Episode 20: Constance Broz

Constance Broz was born in France and came to the United States to study at Cornell University in its international agriculture program, an experience that exposed her to issues of social justice and helped shape her worldview, inanition to meeting her future husband there! After graduation, she worked in Haiti with Catholic Relief Services as part of its small-scale agricultural development program where she had the privilege to work with both religious and non-religious leaders in remote rural areas. Upon returning to the United States, she and her husband, Thomas Broz, founded Live Earth Farm, a community-based organic farm in Santa Cruz, California. The farm's mission of providing healthy food to the community led to the creation of a well established farm-based nonprofit educational program. These experiences guided Constance in applying long-term sustainability values to the stewardship of her family's wealth. As an active, hands-on, values-driven investor, she had the opportunity beginning in 2010 to work with leading pioneers in socially responsible and impact investing, including Mark Finser, founder of RSF Social Finance; Patricia Farrar-Rivas, CEO of Veris Wealth Partners; Taylor Jordan, co-founder of Imprint Capital; and Liz Michaels of Aperio Group (for the launching of a gender based index fund). Together with other leaders in the field, they contributed to the development and expansion of innovative gender-lens investment strategies and financial products. One of Constance's long-term goals as an impact investor was realized when the Santa Cruz Community Foundation had the capacity to align her family's donor-advised fund with a gender-lens investment strategy. Another important milestone came when she and her husband attended a retreat organized by Impact Experience. The retreat explored the historical and ongoing influence of racial bias in financial decision-making and provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of these issues and integrate that awareness into their investment and philanthropic work.