Leading the Way: Exploring 5-Star B Corp Certified Financial Advisor Firms
Bringing B Corp Values to the World of Financial Management
In today’s business landscape, financial firms often integrate social and environmental responsibility to meet stakeholder demands for transparency and ethical conduct. Balancing purpose and profit is now crucial for these institutions. At investor.com, a Certified B Corporation since 2022, we value these principles and proudly showcase the B Corp financial advisory firms listed below, all of which have been rated as five-star institutions in our directory.
By embracing B Corp values, financial firms can not only enhance their reputation but also attract socially conscious investors, mitigate risks, and foster long-term sustainability. This demonstrates what it means to prioritize social and environmental impact. We firmly believe in people before profits and are proud to shine a spotlight on these firms.
“A 5-star rating on investor.com is not just a feel-good award, or given out lightly,” says Blain Reinkensmeyer, investor.com Co-Founder. “The ratings are based on hard data filed with federal regulators. Hitting that 5-star mark reflects that the advisory firm has a stellar record in areas like disciplinary history, conflicts of interest, and years in business.”
The following three financial firms share how they incorporate B Corp best practices into their day-to-day operations, all of which are great ways to sustain a successful business for the communities they serve.
Colorado Capital Management
Steven L. Ellis, CFA, says Colorado Capital Management is among the longest-tenured B Corps in the financial services field in Colorado. The firm pursued B Corp Certification, he says, to help make clear to the community the depth of Colorado Capital’s commitment to investing for impact and sustainability.
Colorado Capital Management incorporates B Corp principles through:
- Moving millions of dollars a year into high-impact private investments in areas such as affordable housing, clean energy, regenerative agriculture, microfinance, community investment, land conservation, and gender equity.
- Helping clients align their portfolios with their values and influence major corporations to be more socially responsible.
- Providing a dynamic, diverse, and rewarding workplace for staff.
- Giving back to the community with volunteer leadership and significant philanthropic activity.
Boardwalk Capital Management
Atlanta-based Boardwalk Capital Management is an independent Registered Investment Advisor specializing in sustainable and responsible investing. “The B Corp Certification process helped us to cement our values into our business processes. This began with how we manage money for our clients: sustainably, and specifically in concert with their values, without sacrificing financial performance. This was explicitly part of the B Corp process,” says Scott Sadler, founder and president of Boardwalk Capital Management.
“We decided that our investment process should incorporate both public and private investments so that our clients could make a real and measurable impact on issues that matter most to them,” Sadler says.
This ultimately included investments as diverse as:
- Microfinance lending to woman-owned small businesses in emerging countries.
- Building solar farms for communities in the northeast U.S.
- Renovating and retrofitting affordable housing developments across the country.
- Venture capital investments in early-stage sustainable innovators.
“The B Corp Certification process also helped us to focus on our own operations. As such, our firm is carbon neutral and uses sustainable resources such as recycled paper and LED lighting,” Sadler says. Boardwalk Capital also partnered with the sustainability firm GreenPlaces to gain workplace certification, he says.
The B Corp Certification process also holds the firm accountable, Sadler says. “We documented our volunteer hours for the first time and engaged in activities that created a youth mentorship program and another that connected sustainable businesses across the region to share best practices.”
Zevin Asset Management
Zevin Asset Management is a boutique investment manager with a global focus that integrates sustainability into its services for individuals, families, religious institutions, and nonprofits. As a sustainable investment firm, Zevin Asset Management holds itself to the same standards as the companies it invests in and acts with intention by:
- Closing the representation and inclusion gap for women and individuals who are Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color in financial services.
- Being majority woman-owned and -led, and recruiting and hiring talent from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities (50% of staff identify as women and/or Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color).
- Issuing shares as gifts to all tenured staff to promote equity within our team.
- Being 100% employee-owned.
Below is a list of additional financial B Corp institutions making strides toward a brighter and more inclusive economy, along with how they describe their missions.
First Affirmative Financial Network
First Affirmative is focused on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing. Its associates, investment managers, industry groups, and influential communities of economists, researchers, advocates, thought leaders, and change agents help magnify its impact worldwide.
Wetherby Asset Management
What makes Wetherby Asset Management unique: Its inspired employees. Their caring and competence result in rewarding relationships with clients, reflecting Wetherby’s longstanding commitment to exceptional service.
Montcalm TCR
Montcalm TCR believes in the transformative power of people’s positive and engaged relationship with their money. Its investing advisory services aim to blend personal empowerment with planetary integrity.
The Clarius Group
Since 1999, The Clarius Group has been a fiduciary for families in the Northwest and beyond. Their singular focus is to serve client families, pioneering a shared family office model. They aim to provide professional stewardship and service-driven partnerships for each client.
Alexis Advisors
Alexis Advisors is an independent, fee-only wealth management firm for women, by women. Its team is dedicated to expanding clients’ financial possibilities through mindful money management and ESG investments.
Human Investing
Human Investing’s mission is to serve the financial pursuits of all people. They counsel clients on investments and wealth management, including estate, insurance, retirement, corporate benefits, and taxes.
BSW Wealth Partners
Make Life Better is BSW Wealth Partners’ North Star, and it guides all that they do. The woman-founded, employee-owned wealth management firm works with clients to align investments with their interests and values.
Wescott Financial Advisory Group
Wescott Financial Advisory Group is an independent, SEC-registered, fee-only investment advisory and wealth management firm, but at the heart of the firm is its mission of achieving client goals. It’s a mission that has driven founder and CEO Grant Rawdin and the Wescott Team for over 35 years.
The Humphreys Group
The Humphreys Group believes in a holistic approach to success, considering more than just financial metrics. Their business prioritizes all stakeholders — clients, employees, communities, and the environment.
Angeles Investment Advisors
Angeles Investment Advisors is a multi-asset investment firm providing customized investment solutions to institutional and private wealth clients. Angeles pursued B Corp Certification as part of its commitment to making responsible investment decisions.
Clean Yield Asset Management
Clean Yield Asset Management, founded by Doug Fleer and Rian Fried, stemmed from their shared passion for social justice, the environment, and finance. They began as Fried & Fleer Investments, launching the popular monthly stock market newsletter, The Clean Yield. As demand grew, Clean Yield Asset Management was established in 1986 as a registered investment advisory firm.
North Berkeley Wealth Management
North Berkeley Wealth Management became a B Corp because of its interest in providing a sustainable alternative for clients seeking long-term value and stakeholder involvement. As a local, sustainable financial firm, it offers transparent, client-centered services.
A Mission to Serve as a Financial Resource
Investor.com was launched in 2018 as a consumer advocacy project with a mission to serve as a trusted resource for researching and comparing financial advisors. That original mission has expanded to include offering tools and personal finance content to help Americans live their best financial lives.
To help Americans research and compare financial advisors, co-founders Blain and Brandon Reinkensmeyer spearheaded the creation of investor.com’s Trust Algorithm. The investor.com team downloaded thousands of regulatory filings from the SEC, collecting over 500,000 data points on financial advisory firms in the U.S., and built a tool using that data that today rates more than 17,000 firms. The Trust Algorithm, updated monthly with fresh regulatory data, helps thousands of Americans research and compare financial advisors.
B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
