Iyassu Essayas is the CEO and Founder of Inflows, a professional networking platform designed exclusively for Registered Investment Advisors. Iyassu became Envest’s board member this September after serving on the advisory board for two years. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the board of US SIF, The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. Previously he was the Director of ESG Research at Parnassus Investments, an asset manager of over $45 billion that is widely respected in the sustainable investing sector. Iyassu lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys volunteering at the San Francisco Presidio Trust, working on environmental habitat restoration.
Iyassu discovered Envest Microfinance when he met Jon Bishop at the 2013 SRI in the Rockies Conference. “I was incredibly impressed with how Envest Microfinance was able to service the hard-to-reach and sometimes discarded microfinance institutions on a global scale. When Jon approached me to inquire if I was interested in joining the board – I was ecstatic about it. I humbly accepted the offer and am excited to help Envest carry on the mission”.
Iyassu’s personal philosophy is rooted in the belief that sustainable investing is a better way to invest. Iyassu is convinced that using the tools that capital markets provide can lead to significant positive impacts on our societies and the environment. He adds: “We just need to muster the will to do so”. Iyassu is particularly drawn to investments that provide access to finance to overlooked populations, as they have the potential to lead to economic prosperity for generations while generating a return. “This is the kind of work that excites me and that the Envest Microfinance team does so remarkably well. My suggestion to those curious about microfinance is to try to understand that every financial decision has an impact. Sometimes those decisions can lead to outcomes that you did not expect. Be intentional with your financial decisions to create the positive impacts you aim to achieve”.