About our name.
Green.
It’s the color of forward motion. Green means “go.”
It’s the color of sustainability and the color of environmentalism.
It’s also the color of money. We believe that doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive, and that businesses that solve critical problems deserve to turn a profit. We also know that businesses that run better can invest more in their mission.
Cat.
Cats are smart. Cats are strong. Cats are nimble. Cats know how to survive in the wild.
And while we love dogs, we think cats are really, really cool.
About our founder.
Stephen Ban is an experienced marketing and investment management professional with a passion for ESG, sustainability, and social justice, and with a deep interest in the wide range of organizations that advance those ideas.
He has led global marketing efforts for large financial organizations including Heller Financial, Aon Corporation, T. Rowe Price, and Nuveen Investments.
Stephen has served on the boards of and volunteered for a wide range of charitable organizations that seek to eliminate economic and racial inequity, promote literacy, facilitate rehabilitation, encourage summer learning, eliminate hunger, focus on underserved youth, support disabled athletes, and promote athletics and healthy lifestyle.
He is an experienced and accomplished public speaker, and has spoken widely on a variety of topics including sustainable investing and ESG, capital markets, and marketing strategy and positioning.
Stephen is a Senior Advisor to the Corporate Coalition of Chicago, an alliance of Chicago area companies using their assets and capabilities to address inequities in the greater Chicago region.
He serves on the board of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center, a multi-disciplinary center that seeks to accelerate impact, preparing leaders to tackle society’s most pressing challenges through education, engagement and research. He is a professor of Finance and Sustainable Finance, and has also been a guest lecturer on the topics of marketing, entrepreneurship, and public speaking.
Stephen is a member of Hyde Park Angels, is on the Advisory Board of NextCubed, an incubator and accelerator in New York City, and serves as advisor to and investor in early-stage startups in businesses as wide ranging as software, capital markets, microfinance, entertainment, identification and security, and capital markets.
He is immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the USA Triathlon Foundation and is a volunteer triathlon guide for visually-impaired and wheelchair athletes through Chicago-based Dare2Tri. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse America and the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Stephen holds an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University, and is a member of the Chicago Club and the Economic Club of Chicago.
