I am feeling deeply appreciative and thankful, privileged and responsible. That is a lot of feelings mixing together (exercise and lunesta help). 

• Without parents who sought out the education that expanded their horizons past, and including, their rural and small town Wisconsin roots…
• Without supportive friends and family who often came from communities of some privilege…
• Without crazy diverse experiences interacting with global communities of many kinds… 
• Without a committed team of people willing to believe in where we are going…

We would have no chance to have the opportunity to change the world in our little way here at CoPeace. 

My parents grew up in loving, supportive homes. Though they would not have been considered wealthy by most American measures, they did not worry about their next meal or having a warm bed. Their life allowed them to grow and explore with confidence – to live in places like Chicago and India so that they could experience new cultures. I appreciate the start they afforded me. 

Without family and friends like Seanna, Jeff, Meg, Brad, Dez, Robert, and Sarah (and 20+ others), we would not have had the resources to get our venture going. They have provided significant cash and connections to launch us in a way most people would not be able to afford. And, it turns out you need resources to create a new, impact-driven holding company in a model that is unusual for regulators. I am very thankful. 

I recognize the privilege that comes with my particular access. We take this responsibility very seriously. With friends and family committed to trusting where we are going, failure is not an option. 

We were recently interviewed by a woman from New York who is writing a story on new models in impact investing. She was impressed with our progress, saying others have not been able to pull off what we are doing. We told her we knew why! If we did not have the trust of our friends and family network, we would not have the resources for the required legal, audit, regulatory, technological and other costs to get to the finish line! 

Most people in our global village do not start with these advantages. Not even close. We are working hard to create a new tool that is designed to provide an innovative approach to allow everyone to generate equity and wealth-building through our upcoming Direct Public Offering. What we are doing is difficult and the interrelated systems of privilege are quite deep – many of these systems are designed to exclude new approaches. We are thankful to have the opportunity to create this different type of access. We look forward to big news in 2020, and beyond!

I am content to be what I am not content to say.

– Poet Alex Stevens, at age 80