What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important. – Dwight D. Eisenhower (attr.) * Years ago I sat on a technology operating committee, where we routinely used the Eisenhower matrix to prioritize projects (a classic 2-by-2 chart of urgent and important). Of course the […]
Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. – Warren Buffett Everyone thinks businesses (and investment portfolios) should be managed for the long term…. until there’s a bad quarter. The pressures of short termism have been widely noted, but now there is some empirical proof that […]
1000x. Turns out Kigali might be more memorable than Paris. Last week the “Kigali accord” was reached, which will largely eliminate use of HFC’s, chemical coolants used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Two elements stand out: first, the agreement is legally binding, unlike the Paris accords. Second, the impact is stunning: the greenhouse effect of HFC’s is […]
$650 million. Unilever acquired Seventh Generation last week, for something in the $600-700m range. Many of you will know that Seventh Generation is the pioneering sustainable paper goods company, named for the the Iroquois law that says decisions should be based on what’s best for the seventh generation to come. Years ago, I heard Seventh […]
“Patience is also a form of action.” — Auguste Rodin (attr.) When I first had a patch of dirt of my own, I excitedly ordered a garden’s worth of peony plants. Visions of puffy pinkness filled my head. Several weeks later, a shoebox appeared at my doorstep. I opened it to […]
“What can you uniquely do?” – Gloria Steinem Last week I was fortunate to attend the fantastic Women Moving Millions Summit, where Gloria Steinem posed this question to attendees: “What can you uniquely do?” This is a vital consideration for all impact investors – which is to say, all of us, since we all invest […]