Acknowledgments

AN EFFORT of this magnitude is the work of many, not just the names on the cover. Thus, the authors would like to thank five groups of contributors to their work that underpinned this book and that without which this ship might have run aground.

First up is the group of folks and institutions that made this book—and the authors’ company The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) more generally—possible. At the top of this list is the High Meadows Institute (HMI), which provided encouragement, insights, and fellowships to the authors. Chris Pinney, the CEO and president of the board of HMI, should be particularly applauded for his patience in the face of slipped deadlines, bold proposals, and generally being game to keep placing bets on the authors, even when some haven’t paid off as fast or in quite the way he might have envisioned.

The authors want to specifically thank Jessica Ziegler, TIIP’s head of research. Jessica joined TIIP in the early days after the authors somehow managed to persuade her to leave a well-respected, leading program evaluation firm for a ragtag startup. She has gone on to have a hand in nearly every research project, consulting engagement, and piece of thought leadership TIIP has produced. Her name could have just as easily joined the authors on the cover.

Jon Lukomnik, managing partner of Sinclair Capital and the former executive director of Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute, has also partnered with the authors on the production of multiple TIIP projects. Jon has offered an invaluable sounding board for the TIIP team over the years—his recommendations and sage counsel having served to help the authors strengthen their better ideas and abandon their weaker ones.

Carole Laible and Amy Domini of Domini Impact Investments have generously supported the work of the authors, for which we are deeply thankful. In particular, we greatly appreciate Carole’s time, perspective, and partnership. She has, in turn, shaped Domini into a true, system-level investor. The authors’ collaboration with Carole, and her willingness to let the authors stress test their latest thinking within the walls of Domini, has yielded some of TIIP’s biggest breakthroughs. Unsurprisingly, Carole herself has become one of the leading ambassadors of this movement.

Rounding out this initial group are TIIP’s first champions: Jeb Brooks and Cherie Wendelken. As TIIP’s seed investors, Jeb and Cherie put much-needed wind in the sails, enabling the authors to begin the voyage. Ever since, they have offered a lifeline to the authors on all things big and trivial, providing sound advice when asked and straight talk when needed.

The second group is the many investors and managers that the authors have advised, profiled, and featured in their research over the years. In many cases these investors took time from their busy schedules to complete surveys, attend convenings, and engage in any number of phone calls, email exchanges, and meetings as the authors fine-tuned their thinking about system-level investing.

The third group the authors would like to express their utmost gratitude to is the brain trust of practitioners and experts that have helped establish and refine the concept of system-level investing and make it more practical and useful to the field. They include Monique Aiken, Geeta Aiyer, Cambria Allen, Ian Banks, Bill Baue, Adam Bendell, David Blood, Noel Pacarro Brown, Suzanna Buck, Johnathan Burnham, Jamie Butterworth, Fred Carden, Kelly Christoudoulou, Mackenzie Clark, Scott Connolly, Avi Deutsch, Robert Eccles, Linda Eling-Lee, Paul Ellis, Allan Emkin, David Erickson, Nathan Fabian, Caroline Flammer, Rodney Foxworth, Monika Freyman, Amir Ghandar, Jeff Gitterman, Steve Godeke, Kelly Major Green, Michael Greis, Randy Gunn, James Hawley, Michael Jantzi, Kirsty Jenkinson, Isaac Khurgel, Charly Kleissner, Lisa Kleissner, Corey Klemmer, Thomas Kochan, Lloyd Kurtz, Rob Lake, Maria Mahl, Priya Mathur, Madeleine McCarroll, Meredith Miller, Bhakti Mirchandani, Wilhelm Mohn, Will Morgan, David Mowat, Michael Musuraca, Katherine Ng, Ian Nolan, Stephen Olsen, Matt Orsagh, Glenn Page, Philip Palanza, Michael Quinn Patton, Susheela Peres da Costa, Craig Pfeiffer, Gary Pivo, Bettina Reinboth, Fiona Reynolds, Nick Robins, Jean Rogers, Shannon Rohan, Delilah Rothenberg, Andrew Shannon, Anne Simpson, Mark Sloss, Anna Snider, Rene Swart, Brian Tomlinson, Lily Trager, Brian Trelstad, Xander den Uyl, Jackie Vanderbrug, Dan Viederman, Steve Waddell, Sandra Waddock, Brett Wayman, David Weil, Allen White, Tim Williams, David Wood, Amanda Young, and Jay Youngdhal. You inspired and pushed back in equal measures, for which the authors are incredibly fortunate.

The fourth group is the team of researchers, writers, editors, and designers at Berrett-Koehler (BK) Publishers and TIIP that helped build and provision this ship and keep it from running aground when the waters got choppy. Steve Piersanti, the founder of BK, captained this manuscript from start to finish. Steve kept the book from simply being a rote retelling of system-level investing key concepts and examples and instead got the authors to dig in and break new ground. Supporting Steve’s efforts were Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Simon J. Blattner, Canyon Bosler, and Julie Morse—each providing perspective on how to make the manuscript stronger. Maria Luisa Tucker and Jeff Raderstrong each became indispensable utility players, helping the authors make the prose and messaging more digestible and coherent as well as editing with the surgical precision of a scalpel, as well as with the bluntness of a hammer, depending on what was needed. JR Bascom supported the authors in the homestretch of production, helping them with research, manuscript prep, and good humor—all of which were needed as the finish line came into view. Robert Dannhauser and Mirtha Kastrapeli, longtime advisors to the authors, reviewed the first draft of the manuscript. Their feedback helped shine a light on what was working, what wasn’t, and what was needed to navigate more fully to the better side of that equation.

Lastly, the authors want to thank their families and friends for all of their encouragement and support. An undertaking like this is hard enough in stable times, let alone during a global pandemic. The endless hours spent on the phone, on Zoom, texting, and emailing served to give the authors the digital pats on the back and virtual hand-holding they needed when the opportunity for the in-person versions went away.

The authors have undoubtedly forgot any number of names that should appear on this list. For that they offer their deepest apologies and gratitude.