In this crossover episode of The Future of Finance and Beyond Carbon, hosts Georges Dyer and Chris Ito sit down with Lane Jost, Head of Sustainability & Governance Advisory at Edelman Smithfield, for a candid conversation about the evolving ESG and sustainable investing landscape. Lane traces the arc of ESG from its “1.0” early days to today’s politically charged environment, unpacking the dynamics of greenwashing, greenhushing, regulatory risk, and the often-confusing language that shapes public perception.

Together, the group explores whether the rise of greenhushing may actually signal a maturing field—one that demands more rigor, transparency, and alignment between claims and investment processes. They explore what this moment means for endowments, asset managers, and campus stakeholders, and discuss the new offering from Edelman Smithfield and FFI Solutions working directly with endowments on strategic communications strategies. The conversation also highlights the opportunity for higher education institutions to turn sustainable investing into a powerful learning laboratory for students, future leaders, and informed citizens.

Ultimately, the episode balances realism about political headwinds with optimism about market innovation, improved governance, and the long-term trajectory toward resilience and value creation.

This episode is brought to you by Metis Global Partners.

Keywords: ESG evolution, greenhushing, greenwashing, sustainable investing, fiduciary duty, strategic communications, endowments, resilience, stakeholder engagement

In this wide-ranging conversation, Georges Dyer sits down with Dorien Nunez — longtime investment professional, community advocate, senior fellow with the Intentional Endowments Network, and founder of Omni Research. Dorien reflects on his unlikely path into finance, beginning with a life-changing scholarship to St. Paul’s School and early Wall Street internships that opened doors most young people never get access to. He shares how experiences with redlining, the anti-apartheid divestment movement at Harvard, and later discrimination in the finance industry shaped his lifelong commitment to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in investing.

Dorien traces the evolution of DEI and ESG efforts across decades, from early activism to today’s backlash, offering historical context, practical insights, and optimism grounded in real industry progress — from changing licensing barriers to CFA Institute guidelines to the growing ecosystem of mentorship programs. He discusses his work at Omni Research, including research on closing the racial wealth gap, the backlash aiming to politicize “woke capitalism,” mentorship initiatives, and tools empowering consumers and investors to align investing with their values.

This episode offers inspiration, candor, and a clear-eyed look at how structural barriers shape opportunities (or lack thereof) in finance — and how to create a more inclusive industry for the next generation.

This episode is brought to you by Metis Global Partners.

Keywords: Diversity in finance, racial wealth gap, ESG & DEI, mentorship, emerging managers, inclusive capitalism, financial education, Wall Street careers, systemic change, responsible investing

In this episode of The Future of Finance, host Georges Dyer sits down with Jon Lukomnik — investor, author, corporate governance pioneer, and one of the main architects of system-level investing. Drawing on his experience managing New York City’s pension funds in the 1990s, Jon recounts the moment he realized that traditional Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) was no longer sufficient for investors responsible for real-world liabilities. The conversation traces his decades-long journey toward developing “beyond MPT” thinking, culminating in his influential book Moving Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory and the forthcoming System-Level Investing Handbook.

Jon explains why the majority of investors’ returns are shaped not by stock picking, but by overall market performance — and why investors must understand, steward, and take action to support the health of social and environmental systems to manage systemic risk. He highlights real examples from global pension funds, insurers, and asset managers who are leading this shift, and discusses tools such as collaborative engagement, policy advocacy, and rethinking investment beliefs. Jon also tackles critiques of systemic stewardship, the politicization of ESG, the role of academia, and how system-level thinking can shape the future of finance.

The episode closes with rapid-fire questions covering food, music, teaching at Columbia, AI governance, and Jon’s vision for a financial system that supports — rather than undermines — a thriving real economy.

This episode is brought to you by Metis Global Partners.

Keywords: System-level investing, Modern Portfolio Theory, beta activism, universal ownership, systemic risk, institutional investors, collaborative engagement, policy advocacy, sustainability and finance, investment beliefs