Publications
Publications
- 2015
Advanced Leadership Pathways: Howard Fischer, Eric Jacobsen, and Gratitude Railroad's Impact Investing
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Daniel Lennox-Choate
Abstract
In 2013, Howard Fischer (hedge fund founder) and Eric Jacobsen (serial entrepreneur and private equity investor) established Gratitude Railroad as a community of impact investors in nine different "tracks." Each track represented a different concept for using capitalism to impact a social or environmental problem. The founders hoped to prove that impact investing could earn market rate returns or better, while achieving a positive social and environmental impact. After over a year of progress, they had to determine the best path forward for their community and how to prioritize between the tracks in order to maximize their impact.
Keywords
Impact Investing; Environmental And Social Sustainability; Social Change; Sustainable Business And Innovation; Investment; Social Issues; Environmental Sustainability; Venture Capital; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; United States
Citation
Kanter, Rosabeth M., and Daniel Lennox-Choate. "Advanced Leadership Pathways: Howard Fischer, Eric Jacobsen, and Gratitude Railroad's Impact Investing." Harvard Business Publishing Case 316-047, 2015.