activate

Work (werk) n: an opportunity for discovering and shaping; the place where the self meets the world.

market transformation


We intentionally engage with innovative clients and partners from public, private and citizen sectors where experiences and market-based solutions can be tested and leveraged across silos and cultures.

  • WOW Investments: supporting West African women-influenced grassroots enterprises
  • Sustainable Food Lab: market-based solutions in climate, soil, poverty, water to feed a growing world
  • SparkSeed: seed capital and network support for emerging social innovators
  • RSF Social Finance: transforming the way the world works with money through creative social finance
  • Root Capital: non-profit social investment fund financing grassroots businesses in developing countries
  • Reos Partners: systemic change, multistakeholder convening, collective action in complex social systems
  • Origo: design thinking, opportunity focused strategy, partnerships spanning public and private sectors

  • North Bay Film & Arts Collective: revitalizing historic downtown Santa Rosa through arts and activism
  • Jambase: largest crowd sourced listing for local live acts, award winning media and music communities
  • Global Exchange: enviro/social justice advocacy: Reality Tours, Green Festivals, Global Citizens Center
  • Cause Investments: U.S. based ESG-screened hedge fund and global social enterprise equity funds


pathological collaboration

    We draw insight and support from our burgeoning community of practice.  Recent forums and speaking engagements include:

    ·      Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship

    ·      Social Capital Markets Conference

    ·      OxfordJam for Social Innovation

    ·      The Finance Lab United Kingdom

    ·      Cornell Global Forum on Sustainable Enterprise

    ·      Social Venture Network Conference

    ·      Global PRI Makers Conference



    "Let nature shrug, and all is in ruin."

    Camille Paglia

    inspired action

    (selected case studies)



    Community Power Fund, 2010

    The Community Power Fund (“CPF”) is a non-profit organization with a distinguished record in public policy, community engagement and financial reform aimed at accelerating regional resiliency through energy independence and community benefit models tied to the commons.  CPF was instrumental in the design and passage of Ontario’s Green Energy Act in 2009, which establishes feed-in-tariffs for renewable energy development, with substantial additional incentives for “Community Power” projects owned by Ontario residents, non-profits and First Nation communities.  However, no mechanism exists to provide financial services or investment products tailored to the needs of Community Power.  Accordingly, CPF hired Om to design and launch a new initiative – Community Power Capital – to provide financial strategy, structuring and specialized capital for developers and investors keen to support the Community Power sector.

    Engagement parameters:


    •   Design and deploy a triple bottom line investment platform that balances institutional/individual and traditional/alternative stakeholder interests to maximize capital flows and participation in Community Power


    •   Structure and launch Community Power Capital and various special purpose vehicles to accommodate the full range of qualified community investors: residents, non-profits, charities, foundations, co-ops


    •   Cultivate a strong pipeline of Community Power projects, including commercial and municipal developments that desire community participation


    •   Close up to $10 million in direct project financing from Community Investors whose investments are warehoused (via purchase option agreements) to convert into CP Cap Fund I upon first close


    •   Structure and source top talent for CP Capital’s Board of Directors, Investment Committee, and management team



    Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, 2009 – 2010

    Pubic-Private Investment Partnership Program for India and China

    The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) engages governments and private sectors from Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. to address the critical need for deployment of proven clean technologies and practices to promote low carbon growth, particularly in India and China, where billions are emerging from poverty and infrastructure development will remain in place for many decades.  The urgency calls for determined collaboration between public and private sectors to accelerate capital flows into clean enterprises and infrastructure on an unprecedented scale.


    Engagement parameters:


    •   Establish networks with U.S. and international agencies concerned with sustainable development, and match those with private sector networks to source viable, high-impact clean investment opportunities


    •   Identify complementary non-governmental programs to provide technical and field support to improve viability and long-term success of funded opportunities


    •   Facilitate partnerships between public and private investor consortia to encourage broader, more creative financial participation in emerging market low carbon growth


    •   Structure and close investments to accelerate deployment of proven clean technologies and development of cleaner infrastructure in India and China


    •   Results: together with partners, Environmental Capital Group, Origo and Total Impact Advisors, Om helped to foster public-private partnerships designed to deliver $8.5 billion in capital and technical support for low-carbon growth in developing economies, with potential for reduced CO2e of 220 million tons ( > 3% of annual U.S. output) over the economic life of those investments.

    Leadership Institute for Ecology and Economy, 2009 – 2010


    Fellows of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and Economy integrate ecology, economy and social equity into public service.  In partnership with Climate Protection Campaign, Fellows helped launch the Sonoma County Regional Climate Projection Authority (SCRCPA), the first formally sanctioned regional climate projection authority in the U.S., wherein all major cities and municipalities in the region are legally bound and coordinated to reduce GHG emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2015.  Fellows also helped launch the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP), now the fastest growing property assessed clean energy (PACE) bond program in the country.  Through SCEIP up to $4 billion in financing will be deployed to meet climate targets, $1.5 billion of which will be used to retrofit 80% of the 240,000 existing residential and commercial properties in the County, which could create 16,300 jobs and reduce CO2e by 168,000 tons.


    Engagement parameters:



    •   Assist SCRCPA with design and implementation of a neighborhood-centered approach to reach and educate all communities in efforts to achieve unprecedented retrofit rates across the region


    •   With guidance from Van Jones' Apollo Alliance, engage disenfranchised populations to implement SCEIP programs, particularly Latinos and Native Americans whose high school drop-out rates in Sonoma County are 20% greater than Anglos, and Veterans whose unemployment rate is nearly twice the national average


    •   Results: together with other Fellows designed a system mapping exercise leveraging social technologies and lessons from similar collaborative efforts in Portland, Seattle and the Midwestern climate initiative Re-Amp.  Engaged key stakeholders in labor unions, worker cooperatives, employer consortia, public policy, training/certification programs, advocacy organizations, placement agencies, and community groups to identify needs, harness interdependencies and accelerate deployment through pluralism.  



    Cause Investments, 2008 – 2009


    Cause Investments is an alternative investment firm dedicated to maximizing capital efficiency and social impact at home and abroad through creative investment models and collaboration with best-in-class partners in markets served.  Investment objective is to provide superior, long-term rates of return on an absolute basis by investing in securities, companies and projects that represent triple bottom line opportunities that can provide solid investment returns while encouraging good corporate behavior and/or have a positive impact on local communities.  Cause donates all profits to its sister charity, the Effect Foundation, and other non-profit partners.


    Engagement parameters:


    •   Cultivated investors for Cause Social Responsibility (hedge fund) and Cause Social Enterprise (private equity/fund-of-funds)


    •   Developed global investment strategy, social impact reporting, partnerships/alliances and advisory board for Cause Social Enterprise


    •   Cultivated pipelines in Latin America and Africa for direct social enterprise investments

     

    •   Evaluated private equity funds and their managers around the world for fund-of-fund investments


    •   Assisted with strategy and evaluating tactical philanthropy opportunities for the Effect Foundation in developing markets  


    •   Results: fund offering pulled due to persistent negative market externalities; Effect Foundation continues to operate while Cause advises on charity centric investment models


    Indigenous Designs, 2004 – 2008


    Indigenous pioneered the category for fair trade, organic apparel, and sells its premium quality clothing and accessories to leading retailers throughout North America.  It partners with artisan cooperatives worldwide to produce its garments to precise specifications under the highest fair trade standards.


    Engagement covered all aspects of long-term strategy and capital formation:

    •    Assisted with all aspects of business planning, product repositioning, key hiring, management team realignment, board reformation, debt and equity restructuring and capitalization, and strategic negotiations


    •    Eliminated $1 million in non-performing loans; raised $1 million in cash equity funding, led by RSF Social Finance


    •    Established groundbreaking rural credit platform with Root Capital to provide direct loans to global network of artisan cooperatives, eliminating reliance on NGOs and ID, and reducing ID’s working capital financing needs more than 75%


    •    Results: leading national brand, sales growth over 350%, improved margins, return to profitability, strong stable of leading social capital investors, lenders and advisors; largest global fair trade artisan cooperative production network for apparel