Sustainable Finance: Values-Based Investing for Environmental and Financial Health

Program Overview

As climate-related risks intensify and federal support for environmental initiatives wanes, the need for sustainable investment has become more urgent than ever. In 2025, the new U.S. administration has rolled back several federal climate policies, including previous investments through the Inflation Reduction Act¹, prompting many firms to seek resilience through private capital and pragmatic sustainability strategies. Despite these challenges, the sustainable investment market remains poised for growth.

Sustainable finance offers a powerful response. By aligning capital with climate goals, investors—both individual and institutional—can drive meaningful change while securing long-term returns. According to Morgan Stanley, 88% of investors are interested in portfolios that integrate sustainability, and over half plan to increase their sustainable investments within the year².

On October 14th, 2025, join the EPN in exploring three key domains of sustainable finance:

• Individual investment portfolios: Learn how to align your personal finances with your environmental values.
• Institutional-level investing and ESG: Discover how organizations are integrating environmental, social, and governance criteria into their strategies.
• Funding sustainability ideas: Understand how innovators can secure private capital to launch and scale climate solutions.

A highlight of the event will be a case study presented by Dr. Steven Quiring, professor of geography at Ohio State, who founded StormImpact, a weather analytics company that helps utilities prepare for extreme storms. StormImpact was recently acquired by Urbint, a national leader in infrastructure resilience³, providing a powerful example of how sustainable finance can turn academic research into real-world impact.

Following the breakfast, attendees are invited to stick around for a workshop on sustainable investment strategies for individual portfolios. Whether you're an environmental professional, student, investor, or entrepreneur, this event will equip you with the tools and inspiration to better finance a more sustainable future.

¹: Bipartisan Policy Center, “What does the One Big Beautiful Bill Cost?” (2024) Link here.

²: United Nations Global Compact, “Investing in the future: The rise of sustainable finance” (2025) Link here.

³: Ohio State University Office of Innovation and Economic Development, "Ohio State innovation culture on display with StormImpact acquisition" (2025) Link here.

Agenda

7:15 a.m. Doors open at Ohio State 4-H Center; Coffee served for in-person attendees. 

7:40 a.m. Breakfast buffet served for in-person attendees. 

8:00 a.m. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees. Tim Haab, PhD, director, Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) provides welcome remarks.

8:05 a.m. Lauren Glessman, Student Ambassador, SENR, connects the event's thematic focus on sustainable finance to her experiences as a student in SENR's Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability major.

8:10 a.m. Chris Ellwood, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones, provides insight into ESG investments at the individual level.

8:25 a.m. Chris Ito, CEO, FFI Solutions, provides an overview of sustainable finance strategies for institutions with large amounts of assets, plus a background on ESG in finance.

8:40 a.m. Fireside chat with Steven Quiring, PhD, Professor, Department of Geography at OSU; Co-Founder, StormImpact, moderated by Ito on the funding journey of StormImpact and how values-based funding and investments can lead to major opportunities for climate adaptation and community resilience.

9:05 a.m. Audience Q&A with Ellwood, Ito, and Dr. Quiring.

9:25 a.m. Joe Campbell, PhD, Senior Lecturer, OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources, concludes the breakfast portion of the event. Livestreaming service concludes for virtual attendees.

-Break-

9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Extended educational session begins for in-person guests only. This one-hour program will include a workshop led by Ellwood that provides strategies for how attendees can incorporate sustainable investment into their personal portfolios.

Speakers

Chris Ito, CEO, FFI Solutions

Chris Ito is Chief Executive Officer of FFI Solutions, a research and advisory firm that helps institutional investors integrate climate considerations into their policies and processes. Chris has over 30 years of leadership roles in the consulting and asset management industries. Chris has a BS in accounting from Ohio State University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Chris is the former chair of the Board of Directors of The Ohio State University Alumni Association and currently co-chairs the Advisory Board for the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at OSU.

Chris Ellwood, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

Chris Ellwood is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones where he helps clients simplify complex financial decisions and reach for their long-term goals. He specializes in sustainable investing, with a focus on skilled tradespeople, public employees, healthcare workers, and environmental professionals. His practice is in Marysville, Ohio and is part of the 1% for the Planet network. Outside of work he enjoys outdoor adventures with his two young sons. Chris is an alumni of SENR, having earned his BS in ecology from Ohio State. He is also a board member of Friends of Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW).

Steven Quiring, PhD, Professor, Department of Geography at OSU; Co-Founder, StormImpact

Dr. Steven Quiring is a climatologist and professor in the Department of Geography at OSU. Dr. Quiring's research primarily focuses on how severe weather affects electrical infrastructure. He is the Co-Founder of StormImpact, which is a startup that helps utilities forecast and respond to outages by modeling historical weather data and geographic information. At OSU, he contributes to interdisciplinary efforts through the Risk Institute and the Sustainability Institute. He holds a BA from the University of Winnipeg, an MA from the University of Manitoba, and a PhD in Climatology from the University of Delaware.

SENR Student Spotlight

Lauren Glessman, Student Ambassador, OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR)

Lauren is a third-year student in SENR majoring in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS), with a minor in Business. Her interests in sustainability center around how businesses develop and integrate sustainability goals into their core day-to-day operations. Lauren has built a strong foundation in sustainability through diverse experiences, including a study abroad program in Australia where she examined human environmental impacts, and an internship with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which deepened her commitment to applying sustainable practices here in Ohio.

Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs.