What Is Conscious Investing?

Conscious investing — what does it mean, really? And how is it different from impact investing or philanthropy? In this informative episode of the Beyond Capital Ventures Podcast, our hosts, BCV Managing Partner Eva Yazahri and Partner Nicholas Java, tackle the term and why it serves as our firm’s North Star.   Eva shares an anecdote about a recent conversation with a “cold-blooded” investor that shed light on the type of individual BCV wants to work with — and why (3:25)Nicholas explains the difference in “above-the-line” (i.e. relational) and “below-the-line” (transactional) investments  (4:31)Why coming in with a superiority complex is never the best approach to true venture capital support (5:14)Stakeholder capitalism vs. shareholder capitalism (6:26)The mantra of “no money, no mission,” or how conscious investing differs from philanthropy (hint: it’s about sustainable growth) (6:55)Eva references her book, The Good Your Money Can Do, and why she focused on conscious investing over impact investing in her personal and professional pursuits (9:43)Why investors should support founders who are in love with the problem, not the solution (11:55)Eva explains the scarcity vs. abundance way of seeing the world (12:41)How to tell if a company founder is a conscious leader (14:28)