The Kind Wealth Club

07 - How to fight the $200B/year predatory lending industry

Microfinance is an intervention that we usually think of as being valuable in a developing world context. The world is full of hard-working people with an entrepreneurial spirit who lack access to the necessary financing to get a business off the ground. Lending to these entrepreneurs has a host of societal benefits that include creating jobs and incomes for families in their communities, a spike in local economic activity as these businesses purchase local goods and services, and generates tax revenues for local governments to afford additional public services. So one of the last places you might think microfinance is necessary is in a nation like the US which sells itself on the American Dream; a land of opportunity where anyone can be successful if they work hard enough. But in this episode we speak with Andrew Posner [https://twitter.com/aposner1984], Founder & CEO of Capital Good Fund [https://capitalgoodfund.org] who joins us to discuss why even in the US, microfinance is necessary and how his non-profit organization uses microfinance and coaching to combat a $200 billion dollar a year predatory industry that consists of payday lenders, pawnshops, rent to own stores, and subprime lenders; each offering some form of consumer loans at high double or often triple-digit interest rates. During the discussion, Andy and I discuss the challenges low-income Americans face, how race factors in, the importance of coaching in addition to lending to their clients, how COVID has disproportionately affected low-income Americans, and how the Capital Good Fund has adapted its services as a result. Join the discussion by visiting us at www.kindwealth.club [//www.kindwealth.club]

6 - How to build more diverse and inclusive networks

Increasingly, there is growing recognition of both the moral imperative and the practical benefits of having diverse and equitable workplaces. But many of us either don’t know where exactly to start or aren’t making as much progress as we could be. Join us for a discussion with Sonya Dreizler, where we discuss practical steps we can all take to engage and build relationships with a more diverse network of colleagues, friends, and business partners. Sonya Dreizler is a speaker, author, and consultant focused on fostering candid conversations about gender and race in financial services. She is also a subject matter expert in ESG and responsible investing and is a former CEO of an independent BD/RIA. When she's not working, you can find her hanging out with her kids, lifting weights, enjoying the beauty of Northern California, and chairing the board at CUESA. Resources: - Solutions with Sonya Website [https://www.solutionswithsonya.com/] - Follow Sonya on Twitter [https://twitter.com/SonyaDreizler] - McKinsey study "Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters" [https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters#]

5 - When will our meat-filled diets go post-animal?

Our meat-filled diets can damage the environment, our own and animals’ well-being. So what could a post-animal diet look like? In this episode we discuss topics such as plant-based meats (think Beyond Meat), plant-based dairy alternatives (e.g. Oatly), cultured or lab-grown meat, insect proteins, and a host of other topics. To discuss all this we're joined by two leaders in this space including:  * Jennifer Stojkovic [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferstojkovic/], Founder of Vegan Women’s Summit [https://veganwomensummit.com/] and host of VWS Pathfinders podcast [https://anchor.fm/veganwomensummit] * Elysabeth Alfano [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysabeth-alfano-8b370b7/] Founder of Plant Powered Consulting and host of The Plantbased Business Hour [https://elysabethalfano.com/plantbased-business-podcasts]

4 - Personal finances for when sh*t hits the fan

Join us for a real and raw conversation about how to prepare for and handle your finances during the dark times in our lives when our neatly laid plans come unravelled. Come with your questions! We’ll be joined by Erin Bury (CEO of Willful.co [https://www.willful.co], Public Speaker, and PR/Branding Maven) and Jason Pereira (Award-Winning Financial Planner, Portfolio Manager at Woodgate Financial [https://www.woodgate.com], Entrepreneur, Lecturer, Fintech Expert, Writer, TV Host & Podcaster) to discuss topics like when and why you need a will, insurance, emergency funds, etc.

3 - One Tech CEO's money journey through entrepreneurship, relationships, and death

Erin Bury joins us for Episode 2. Erin is an entrepreneur, speaker, startup advisor, and former technology journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO at Willful, an online estate planning platform that makes it easy for Canadians to create a will in less than 20 minutes. Previously Erin spent time as Managing Director at Eighty-Eight, a Toronto-based creative communications agency, and Managing Editor at startup publication BetaKit. Erin was named one of Marketing Magazine’s top 30 Under 30 marketer and is a frequent speaker with Speakers’ Spotlight. She has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN. In this episode, we discuss a wide range of interesting topics. We start by discussing Erin’s work with Willful and the firm’s mission to make it easy and affordable for all Canadians to get a will. We then dive into the more practical aspects of end of life planning like, why is a will even important, and what do most people miss when setting one up? We also touch on Ethical Wills and Pre-Nuptials (aka Pre-Nups), including why you might consider getting one. We cover Erin’s financial journey from the money lessons she learned growing up to the changing money dynamics in her relationship with her Co-Founder husband. And be sure to stay tuned to the end where Erin shares some of her top tips for couples who go into business together. You can find Willful on its website [//www.willful.co], Instagram [//www.instagram.com/willfulwills], Facebook [//www.facebook.com/willfulwills], and Twitter [//www.twitter.com/willfulwills]. And Erin can be found on Instagram [//www.instagram.com/erinbury], Twitter [https://twitter.com/erinbury], and LinkedIn [//www.linkedin.com/in/erinbury]. PSA - Willful has really stepped up during the Pandemic and is giving away free Wills to frontline Healthcare workers. Healthcare workers can access them here [//willful.co/support-healthcare]. They also have a helpful free resource for anyone on How to Get Your Will Finalized During COVID. [https://willful.co/learn/finishing-your-will-during-covid-19/]  Kind Wealth, along with friends of ours (including Willful), is offering pro-bono financial consultations to anyone struggling financially right now as a result of Coronavirus. Learn more by visiting www.kindwealth.ca/coronavirus-response [http://www.kindwealth.ca/coronavirus-response]