BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON
Values are never separate from economic planning in the eyes of Ana Olaya. They are a component of it. Olaya brings up experience in finance, impact investing, and economic work with a commitment to animal welfare and sustainability to create the term “vegan financial professional,” which is used to describe wealth managers or consultants who agree to vegan principles in life and career.
She collaborates with clients who want their financial lives to have more than just numbers on a page. For some, that means considering where their money goes, what it supports, and whether or not their investments correspond to the kind of future they want to create.
Olaya explains what vegan monetary advice entails, why clients turn to it, and how private values can be reflected in money.
What does a vegan economic advisor do, for those who may not be familiar with the term?
I assist people and organizations in making investments that are ethical. For a vegan client or animal welfare organization, that might mean creating a portfolio that steers clear of practices they don’t want, for as factory farming, animal testing, or animal-derived goods.
In the end, I do what every competent financial advisor does: assist clients in making wise financial decisions. Making choices that adhere to those values means making decisions that are greatly held ethically.
Veganism and economic planning may seem like two distinct worlds at first glance. How do those principles mesh with one another in your work?
What if the way we invest reflects the kind of world we want to create right away, asks values-aligned investing? My job is never to dictate what people should believe in. They need to be able to make investments that are in line with the values they currently have, whether it is for animal welfare, social justice, or economic sustainability. My method also adheres to basic financial tenets, including goals-based planning, risk management, and long-term wealth creation.
What types of businesses or practices are you looking to avoid and which types are you hoping to support when you’re helping someone create a portfolio?
Some people believe that investing in vegan products means merely funding local businesses. However, it’s usually never a wise idea to invest all of your money in one company. More of a difficult bet, I suppose.
A better approach, in my opinion, is one that emphasizes diversification and quality and excludes cruelty. For a vegan portfolio, this means avoiding businesses that produce animal products, leather or fur, animal testing, or arebred for entertainment. I even consider more pressing issues, such as prison labor and human rights violations.
Why do clients typically seek you out? Are they looking for a vegan advisor particularly, or are they looking for someone who understands values-based investing in general?
Although some clients have been vegan or vegetarian for years, they finally start to wonder if their investments can reflect those same values. They look for terms like” cruelty-free investing” or “vegan financial advisor,” but they’re never sure if those terms are true, and they’re excited to find out that they do.
What do you hope people learn about the link between money, individual values, and impact from your work?
People choose to invest in a values-aligned manner because they want to chart a fiscal path that more closely aligns with the world they live in. I’m here to support that endeavor.
Visit www.to learn more. either email [email protected] or uncagedimpact.com.
