Millennials and Gen Z are concerned and vote with dollars

Millennials and Gen Z care deeply about sustainability – it drives their choices as investors, employees, and consumers

These generations have significant investable dollars and disposable income to deploy for sustainability

They believe companies could do more to promote sustainability, and they’re willing to support sustainability leaders through their investments and purchasing power

There’s a growing pan-generational consensus regarding taking sustainability into account alongside traditional ROI investment goals.

Download and read our third issue of GIX Research and learn about the current state of the sustainability market.

Download PDF

GIX Research December 2024 Issue 3

In light of the recent presidential election, we at GIX wanted to share our view on the potential implications for the future of sustainability.

The U.S. is set to shift away from a climate policy that relies on government regulation to one that favors private innovation driven by market forces. GIX firmly agrees with the sentiment that the private sector is uniquely positioned to support U.S. corporate leadership and propel innovation in the green economy. With our voluntary, dual listing solution, GIX looks forward to supporting capital formation for U.S. companies with our free market approach.

After talking to executives at hundreds of public companies, GIX maintains our view that a corporate focus on sustainability remains a critical strategic component of long-term financial success regardless of the direction of U.S. climate policy. Companies that commit to sustainable strategies position themselves to attract those investment dollars, capitalize on new economic opportunities, and appeal to younger generations of employees and customers.

Currently, all investors face the challenge of identifying which companies are committed to becoming sustainable and which are merely virtue signaling and greenwashing. GIX will use our listing standards to bring needed transparency to sustainable commitments, allowing investors and companies to focus on the drivers of long-term value in coming years.

GIX aims to do for sustainability what Nasdaq did for technology. GIX will enable investors to find the leaders and innovators who will anchor the new green economy. Our innovative platform will bridge the gap between companies with authentic sustainability commitments and environmentally focused investors by fostering transparency, accountability, and trust.

Regardless of the political climate, GIX will ensure our dual listed companies are serious about their global climate initiatives and responsibilities to benefit shareholders and consumers alike.

Under a new political regime, the future will be different but some things will remain the same. The value that a genuine sustainability focus brings to a company is one of those stalwart features. GIX looks forward to continuing our mission and commitment to help tomorrow’s blue chips be green.

Reflection on the U.S. Election

On Wednesday Sept. 26, 2024, during Climate Week NYC, The Green Impact Exchange held a roundtable discussion with sustainability and capital market experts to explore emerging themes in the world of sustainability.

You can view a replay of the webinar here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk9oG6xjAXY

The panel was comprised of representatives from Schroeder’s, Urvin Finance, Knickerbocker Financial, and GIX, discussing important questions like: 

Why are companies continuing to pursue sustainability reporting in light of the associated costs and the wave of backlash against it? What are the benefits and concerns for companies who stay the course? Who’s pushing back against the naysayers? How is this affecting companies’ attitudes and choices to pursue sustainability?

Watch and Learn. Tomorrow’s blue chips will be green!

GIX Webinar Replay - "Pushing Back Against the Pushback"

Companies face an uncertain time and a volatile landscape, given recent developments in sustainability and the circular economy. 

is excited to host our first Climate Week webinar featuring sustainability & financial experts discussing the headwinds and pushback facing the sustainability movement and how companies are responding. 

• How are public companies dealing with the headwinds against sustainability?

• Why are companies continuing to invest in becoming more sustainable?

• What does the future hold for the sustainability journey of companies?

Please join us and our panel on during Climate Week on 

. Seats are limited, so RSVP and sign up for the webinar as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qsZpj_OLSmmgypVI3z1frw

After registering, you will then receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar on September 25th. We look forward to seeing you there!

GIX Webinar Climate Week

Sustainability should be in every CFO’s financial toolbox.

Building a sustainability company requires more than just promises. Implementing core sustainability values adds and preserves value by helping the company identify green business opportunities and climate-related risks that could derail growth.

 shows four in five CFOs (81%) said they feel pressure from at least three stakeholder groups to take serious action on sustainability issues. Survey participants pointed to regulators, investors, and board members as the greatest sources of pressure.

 shows on average, fewer than 40% of companies across sectors are on track to meet their various sustainability commitments.

Conclusion: Senior leaders who credibly focus on sustainability before their competition and accelerate their companies’ green transition will be running the winning companies of tomorrow.

Download and read the second issue of GIX Research and learn about the current state of the sustainability market. 

GIX Research September 2024 Issue 2

Now that Green Impact Exchange's public comment period at the SEC has closed, we are thrilled by the support and endorsements for our endeavor.

GIX has received a total of 29 letters from a wide range of viewpoints. All of the letters received were supportive, positive endorsements of our efforts to build a securities exchange that will power the green economy.

Everyone at GIX is extremely grateful to all our supporters who took the time to submit a comment letter to help us on our journey to make tomorrow's blue chips green.

“Ceres endorses GIX’s mission and would welcome its registration as a national securities exchange as a contribution to climate-related corporate accountability and investor protection.” 

– Steven Rothstein & Jake Rascoff, Ceres Accelerator

“ICGN supports the mission of GIX to provide transparency and accountability for listed companies’ “green” promises and ensure that “companies have the internal infrastructure to support their sustainability efforts”. Robust corporate governance is the foundation of sustainable business practices, and reliable reporting is key for investors’ decision-making.” 

– Jen Sisson, CEO of The International Corporate Governance Network

“GIX could create a healthier and more trustworthy dynamic for companies, investors and environmental organizations.” – 

Ken Thiry, Board Member of The Nature Conservancy

“In today's market, where sustainability is not just a fad but a critical component of a company's long-term success, it is imperative that investors have clear and accurate information to guide their decisions. By incentivizing companies to make credible commitments to sustainability and be more forthcoming about their environmental efforts, GIX will help investors identify and support those companies that are genuinely committed to sustainable practices.” – 

Kirk Kellogg, former CEO Kellogg Capital Markets

“GIX fills a gap in our financial reporting ecosystem by developing and enforcing standards that will incentivize public companies to credibly commit to good “green” governance and demonstrate to investors that they are serious about their sustainability commitments. Investors will come to rely on a company’s GIX listing as proof that the company has adopted the necessary internal infrastructure to support its commitments and provide them with consistent, reliable, and transparent information about sustainability.” – 

“We believe that GIX represents a significant advancement in both financial market innovation and environmental responsibility. We fully support the introduction of GIX and believe that its approval will drive significant positive change within the financial markets and the broader environment.” 

– Tim Lang, Equity Trader at Global Liquidity Partners (GLP), ACS Execution LLC

The GIX will help incentivize listed companies to take a credible long-term approach to realize ‘good growth for the common good’ for the stakeholders, including the investors, avoiding the noise of ‘Greenwashing”. By encouraging companies to take a more holistic, strategic approach to sustainability, GIX proposes a pragmatic solution for every stakeholder in the capital market's mechanics. GIX's mechanics will help listed companies become more active in sustainably raising capital, and green investors will benefit accordingly.” – 

“Our union needs the companies that invest in agriculture and the food industry to understand the long term benefits of consumers and investors being fully informed of the best practices of companies that care about the environment. Our nations needs food security and that requires a stable and productive workforce. On behalf of the million and a half farm workers-- we welcome the requirement of full disclosure of sustainability practices.” - 

Irv Hershenbaum, First Vice President, United Farm Workers

“GIX is breaking new ground in transparency and accountability. I have long wished for an ESG “seal of approval” for companies that I invest in and do business with…. Finally, I will highlight the extensive experience of the team at GIX. There are tremendous advantages that come with living in the heavily regulated exchange world in terms of design, strategy and enforcement. These folks have the requisite backgrounds for success in a unique environment that not many people have experience operating in.” 

– Mike Cormac, former President of Archipelago

“The Green Impact Exchange will give investors critical insights into how companies are addressing climate change and positioning themselves for the future, an essential factor in making informed investment decisions. Whether you care about the climate, corporate profits or both, by bringing more transparency and accountability on a firms journey to becoming a sustainable company, the Green Impact Exchange will be invaluable to all investors and accelerate our path forward for creating a healthier climate for future generations.” 

- Michael Capelli, former CEO of Fennel Financial

“The Green Impact Exchange (GIX) has submitted an application to register as a national securities exchange with an interesting twist: Their proposed listing standards go far beyond the normal corporate governance and size requirements. In addition, they require firms to promote sustainability at the board level and to have a green business plan with measurable green goals.” 

-- Jim Angel, Associate Professor of Finance, Georgetown University

The Green Impact Exchange's environmental listing requirement is a free-market solution, and I anticipate that it will work. When the Green Impact Exchange opens its doors and starts trading, it will expand the role an exchange plays in our economy. Strikingly, the Exchange will directly affect how goods and services are produced by the listed companies. Both companies and the broader population will benefit. 

– Robert Schwartz, Professor of Finance, Baruch College

“The Green Impact Exchange will keep corporations honest and transparent through their listing standards. GIX incentivizes companies listed on its exchange to be environmentally responsible or face the risk of being delisted. To date, there is no other mechanism that accomplishes this.” 

– David Michaels, President Emeritus of the Foreign Press Association of the United States

“GIX’s standards will do for sustainability reporting – a material consideration for a broad group of modern investors – what the NYSE and Nasdaq have done for financial reporting: ensure that its listed companies follow mature sustainability governance practices, and that they are committed to robust transparency, oversight, and accountability for their sustainability commitments.” 

To read all the comments GIX received– visit the SEC website 

GIX is committed to facilitating companies on their green journey and empowering investors with the tools they need to make informed decisions that align with their values and financial goals.

Tomorrow’s blue chips will be green (and dual-listed on GIX).

Broad Support Showcased During GIX's Public Comment Period

Ask yourself: Do today's leaders have the toolkit they need to make the best decisions to ensure their institutions are resilient and adaptable to climate change? When is the 'best time' to make a decision? What is the significance of materiality in decision-making? Where do climate considerations belong in a materiality matrix?

Learn about an approach and framework that can benefit all types of institutions from Chief Strategy Office Alex Kontoleon CEO Daniel Labovitz in their article "Materiality in the Long Now: Navigating the Intersection of Decision-Making, Time, and Strategy," published in the recent issue of the Dickinson Law Review available 

You also download the PDF from our site. 

Materiality In the Long Now

GIX's Form 1 submission to the SEC was picked up by a number of news outlets. Here are a few places where our story ran. Be on the lookout for more news and updates coming soon.


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/green-impact-exchange-files-e-204100913.html

https://sdgnews.com/green-light-gix-seeks-sec-nod-to-launch-first-us-green-stock-market/

https://fintech.global/2024/07/19/gix-files-with-sec-to-introduce-pioneering-green-stock-exchange-in-america/

https://esgnews.com/green-impact-exchangegix-files-for-sec-approval-as-first-u-s-green-economy-stock-market/

https://www.marketsmedia.com/first-us-green-securities-exchange-files-for-sec-approval/

https://www.esgtoday.com/green-impact-exchange-files-to-launch-first-ever-sustainability-focused-stock-exchange-in-u-s/

https://www.thetradenews.com/gix-trading-platform-the-first-green-securities-exchange-to-file-with-the-sec/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/green-impact-exchange-files-with-sec-to-become-the-first-green-securities-exchange-in-the-us-302199848.html

News Roundup

On behalf of everyone at the Green Impact Exchange (GIX), I’m pleased to announce that Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has published our application seeking approval as a national securities exchange. This is an important and exciting step on our journey to accelerate the world of sustainable investing and stimulate the global green economy.

GIX will be the first national securities exchange in the U.S. dedicated to the global green economy. Analysts estimate that the transition to a cleaner, sustainable economy could add $50+ trillion to global GDP by 2050 as companies invest in mitigating environmental risks and capitalizing on increasing revenue from environmentally friendly opportunities. Enabling investors to evaluate companies’ agility and resiliency to adapt to these opportunities and risks—and allocate capital accordingly—is the job that free markets were designed to do.

To function optimally, efficient markets need timely, uniform, transparent, and trustworthy information, not only about what a company has done but also what it will continue to do and how it will do it. Despite this need, existing sustainability standards and frameworks aren’t optimized to ensure accountability around reporting. This allows some companies to engage in “greenwashing” to attract sustainable capital – promising to be sustainable without doing the important work to make it happen and reporting results selectively (or not at all) with little risk of meaningful consequences if they mislead investors.

GIX will bring needed uniformity, transparency, and accountability to sustainability disclosures for investors and stakeholders alike. We will do this through enforceable listing standards that emphasize green governance (the infrastructure that ensures a company follows through on its promises) and require companies to be more transparent in disclosures about their sustainability goals, strategies, and progress.

At a juncture like this, it is worthwhile pausing for a moment to reflect on how far we have come as a company. Despite many challenges and long odds, we took the idealistic notion that listing exchanges can help companies establish credibility around their sustainability promises, recruited a team of experts to help build on that idea, and are now standing on the cusp of being able to put it into action. Our journey would not have been possible without the support of our investors and the hard work of our outstanding team and valued partners. I offer all our supporters my heartfelt thanks and look forward to continuing our journey.

As we move forward, there is a meaningful way you can help: Our application has been published on the SEC’s website and will be in the Federal Register within a few days. Once it’s published in the Federal Register will be a 45-day public comment period, during which you can post supportive comment letters. The SEC Commissioners will then review the application and comments, and then decide whether to approve GIX’s registration as a national securities exchange. We are optimistic about obtaining approval and are projecting to officially launch the Green Impact Exchange in approximately early 2025 (depending on the SEC’s timeline).

GIX will strengthen capital markets and improve investor confidence in the overall quality of corporate sustainability disclosures. We thank you for your support to this point, and we welcome you to join us as we continue on this exciting journey, whether as a supporter, advisor, partner, investor, or listed company.

P.S. If you’d like to join our mailing list, please sign up 

. If you’d like to submit a comment letter stay tuned for future updates where we will explain the process in more detail.

CEO Dan Labovitz on GIX's Form 1 Filing

We're in the news - and it's big news indeed!


We are excited to announce The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has published the Green Impact Exchange application seeking approval as a national securities exchange. This is an important step on our journey to accelerate the world of sustainable investing and stimulate the global green economy.


Our SEC Application Is Published

A majority of all investors show interest in shifting their investments to strategies that only invest in net-zero carbon companies.

A majority of companies view sustainability as a value creation opportunity, with potential benefits ranging from higher revenues and profitability to lower cost of capital.

Sustainable investors need transparency to know a company’s environmental commitment is credible. The listing standards of a registered stock exchange can ensure they get it.

Download and read the first issue of GIX Research and learn about the current state of the sustainability market. 

GIX Research June 2024 Issue 1

It's here! The inaugural episodes of the podcast Greenbacked kicks off with a quick introduction of Greenbacked and the goals and aspirations of the podcast. 

The second episode is an interview with Prof. Shiva Rajgopal of Columbia University where we dive into his 'Trust But Verify Approach to ESG"

Give a listen and share your thoughts below.

Greenbacked is Launched! Check out Episodes 1 & 2!

On Thursday Oct 26, 2023, GIX held a roundtable discussion hosted by GIX Chief Evangelist Shelley Goldberg, with three ESG experts to explore important topics and emerging themes in the world of sustainability. 

You can view the replay of the webinar here: 

The panel was comprised of representatives from Nomura GreenTech, Columbia Business School, and the Knickerbocker Financial Group. In the hour long discussion, three main topics were discussed by the panel:

1) The ambiguity around forthcoming SEC reporting requirements and proposed rules on climate related disclosures

2) The current and future costs associated with achieving sustainability and green compliance.

3) Ways in which embracing green initiatives can positively impact the company's bottom line.

GIX Webinar Replay - "Thriving In the New Green Economy"

Practicing Good Green Governance Leads to Profits

By Shelley Goldberg, Green Evangelist at The Green Impact Exchange

When it comes to a corporation practicing good green governance, it’s not about being altruistic.

Nor is it solely about enhancing the company’s risk management, as a risk management program is viewed as a cost to a company (albeit a justified and worthwhile one). Being green can generate savings for a company (e.g., reducing energy consumption, raw materials, water, etc.) Far from being a cost, good green governance can directly contribute to a company’s bottom line and an increase in profitability.

But how can an investor know to attribute this profitability to green practices? Without plowing through a company’s financial statements and sustainability reports, they might surmise that profits came solely from a superior product or service, effective advertising, or something else. So how can a company best showcase to a broad audience that its good green governance contributed to its profits?

Defining Good Green Governance for a Corporation

Let’s begin by defining green governance. It refers to a set of principles and practices aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and responsible management of natural resources within a clear governance and decision-making framework. A green-minded corporation should integrate environmental considerations into policies, regulations, and actions throughout all divisions of its business. Green governance aims to balance economic and environmental practices to create a profitable and sustainable future.

The key aspects of practicing green governance are as follows:

Short-, Medium- and Long-Term Goal Setting

International Cooperation (with all stakeholders)

Practicing green governance requires a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of environmental, operational, and economic systems to balance human needs and the health of the planet with the company’s bottom line and valuation. That balance is what helps ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all stakeholders.

So, how does this connect to profitability? When putting green governance into practice, it helps to have some real-world examples. Here are three.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Engaging Customer Input

For Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), demand for “greenness” came from its customer base. Customers increasingly questioned the carbon footprint of HPE’s products and services. According to GreenBiz, HPE’s sustainability team saw this as an opportunity to respond proactively rather than defensively.

The sustainability team tracked the content of the conversations it had with HPE’s customers over a 5-year period and capitalized on the data to help close deals. In those conversations, the company addressed its progress in energy efficiency, circularity, and other related features. The payoff was impressive: $1.3 billion in profit (out of $28.5 billion) in 2022, a 400% increase from 2018.

As the interest in discussions around sustainability in 2022 grew dramatically, the sustainability team was initially unprepared for the volume and the required time commitment. To address this, the team launched a program to train its salespeople on how HPE technologies can play a meaningful role in meeting sustainability goals and net zero targets, reducing carbon footprints, and measuring and managing ESG metrics in customer industries ranging from financial services to manufacturing.

In 2023, the company launched voluntary online classes for pre-sales, sales, and customer engagement employees, making them advocates for ‘sustainable IT.’ While the class is voluntary, thousands of employees have signed up.

United Airlines stands out among its peers in an industry not known for its ‘greenness.’ As part of its Road to Net-Zero plan, according to its Corporate Responsibility Report, United placed orders for more than 400 narrowbody and widebody aircraft, with options to increase that number to nearly 700. The aircraft are expected to improve fuel efficiency by 17-25% per seat compared to older planes. Together with fuel efficiency efforts keyed to seat density, these more efficient aircraft should result in 20% reduction of its forecasted emissions which will help it reach net zero by 2050 without the use of traditional carbon offsets.

In fact, United was the first US airline to show customers an estimate of their flights’ carbon footprint when booking on a per economy seat passenger basis. In February 2023, it embarked on its transition toward more sustainable flying, highlighting the importance of transparency for its customers. Many fliers value this effort, and it is reflected in their choice of airline.

Goodyear Tire: Evaluating Energy Loss Assessments

Goodyear Tire is s an industry that is not generally recognized as being green. Yet annually, the company performs an energy loss assessment within its overall manufacturing zero-loss assessment. It reviews different categories of energy losses that can occur in every area of its manufacturing facilities, including steam use, utility costs, heating and cooling, and electric use efficiency. Upon completion of the energy loss assessment, each plant identifies its greatest opportunity areas and sets its own goals, measured in BTUs per pound of production, to be incorporated into its global energy reduction goal.

In its most recent five-year plan, Goodyear identified more than 530 energy efficiency projects that leverage a zero-loss culture to prioritize opportunities, target cost reductions, and increase efficiency. Goodyear’s savings in 2022 from energy efficiency projects was approximately $19 million, a 2.3% energy efficiency improvement from its 2019 baseline.

Showcasing a Company’s Greenness: Getting the Message Out

The above examples are just a few ways that sustainability initiatives have contributed to corporate profitability, each part of a larger environmental effort, including carbon reduction, water management, and recycling, to name a few. Importantly, each of them is also an example of leadership and governance attention across the company that were necessary precursors to making lasting change. Despite this, these companies, and many like them, often fail to get the recognition they deserve from the investment community because investors make bad assumptions based on the nature of their respective industries and public mistrust in what is being reported. These investors are missing the leaders among the laggards.

Many companies want to showcase their greenness in a credible and trustworthy way but find the current system of backward-looking, voluntary standards and the myriad of ESG metrics to be daunting, arduous, and costly. Furthermore, they are frustrated by the fact that some of their competitors loosely adopt ESG standards, leading to 

or selectively report statistics resulting in 

, which only broadens the distrust of rating agencies, many of which scrape sustainability reports for keywords and don’t engage with company leaders. Such ratings have low correlations (typically sub-40), leaving investors to question which one is 

Public companies would be wise to consider a dual-listing on a green stock exchange as an additive, strategic initiative. Unlike ESG standards, a U.S. exchange is an SEC-regulated entity that enforces accountability and green stewardship. An exchange is the only enforceable mechanism providing investors with the trust and credibility they demand when sourcing green-minded investments. Unlike the passive role a company has with an ESG standard or ESG rating agency, a company’s role with an exchange is active. As such, the exchange provides a green seal of approval, a binary yes/no mark of its listed companies’ greenness, and facilitates the role of retail and institutional investors looking for a more straightforward and more trustworthy screening when choosing green-minded investments.

Green companies are encouraged to continue their journey toward being green and to get recognized for it. Being green is about being responsible. It strengthens risk management and helps a company to be 

. And it can lead to profitability in ways that should be recognized and touted. The more 

 stakeholders recognize good green governance, the more they will demand it from their investments, goods, service providers, and employers, setting the stage for a sustainable future for future generations

 where we showcase members of GIX and their role within the company. 

Marc Iyeki, Head of Listing Sales Strategy!

What are your day-to-day work/responsibilities at GIX? What does the Head of Listing Sales Strategy do?

Primarily collaborate with team members to enhance and promote GIX’s message, targeting companies, investors, and capital markets advisors. Conduct joint educational presentations for target audiences. Identify and guide approach to managing risks and opportunities in the competitive exchange listings arena.

What was your work experience before GIX (in capital markets, sustainability, or both)?

I spent over two decades as a listings executive at the New York Stock Exchange, and over a decade as an attorney in the Enforcement Division of the NYSE. I've been an advisor to companies seeking to go public via IPO or merger with a SPAC. Independent Board Director of a SPAC that formed a new business combination, which listed on NASDAQ.

This was an opportunity to contribute my skills in a company led by people who largely aligned with my personal values. After a career built on working with established global corporations, I embraced the chance to join a startup from its inception, helping lay the foundation for future success.

What does green/sustainability mean to you? Has your definition evolved since working at GIX?

It means proactively addressing environmental risks and opportunities in all aspects of a company’s business. It’s about being a responsible global corporate citizen. Upon joining GIX, my understanding of green/sustainability was vague. Since then, daily interactions with field experts have compelled me to ramp up my knowledge, shaping my current definition.

How do you feel about the current state of ESG and Sustainability in companies and/or the world today?

Companies now recognize the financial and reputational gains from authentic ESG/Sustainability integration. However, investors struggle to identify sincere, effective commitment amid greenwashing and the mass of complex, inconsistent ESG/Sustainability disclosures. As a growing number of stakeholders prefer to interact with companies that share similar values, ESG/Sustainability’s importance for firms and investors will only rise.

How do you explain GIX’s mission to someone who is not familiar with what a securities exchange is and does?

The Green Impact Exchange is a platform where individuals and institutions can invest not only for profit, but also to create a positive impact on the environment and society. They support companies that have transformed themselves into well-governed, mission-driven businesses that are fostering a cleaner environment.

How does GIX’s mission and values align with your own?

The Green Impact Exchange aims to incentivize companies and investors to improve conditions for all life on our planet. Personally, I value using my talents for the greater good.

How do you explain the importance of green governance when you’re telling people about GIX?

The GIX is a distinctive stock exchange with a special requirement: companies must meet green governance standards to be listed. Corporate governance is fundamental, shaping a company’s identity. Adhering to GIX’s green governance rules integrates environmental commitment at the company’s core. This resonates with investors and other stakeholders seeking a simple and clear method to identify trustworthy companies and avoid greenwashing.

What do you think is one of GIX’s biggest hurdles that you can help the company overcome?

GIX faces a major challenge in securing listings against entrenched incumbents that have dominate the listings landscape. It's not easy for a new player to enter the space. 

What are some hobbies/interests you pursue in your spare time?

I like to travel, listen to guitar music, check out gastropubs, and watch World Cup competitions (i.e., soccer, basketball, baseball, rugby). My dream is to write a novel.

What are some lessons you’ve learned while working at/with GIX?

To achieve something significant that will challenge the norm, you need to dream big and fully embrace the role of a game-changing iconoclast. Another lesson is that those who doubt can either discourage or inspire you - the decision is yours.

What’s one lesson or piece of advice—professional or personal—that guides you to this day? 

Be resilient. Inevitably, life will lift you up, but it will just as soon slap you down. It’s about how you respond.

The GIX will be the center of the new green economy, comprising companies, investors, traders, and thought leaders that prioritize environmental sustainability.

Meet The GIX Team: Marc Iyeki

GIX continues to make progress as we head into the Fall of 2023. We’re excited to bring you up to speed on where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how we plan to get there.

GIX has reached out to market makers, institutional investors, large banks, and broker-dealers to share our story, and we've been working on getting commitments by firms to trade on GIX when it goes live. As of right now, several major broker-dealers on Wall St. have given us soft commitments to be present for trading and provide liquidity to our market which is an important step to help the success of GIX as a securities exchange. This also provides an important incentive and comfort to companies who will potentially list. 


Speaking of potential listing companies, our listing sales team has done an amazing job to date. They have made contact with over 350 companies across a wide spectrum of industries and market capitalization, and they continue to build a pipeline of new companies. While it’s still early in our discussions, there is a common thread from companies of significant frustration in getting their “sustainability story” to the public. Companies are beginning to recognize that GIX will serve as an effective part of that solution. So far out of the 350 companies we have spoken to, approximately one quarter of those companies have expressed interest in dual-listing on GIX once we have SEC license approval. Even if only one-third the the quarter actually dual-list once we have the license, that will be an achievement. To launch with a diverse inaugural class of green minded companies will be story that we hope will be talked about industry-wide and covered in major financial publications.


Our exchange technical experts have been busy behind the scenes doing design studies and looking to license existing exchange technology as the software that will power GIX. We are pursuing this approach for several reasons
1)	Speed to Market – Building a technology solution is never as fast as using one that already works. While we have the people with the knowledge to build our own, it would likely delay our launch date by months if not years, and we are eager to get to market as soon as possible.
2)	Stability – There is less likelihood of errors and problems during startup and operations by using an existing, well tested, successful system. We don’t want wind up in a situation suffering from glitches and system issues from our homebrew system.
3)	Savings – Its undeniably expensive to leverage existing technology, but in house development and building an exchange from scratch could be x2 or x3 the proposed cost of using software already built. We’re being as careful as we can with our dollars to maximize our efficacy.
4)	Support & Service – Similar to saving on development costs, we can similarly save on support staff. By licensing the technology, existing support teams will handle any issues.


Dan & Charlie had originally hoped to submit our Form 1 application at the end of June, but the regulatory due diligence process at the SEC is a complicated process with a hard to predict timeline. Given the turnaround time from the SEC in regard to feedback, notes, and questions, we are now on schedule for a late Q3/early Q4 2023 submission. Additionally, this also means a delay from our initial launch forecast, which makes GIX’s likely new go-live date to be Q3 of 2024.


GIX’s leadership continues the quest to find the right Series A lead investment partner to fund the round to ensure we have enough money in our coffers to launch the exchange properly and with the necessary marketing and advertising to give us the best chance of success. The good news is we are in conversations with institutions and funds who are all interested and actively performing due diligence on us. It is our hope to have secured our Series A funding by the end of Q4 2023. Given the tough funding road many startups are facing these days, it’s a good thing we had a third-party audit performed as it provides a level of comfort to lead investors many startups cannot provide.


The GIX team has come a long way over the past year and we are excited and thankful for the support and interest from the financial industry and public. We look forward to sharing additional news and updates in the near future so stay tuned. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with thoughts or questions.



GIX Sept 2023 Update

It might be tempting to ask “Another podcast? Is that what the world needs?” Well, we can’t speak to every topic and every podcast out there, but we’re working on cooking up an engaging and unique podcast.

is the podcast that brings together academics and experts in the field to talk about the intersection of finance, climate action, government policies, and economics. Whether you’re a finance pro who wants to learn more about sustainability and climate issues, or a sustainability pro who wants to better understand how capital markets and Wall St. can power the green movement, this is where you come to listen and learn about the current state of affairs.

Green Backed is hosted by GIX’s Chief Strategy Officer, Alex Kontoleon, and we invite you to join the conversation after the podcast at 

 where we will have a transcript of the interview and welcome thoughtful discussion on the topics discussed.

Our first guest will be Professor Shiva Rajgopal, Professor at the Columbia Business School, who talks to Green Backed about how he got into ESG, the importance of reporting and externalities, and how maybe we’re blaming the wrong culprits these days.

We’re finishing up post-production editing on our first few episodes of Green Backed, and we’ll announce when they’re available on all major podcast platforms. Stay tuned!

Welcome to Green Backed!

 a new feature where we'll be showcasing members of GIX and their role within the company. 

Shelley Goldberg, GIX's Chief Green Evangelist

What are your day-to-day work/responsibilities at GIX? What does a Chief Green Evangelist do?

As the Chief Green Evangelist for GIX, I serve in a senior leadership role that focuses on advocating, promoting and driving sustainability and environmentally conscious practices within the operations and ethos of GIX and its listed companies. My role goes beyond the traditional responsibilities of financial leadership and extends into the realm of sustainability. My responsibilities include:

1) Advocating for sustainability both internally and externally, engaging with stakeholders to communicate GIX’s commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and good green governance.

2) Collaborating with all GIX team members to ensure that green factors are part of the fabric of our overall business operations.

3) Representing GIX in industry forums, conferences and initiatives related to sustainability and green finance.

4) Working to mitigate green washing and green ‘hushing’ and help investors to make informed decisions.

5) Collaborating and establishing partnerships with governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, NGOs, financial institutions and other institutions in the green space.

6) Promoting a strong sense of green corporate responsibility internally and externally.

I have worked in finance in the capital markets for over 25 years both on the buy side and sell side. With a sector focus on global resources and commodities, I ran a hedge fund, G3 Capital Partners, as well as a fund-of-funds with Union Bancaire Privee. After serving as a commodity strategist for Roubini Global Economics and for Brevan Howard, a $42b macro hedge fund, I formed my own environmental sustainability consultancy in 2016. As the founder of Invest-With-Purpose, I advised industrials and corporates on renewable energy technologies, plastic pollution, regenerative agriculture, waste management, recycling, the circular economy and corporate ESG compliance. Additionally, I guided financial services firms to structure green portfolios and address client interest in impact investing.

The Principals of GIX were looking to fill the role of Green Evangelist. Like my consultancy, which emphasized the E of ESG, so too did GIX. The role truly had my calling and once I met the team, I was convinced that GIX was the place for me to most effectively channel my talents and interests and make a meaningful impact in the environment through financial channels.

Being green and sustainable, at its core, means being a change agent in a world that requires participation by all. My definition has not changed since working for GIX, albeit I continue to learn from fellow GIX professionals and experts in environmental sciences and finance. I have learned over the years that fixing the problems our environment faces and will continue to face, is not about finger pointing and blaming. Collaboration, data-driven decision making, constructive dialogue and a commitment to working together despite disagreements are what’s needed on this journey.

The world has made major strides in ESG and sustainability, but the ESG acronym needs to be trifurcated before it is implemented as its current state confuses both the adopters and investors alike. Our goal is to focus on the E of ESG, as carried through by the G. By utilizing the power of the capital markets, an exchange - a regulated entity - is the most effective and influential means of making this change.

After the stock market crash in 1929, the public confidence in the U.S. markets needed restoring. Congress held hearings to identify the problems and search for solutions leading to the passing of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which created the SEC. The basic premise of those laws is to enforce the following: • Companies offering securities for sale to the public must tell the truth about their business, the securities they are selling, and the risks involved in investing in those securities. • Those who sell and trade securities – brokers, dealers, and exchanges – must treat investors fairly and honestly. Simply put, GIX upholds these standards by requiring its listed companies to act in accordance with the SEC in regard to green matters (principles, goals, and actions) in the same way they do now for financial matters (profit, loss, etc.).

I have been an environmentalist since my youth. I can recall organizing teams of students in my 3rd grade class to meet on weekends to pick up trash from the school property. To this day, my mission and values are formed around collective action for change.

Good green governance is about values, vision and actions. A company must have published green values which start at the board level and infiltrate down to senior management. Its green vision must be articulated by management and clearly understood and adopted by all employees. Its vision must take into consideration all stakeholders, from its customers and investors to its vendors and the communities in which it operates. Finally, its actions must be aligned with its values and vision in every aspect of its business such that when its green goals are not met, actions are carried out address the accountability and enforceability of its goals, all of which must be fully transparent to the investment community. An exchange is pivotal in leading the transformation of financial markets towards a more sustainable and responsible future, by enforcing good green governance.

One of the biggest hurdles that GIX faces, in its initial stages, is to project, in the most clear and succinct way, the benefits of listing on GIX. While a large majority of companies we speak with are excited to learn about GIX and to be kept abreast of our developments, we do hear occasional concerns of the potential for additional workload, being unable to meet sustainability goals, or being seen as taking a political side. We need to educate companies that much of their work has already been accomplished, that they will not be penalized for not meeting goals as long as they provide transparency and accountability, and that both sides of the political spectrum support GIX because of its free-market approach and addressing environmental concerns. The benefits are not just about 

Some of my hobbies include photography, running, hiking, literature (writing & reading), modern dance, theatre, art, cooking and of course being surrounded by nature.

Where do you feel GIX is now, and where do you think it needs to be in the next twelve months?

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