INVESTING FOR
GOOD

March 29, 2025
Ave Maria University

AN INVESTMENT SYMPOSIUM HOSTED by The Institute at Ave Maria University

IS ESG Moral? Proposing a principled alternative

In the pursuit of a more ethical investment framework, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles have gained widespread attention as a popular—though hotly debated—set of metrics among market participants.

However, the ethical framework proposed by ESG falls short in addressing the complex, principle-based judgments required for truly responsible investing. Moreover, ESG does not offer robust foundational principles for promoting ethical investing aimed at optimizing human flourishing within financial markets.

To address this gap, our one-day interactive conference co-hosted by Hirtle Callaghan and The Institute at Ave Maria University will bring together market participants, academics, and capital allocators to explore a principled alternative to ESG, inspired by Catholic social teaching.

The goal is to develop a set of actionable, universal, and positive principles that can be embraced by anyone committed to ethical investing driven by human flourishing.

REGISTER NOW
Registration is only open for capital allocators, higher-ed academics, and the Ave Maria community.

HOSTs

SPEAKERS

Stephen
Auth

Stephen Auth, executive vice president and chief investment officer at Federated Hermes, has had a long Wall Street career A Princeton summa cum laude graduate and Harvard Baker Scholar, he frequently appears on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg TV. He is a member of The Economic Club of New York and a CFA. Active in the Regnum Christi movement, he co-founded the Lumen Institute and leads NYC street missions with his wife, Evelyn. His books include The Missionary of Wall Street.

Greg
Robson

Gregory Robson teaches and writes in business ethics, technology ethics, and Christian ethics and is working on a second edition of Technology Ethics: A Philosophical Introduction and Readings (Routledge 2023). His latest articles are on social media firms, virtue, justice, and the ethics of profitable business. Before coming to Notre Dame, he studied economics and organizational development at Vanderbilt, government at Harvard, and philosophy at Duke, the Angelicum (Italy), and University of Arizona, and worked at Iowa State University and Wake Forest University. His research appears in, for instance, The Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Business Ethics, Economics and Philosophy, American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, and Ethics and Information Technology. He recently co-represented the Society for Business Ethics at the APA Central.

ANDREW
ABELA

Andrew Abela is the founding dean of the Busch School of Business and an Ordinary Professor of Marketing at The Catholic University of America. A faculty affiliate at the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program and a Forbes.com contributor, his research on marketing ethics and Catholic Social Doctrine is widely published. Winner of the 2009 Novak Award, he has authored Super Habits and A Catechism for Business. Dr. Abela consults for Fortune 100 firms and holds degrees from Toronto, IMD, and Virginia.

DR. JOHN
GRABOWSKI

Dr. John Grabowski has taught Moral Theology/Ethics at The Catholic University of America for 30 years. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Council for the Family and later by Pope Francis as an expert at the Synod of Bishops on the Family, he has published extensively on moral theology, marriage, and bioethics. Dr. Grabowski lectures nationally, appears regularly on EWTN’s More 2 Life

Jamie
Lewis

Jamie Lewis is the founder of One Step Capital, helping asset management industry leaders grow their businesses. With nearly 30 years of experience across 30 countries, she has worked as an investment banker, investor, and fundraiser for funds and family offices. She started her career at Deutsche Bank, and later held key roles at top hedge funds. Jamie holds an MBA from Columbia and a BA in Economics and Spanish from DePauw. Based in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, she is a classically trained pianist, club tennis player, and retired amateur boxer.

Dr. Steven
Long

Dr. Steven Long, a distinguished philosopher and theologian, holds a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America and is an Ordinarius at the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. A leading authority on St. Thomas Aquinas, he specializes in metaphysics, natural law, ethics, and the theology of grace. Dr. Long has authored acclaimed books and over 60 scholarly essays while mentoring Ph.D. students at Ave Maria University.

Stephen
Soukup

Stephen R. Soukup is the senior commentator, Vice President, and Publisher of The Political Forum, an “independent research provider” that delivers research and consulting services to the institutional investment community, with an emphasis on economic, social, political, and geopolitical events likely to have an impact on the financial markets in the United States and abroad. He is also the Director of The Political Forum Institute, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to creating and preserving community, primarily among those who earn their livings and create wealth for the nation through the capital markets. Mr. Soukup has followed politics and federal regulatory policy for the financial community since 1996, when he joined the award-winning Washington-research office of Prudential Securities. He is also the Fellow in Culture and Economy at the Culture of Life Foundation.

Catherine
Clarke

Catherine is a Director and Investment Officer serving family and institutional clients in the Western Region of Hirtle Callaghan. She specializes in governance, stewardship, and tax matters, providing actionable advice. Previously, she worked at MIT Investment Management, managed a long/short strategy, and advised ultra-high-net-worth families at Sentinel Trust. A CFA Charterholder with a B.A. from Wellesley, she is active in financial forums and serves on the Finance Committee for Houston Audubon and The Fund for American Studies’ advisory board.

Michael
Breidenbach

Michael Breidenbach is an Associate Professor of History at Ave Maria University. He is the author of Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America (Harvard University Press, 2021), which received recognition as a runner-up for the Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Dr. Breidenbach has held research positions at prestigious institutions, including Princeton and Oxford, and his writings have appeared in prominent publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. He earned his Ph.D. from King’s College, Cambridge and resides in Southwest Florida with his wife, Janice, and their son.

GABRIEL
MARTINEZ

Dr. Gabriel Martinez is an Associate Professor of Business and Economics at Ave Maria University, where he has dedicated his career to teaching economics, statistics, and business courses since 2010. Martinez has developed online education programs and has led accreditation efforts for Ave Maria while researching and publishing numerous peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from economic crises to educational methodologies. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Kristofer
T. Kelleher

Kris is a Director on Hirtle Callaghan’s Client Engagement team. Kris spearheaded Hirtle Callaghan’s Catholic Values Private Equity program. Prior to joining Hirtle Callaghan, Kris spent eight years at Wilshire Associates serving as a Managing Director and Principal. Before joining Wilshire, he spent seven years as Managing Director for the Americas at FinLab SA, a Swiss-based analytics and research firm specializing in alternative investments. He previously worked at InvestorForce and AEGON USA. Kris earned a B.A. in Psychology and History from Muhlenberg College. He currently holds the FINRA Series 65 and Series 3 licenses. Kris is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and Grand Knight of his local Council.

Daniel
Schreck

Daniel Schreck joined Ave Maria University as its Chief Strategy Officer and inaugural Director of The Institute in March 2024 after spending nearly 20 years working in/around New York City.  He was a partner at Equinox Partners, a global hedge-fund firm. Before his time in finance, Daniel was the inaugural director of young adult outreach for the Archdiocese of New York and an international marketing consultant for Sony Music. Daniel graduated with honors from Franciscan University (BA, Biology), Regina Apostolorum, Rome (Licentiate, Bioethics), and Columbia Business School (MBA). Giving back, Daniel was appointed by President Trump to the National Council on Disability. He has served on the boards of The Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, Avail NYC, The Catholic Artists Society, and was elected to two terms on the representative town government for Greenwich, CT. Daniel is the President of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation, USA. Daniel and his wife, Annie, are the parents of nine children, live in Ave Maria, FL, and are members of Legatus.

Participants

Benoit Duhamel - Pemberley Capital

Michael Pinto - Frictionless Capital

Catherine Lee Clarke - Hirtle Callaghan

Colin Gilbert - Francesco Collaborative

Richard Dittus - Ave Maria University

David Szmigielski - Wells Fargo

Emily Capone - Naples Classical Academy

Chad Smith - Ave Maria University

Andrea Campau - Donahue Academy

Paul Habsburg - United Nations Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta

Greg Robeson - Harmony Homes

Matt Johns - HoneyHive Capital Partners

Ien Cheng - Multi-location retail business in New York City

Greg Colker - Growth & Exit Partners

AJ Curatolo - CAS

Christopher Long - Silvercrest Asset Management

Theresa Barbale - Donum Plan

Miguel Gonzalez - APS

Michael Papile - Hesperia Capital, LLC

Neil Watson - Ave Maria University

James Gabriele - Vocaris Advisors

Kris Kelleher - Hirtle Callaghan

Sam Semaan - Merrill

Brad Virbitsky - Equinox Partners

Rich Todd - Innovest Portfolio Solutions

Sarah Newman - Innovest Portfolio Solutions

Tim Schwartz - Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.

David Mosher - Abdiel Capital

Robert Dryzgula - Event Intelligence.AI

David Cusimano - Vocaris Advisors

Michael Nagy - Catholic Investment Services

Kevin Murdock - Growth & Exit Partners LLC

John Matthew Knowles - Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference

J Patrick Kearns - Morgan Stanley

Andrea Fedrigo – Morgan Stanley

David Szmigielski – Wells Fargo

Matthew Pinto – The Gensis Group

Dean Dewey – Silvercrest Asset Management

John Paul Klucik – Silvercrest Asset Management

AGENDA

Join us as we explore a deeper understanding of ethical investing that moves beyond the standard ESG approach. Throughout the day, our speakers and panelists will unpack the core principles of human flourishing, ethics, business, investing, ESG, Catholic Social Teaching, and how the Western tradition informs ethical investing.

Applying this framework, Scholars from The Institute will present real-world stock pitch examples. Attendees will leave with practical criteria and a collaborative network as we seek to create an ethical and effective framework that any investor can use.

  • Pre-Conference Dinner: March 28 (REGISTER)
  • Pre-Conference Location: Aqua on 5th Avenue in Naples
  • Pre-Conference Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
  • Conference Date: March 29
  • Conference Location: Ave Maria University, Prince Building, O’Bryan Performance Hall
  • Conference Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Download detailed conference agenda

REGISTER NOW
Registration is only open for capital allocators, higher-ed academics, and the Ave Maria community.

TRAVEL INFO

Ave Maria University, Thomas and Selby Prince Building, Ave Maria, Florida

Complimentary on campus lodging.
Space is limited.
Contact the Institute to reserve.

Spring Hill Suites ($231.99/night).
3798 White Lake Blvd, Naples, FL
239-352-2234. Mention Ave Maria University conference.

Airports
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): 45 minutes from campus.

Punta Gorda Airport (PGD): 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 90 minutes.

REGISTER NOW
Registration is only open for capital allocators, higher-ed academics, and the Ave Maria community.