No Quick Wins, No Shortcuts: The Grit That Took Ben Dear from Zero to $17bn – A Real-Life Sustainable Fund Raising Odyssey (#065)

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

Today, I’m joined by Ben Dear, founder and CEO of Osmosis Investment Management, and this is the first part of a story that is anything but ordinary.

It's a true odyssey that began in a small town in England, passed through many entrepreneurial experiments, and ultimately led him to found Osmosis – a $17 billion sustainable investment fund.

But Ben’s journey was far from an overnight success. He faced academic struggles, tried his hand at various careers – including managing a Jamaican restaurant and building a software testing company he later sold for millions – and learned important lessons about taking risks and building trust in business.

A pivotal moment in Ben’s life came when he watched ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ which inspired him to align his career with sustainability and create Osmosis based on values and integrity. It combines investment strategies with a focus on environmental impact, using a rare systematic approach that has driven remarkable growth and success with solutions like green indices and ETFs.

In this first part of the interview, Ben openly talks about the highs and lows of his journey, how he overcame early obstacles, and what it took to convince initial investors to believe in his vision.

Tune in for this inspiring conversation about what it really takes to build something impactful from scratch.

P.S. Don't forget to join us next week as we dive into the second chapter of this story. We'll talk about how Osmosis is revolutionizing sustainable investing, share the strategies driving its success, and explore why it's become a leader in aligning finance with environmental values.

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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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Key Takeaways:
Intro (00:00)
Ben’s background, early life, and education (03:55)
Learning from entrepreneurial ventures (23:27)
Building, scaling, and selling a software testing business (41:24)
'An Inconvenient Truth' epiphany and transition to sustainable investing (50:34)
Various investment strategies employed by original Osmosis (01:08:14)
Raising capital activities (01:14:38)
Stop selling, start listening to investors (01:20:30)

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Additional Resources:

Osmosis website

Ben Dear LinkedIn