About Us

R. PAUL HERMAN, CEO + Founder
Chief Investment Officer, Chief Compliance Officer,
Series 65 Investment Adviser Representative

Paul invented “HIP =  (Human Impact + Profit)â€� in 2004 to  connect for-profit investments that delivered high human impact with investors seeking the same.  Since then, Paul and the HIP team have launched and currently manage the HIP 100 Index (SM) portfolio (a sustainable substitute for the S&P 100); advise and manage the wealth of individuals, high-net-worth families, and foundations; and also consult to corporate clients, like Wal-Mart and NIKE, on how to be more HIP.   In addition, the HIP Scorecard (SM) ratings and rankings have been featured in Fast Company magazine in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Paul’s new book, The HIP Investor: Make Bigger Profits by Building a Better World is published by John Wiley & Sons, and was a top 20 business book bestseller in April 2010 for Inc. magazine / 800ceoRead.com.

Paul’s financial expertise began with his Wharton  School finance degree and work at McKinsey & Co. developing incentive regulation for energy companies and regulators,  as well as  strategic improvements for Fortune 500 corporate clients  and government.   At eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s Network, Paul designed investment strategy that also enabled high human impact, including venture-backed growth companies.   Paul’s first pioneering venture reached 30,000 customers by creating a permission-based online debit card and financial system for families, teens and kids, a $200 billion market including shopping, saving, investing and donating.

Paul’s own HIP investing includes companies in microfinance, organic food, renewable  energy,  affordable health care, and  B2B systems.  Paul is an Investment Committee member of the Patient Capital fund, a member of Investors Circle, and an advisor to Net Impact.

Paul is also a peer expert for InterfaceRAISE, an adjunct professor teaching MBAs at Thammasat Business School in Bangkok, Thailand, and a visiting lecturer for MBAs, including the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

For information on scheduling Paul for a speaking engagement, CLICK HERE.

ERIC STEINHOFER,  SVP, Client Development,
Series 65 Investment Adviser Representative
Eric Steinhofer is an experienced financial services professional and impact investing expert.   Prior to HIP Investor, Eric led Financial Fitness and Stakeholder Strategy at Charles Schwab and Company where he was responsible for managing the team that developed a Financial Fitness Institute, Financial Fitness Index and corporate sustainability business case.   Eric introduced the poverty alleviation business case and worked on the team that launched the Schwab Charitable Microfinance Guarantee.   Eric honed his impact investing expertise working as a research analyst for Paul Hawken’s socially responsible investment initiative, Highwater Capital.   Eric also consulted for Tendris and worked in a role evaluating the ability to launch the world’s first carbon neutral loyalty program for a credit card, Visa Greencard, in the U.S.   Eric has volunteered time helping the California Clean Tech Open, Calvert Foundation and as a board member for the University of San Francisco MBA Alumni Society.   Eric resides in Mill Valley, California with his wife, Tanya, and two children where he feels fortunate to be able to enjoy family time hiking and cycling on Mt. Tamalpais.   Eric received his BA in Economics from UCLA and his MBA from the University of San Francisco.

JESSICA M. SKYLAR, Executive Vice President,
Series 65 Investment Adviser Representative
Prior to HIP,  Jessica consulted to top international non-profits at the Center for Development Communication, advanced the USA Fellowship  and Development teams at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, and led marketing and fundraising at Ashoka Fellow Springboard Forward (a Social Capitalist Awardee of Fast Company).   Jessica also created youth programs and a human-rights task force in her hometown of Los Angeles. Jessica has a B.A. in International Development and an M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

AVARY KENT, Corporate Advisory Analyst
Avary manages the private venture evaluations for HIP clients.   She started her career as a genetic engineer for George Washington University Labs, honing her analytical skills,   Avary has also founded a profitable enterprise dealing in antiquities in Virginia.   Her human impact experience includes teaching animal care at an inner city education non-profit, and managing endangered species ecology for the National Parks System.   In 2009 Avary obtained her MBA in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University of California where she has worked with clients ranging from Webcor Builders Inc, Gigantic-Idea Studio, and the Association of Bay Area Governments.   Her expertise includes social media, social marketing, business analysis, and client development.

DANA ROYTENBERG, HIP Associate
Dana graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service,  was a brand management coordinator  in New York  City  for clients such as Ford Motor and Andy Warhol. During school, Dana conducted research at Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, and worked at the State Department at the American Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine.

EXPERT ADVISORS TO HIP INVESTOR

TANYA STEINHOFER, CFA, CFP (R), Redwood Grove Wealth Management
Tanya Shaw Steinhofer is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP ®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with more than a decade of diverse investment industry experience, including an expertise in real assets and impact investing. She is the founding principal of Redwood Grove Wealth Management, an independent, fee-only financial planning firm focused on women and families with young children. Her prior experience includes several years as a senior research analyst and investment advisor at a local independent wealth management firm. She began her investment career as an equity research analyst covering real estate investment trusts (REITs) at Goldman Sachs in New York and later for Lend Lease Rosen in Berkeley, California. In addition to her professional experience, she is an active non-profit volunteer, with an emphasis on financial literacy.   She is a member of the Financial Planning Association, the CFA Society of San Francisco and the Haas Alumni Network.   Her education includes both a BA and an MBA from UC Berkeley.

ROSEMARY RICHARD
Rosemary is an experienced financial services compliance executive. She has more than 18 years experience primarily in senior level positions at large multi-national financial services organizations. In her last position, she was a Director at Citigroup Smith Barney where she headed up the Branch Examinations Department. Her other leadership roles included Vice President at AXA Advisors, where she was in charge of the Business Liability and Management Unit and Regulatory Business Practices Unit, Vice President of Branch Examinations at MONY Securities and Chief Compliance Officer at AETNA Financial Services. Rosemary started her compliance career at CIGNA Financial Services as an Assistant Director of Compliance. Rosemary has a BA in Political Science from Northeastern University and volunteers at East Side College Preparatory School and Valley Presbyterian Church.

JESSICA MARGOLIN
Ms Margolin has over 15 years experience helping communities and organizations align with their long-term sustainability and developmental goals.     Formerly a research affiliate at the Institute for the Future, where she published Intangible Finance, a Perspective within the 2007 Ten-Year Forecast, Ms. Margolin monitors the evolution of corporate sustainability and community performance indicators.   Her professional experience also  includes roles in marketing strategy, organizational design, financial analysis, and business development, and she has also been involved in educational philanthropy and operating non-profits since 2000.She occasionally blogs on social capital and educational topics on her blog, Solvation. Jessica holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Organization and an MS in Materials Science in the area of nanotechnology, both from the University of Minnesota; and a BA from UC Berkeley.

THERA N. KALMIJN, SureGround Solutions
Thera  is an expert  in operational processes and strategies  with more than  20 years experience. Thera is focused on the issues of corporate social sustainability and how it drives profitability.   Her passion  includes engaging corporations in profitable programs and partnerships to solve global environmental and social challenges.   Thera is the Founder and CEO of SureGround Solutions, a consultancy providing social and sustainable solutions.   Her previous experience includes Deloitte and the American Red Cross.She has an MBA from the University of California at  Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Slavic Languages and Literature, also from UC-Berkeley.   Thera enjoys swimming, hiking, yoga and walks in the park or at the beach with her two children.

SYLVIA VENTURA, Marketing, Media and Community
Sylvia, a native Parisian, has focused her career on developing and executing marketing launch and branding strategies for life sciences and environmental enterprises. Her career includes marketing executive roles at Omnicom, Euro RSCG, Interpublic and Foote Cone & Belding, where she launched dozens of top tier pharmaceutical product launches. In 2003 she launched Aperio Life, a marketing and brand strategy firm to work with early stage lean-budget ventures. In 2007 Sylvia decided to put her energies and training in areas she believes have a true positive impact on life. She became an environmental advocate, and sustainable business practices became the focus of her work. Early in 2007 she launched Solar4SF.org, a consumer advocacy group to promote the use of renewable solar energy in San Francisco. Soon after she founded 1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG.org) the nation’s largest community based purchasing group for residential solar power. 1BOG was acquired by Virgance, Inc. in 2008.

ELIZABETH (or LIZ) KRUEGER, Operations and Infrastructure
Liz    has deep investment industry, program management and technology leadership experience from Charles Schwab & Co., Price Waterhouse, Kaiser Permanente and independent consulting.  For Schwab, Liz led the technology support organization for brokerage operations, and the project to deliver cost basis and gain/loss data to Schwab clients.   At Price Waterhouse, she led consulting engagements focused on systems and operations for investment fund companies, custodians and wealth managers. She is  finishing her sustainability-focused MBA at Presidio Graduate School, and she and her dog are backyard gardeners.   Liz finds that working with the HIP team is a good way to integrate personal and professional sustainability goals.

JOAN VARRONE
Joan is an experienced finance professional with over 20 years  in Senior Management roles at both large public companies and venture backed technology startups.   For the past twelve year Joan has held the position of CFO at several firms which included   leading an IPO, raising over $100M of private equity and debt and leading successful exits.  Most recently she was CFO at SenSage, Inc, an enterprise software company providing solutions in the Event Data Warehouse market.   Joan’s other CFO positions were at the Omidyar Network and firms in the nano technology, e-commerce, software and telecommunications industries.   Joan has also managed financial planning and global treasury operations at multinational Raychem Corporation (now part of Tyco) and was Corporate Treasurer at Watkins-Johnson Company.  Joan received her MBA in Finance from New York University and an MS in Operation Research from Purdue University. She currently serves on the Board of the San Francisco Chapter of Financial Executive International and the Bay Area Financial Executives Networking Group and is the co founder of the Treasury Executives Network.