Inside the First Impact-Only Wealth Management Firm: Veris Walks The Impact Talk | Stephanie Cohn Rupp (#079)

SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

My guest today is Stephanie Cohn Rupp, Chief Executive Officer of Veris Wealth Partners — one of the first impact-only wealth management firms in the world, and one of the rare few that has been majority women-owned or led since day one.
Stephanie was born in the U.S. and raised just outside Paris by parents who did medical missions in underserved communities. She learned early on that work should serve a bigger purpose.
That belief shaped her path — from microfinance in Central Asia to leadership roles at the Omidyar Network, Toniic, and Threshold Group.
But what she really wanted was a firm fully aligned with her mission — a place where impact wasn’t just a side offering but the whole point.
That’s exactly what she found at Veris. They weren’t just any firm – Veris was one of the first impact-only wealth management firms in the world. Majority women-led, deeply mission-driven, and at the time – looking for their next CEO.

It was a perfect match!

Stephanie stepped in, and today, she leads a team managing $2.3 billion in assets, all dedicated to an ambitious goal – to create a more sustainable, equitable, and just world.

Veris focuses on four core impact themes: climate solutions, sustainable agriculture, racial and gender equity, and community wealth building. They use a holistic approach, integrating environmental, social, and governance factors across all asset classes.

Unlike most firms, Veris doesn’t just offer impact investing – it operates as an impact investment itself. They hold themselves to the same standards on diversity, equity, climate, and inclusion that they expect from the investments they make.

It’s not always easy with the current political backlash against ESG in the USA and climate denial still making headlines.

Yet despite these headwinds, Stephanie has no dilemma - impact investing is here to stay. Because climate challenges, inequality, and injustice aren’t going anywhere. And will eventually affect us all.

So tune in and let Stephanie show you that impatience for change is actually the best growth engine around.

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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes. In my interviews, I cover everything from their early personal journeys to insights into how they developed and executed their investment strategies and what challenges they face today. Each episode is a chance to go way below the surface with these impressive people and gain additional insights and useful lessons from professional investors.
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Additional Resources:

- Veris Website

- Veris LinkedIn

- Stephanie LinkedIn

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Stephanie’s multicultural upbringing (00:04:50)

3. Education journey (00:08:04)

4. Disillusionment with large-scale international development organizations (00:13:12)

5. Discovering microfinance as a more direct approach to impact (00:15:50)

6. Transitioning into finance (00:20:55)

7. Pivotal move to Omidyar Network (00:23:36)

8. Scaling TONIIC tenfold and building an impact investing movement (00:27:14)

9. Becoming CEO of Veris Wealth Partners and a high-level overview (00:34:02)

10. Veris’ theory of change (00:38:19)

11. Veris Wealth Partners’ approach to wealth management (00:41:50)

12. What sets Veris apart from traditional wealth managers (00:46:13)

13. Investment process and approach (00:49:59)

14. Translating impact into metrics clients understand (00:56:29)

15. The four impact themes Veris focuses on (00:59:39)

16. Veris’ intersectional approach - specific examples (01:03:11)

17. Veris Just Transition Framework (01:08:51)

18. Sustainable investment challenges (01:13:30)

19. Contact info (01:24:11)