Kimberly Kiel - Horizon Sustainable Financial Services

The concept of SRI originated in the 1980s, a time when sound investments were considered by most people to be diametrically opposed to the idea of social and environmental responsibility. When SRI investment funds first emerged, they were perceived, somewhat erroneously, as only marginally effective and something of a luxury in the world of cutthroat financial practices. SRI has come a long way in the past couple of decades, and Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, led by Kimberly Kiel, sits at the forefront of the evolving movement toward values-driven investment. Horizons' origins date back to 1988, when the groundbreaking First Affirmative Financial Network was formed to serve the needs of investors interested in pursuing sustainable environmental, social, and governance principles. Renowned investment guru Richard Barr, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) living in Santa Fe, became First Affirmative's first out-of-state representative, and he went on to make a name for himself as one of the leading SRI proponents to successfully spread the word about effecting positive social change and promoting sustainable values through targeted investment practices. In 2007 he sold his investment business to his partner, Kimberly Kiel. The firm now does business as Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, which Kiel formed to provide financial services through First Affirmative as well as Cambridge Investment Research. Horizons supports and promotes the firm's core commitment to building a sustainable, socially just world through sound investment practices.