipping congregations for success in the...

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#14 – Jeff Gitterman on Using Capital for Good

#14 – Jeff Gitterman on Using Capital for Good

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jeff Gitterman, author of “Beyond Success” and co-founding partner in Gitterman Wealth Management, to discuss the moment he realized the impact he could have in the financial services industry, his time supporting...

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#13 – Shelly Shafer on Holding it Loosely

#13 – Shelly Shafer on Holding it Loosely

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Shelly Shafer to discuss her love of writing, her career transition from homemaker to author, her dream to educate people on how to use their time, talents and treasures in pursuit of stewardship, and more.

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#12 – Susan Correa on Commerce with a Conscience

#12 – Susan Correa on Commerce with a Conscience

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Susan Correa, Founder and CEO of Art & Eden - an organic, eco-friendly, and ethical children's clothing brand - on her early career in fast-fashion, how a room full of schoolchildren changed the course of...

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#11 – Jonathan Shafer on Impacting Africa

#11 – Jonathan Shafer on Impacting Africa

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by Jonathan Shafer, Co-Founder of Fortis Green, to discuss his career in financial services and corresponding desire to mobilize capital to areas of great need and opportunity, his early experiences in Sierra Leone,...

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#10 – Ping Lieu on Life After Prison    

#10 – Ping Lieu on Life After Prison    

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, is joined by his friend Ping Lieu, whom he met doing prison ministry years ago. The two discuss Ping’s unexpected journey in life, his perspective while serving time inside prison, his personal and professional success since...

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#9 – Sheeba Philip on Buildings Brands with Purpose

#9 – Sheeba Philip on Buildings Brands with Purpose

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Sheeba Philip, CEO of Akola -  a woman’s lifestyle brand that offers on-trend custom jewelry products made by women in extreme poverty - on her career focused on buildings brands with purpose, her...

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#8 – Sylvia Kwan on the Success of Others

#8 – Sylvia Kwan on the Success of Others

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Sylvia Kwan, Chief Investment Officer at Ellevest, the first investing and financial planning firm designed by, for, and with women. Jeff and Sylvia discuss how she went from a computer science major to the investing...

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#7 – Tim Seneff on The City Generous

#7 – Tim Seneff on The City Generous

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Tim Seneff, President of the National Christian Foundation Orlando, a non-profit established to serve and encourage local philanthropists to grow as faithful stewards. Jeff and Tim discuss a health-scare in his 30’s...

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#6 – Susan Schramm on Getting Good Ideas Unstuck

#6 – Susan Schramm on Getting Good Ideas Unstuck

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Susan Schramm, founder of Go to Market Impact LLC, about getting good ideas unstuck, helping leaders systematically de-risk their strategies and improve their ability to get funding, the common mistake of...

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#5 – Amrita Vatsal on Climate Smart Forestry

#5 – Amrita Vatsal on Climate Smart Forestry

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Amrita Vatsal, Managing Director of Business Development at EFM - a forestry-based real asset investment and management company - about her life and career, the power of capital and stewardship as it relates to...

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#4 – Todd Harper on Radical Generosity

#4 – Todd Harper on Radical Generosity

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Todd Harper, Co-founder of Generous Giving - a non-profit that encourages people to be radically generous to the causes they care about - about his life and career, the motivations behind the founding of...

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#3 – Emily Green of Ellevest

#3 – Emily Green of Ellevest

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Emily Green, Director of Private Wealth at Ellevest - the first investing and financial planning firm designed by, for, and with women - about her life, meeting and working with Sallie Krawcheck, her influential...

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#2 – Eddy Moratin of LIFT Orlando

#2 – Eddy Moratin of LIFT Orlando

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Eddy Moratin from LIFT Orlando - a non-profit business and collection of community leaders who work together to close the gaps created by under-investment for children and families in communities around Orlando...

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#1 – The Second Act of Ron Cordes

#1 – The Second Act of Ron Cordes

Jeff Shafer, CEO of CommonGood Capital, speaks with Ron Cordes, a 30+ year veteran of the investment industry, co-founder and former CEO of AssetMark, and co-author of “The Art of Investing”. In 2006 Ron launched the Cordes Foundation – and has since focused on...

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