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Eric Stephenson, CAIA, CFP®
Chief Operating Officer at Align Impact
Eric Stephenson, CAIA, CFP®
Eric Stephenson is the Head of Advisory at Align Impact, a New York-based impact investing firm. He has over a decade of experience in the financial industry, with expertise in impact investing, compliance, and operations.
Professional Experience
- Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, Align Impact (2019 - Present)
- Director, Advisory & Operations, Align Impact (2018 - 2023)
- Co-Chair and Director, Cordes Foundation (2015 - Present)
- Associate, Cordes Foundation (2014 - 2015)
- Associate, Sarona Asset Management (2015)
- Analyst, Hamilton Lane (2011 - 2012)
- Analyst, Xerox (2010 - 2011)
- Intern, Xerox (2008)
Education and Certifications
- BBA, Finance, Temple University (2005 - 2010)
- MA, Education, University of the Pacific (2013 - 2015)
- Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), CAIA Association (2017)
- Series 65, FINRA (2019)
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), CFP Board (2023)
Honors and Awards
- 40 Under 40, InvestmentNews (2021)
Eric Stephenson is a recognized leader in the impact investing space, having been named to InvestmentNews' 40 Under 40 list in 2021. He is fluent in Spanish and holds several professional certifications, including the CAIA and CFP® designations.1
Highlights
Knowing when to close a chapter is one of the best ways to honor it. Leaving a job you love isn’t about leaving the past behind, but about carrying forward the lessons and experiences that have shaped you.
On September 20th, I will be concluding my journey with Align Impact after 6 incredible years. I am deeply grateful to the amazing team I’ve had the privilege to architect, build, and serve alongside; to our clients, who allowed me to join them on their #impinv journeys, driving capital where it's most needed, and trusted me to co-create strategies that advance their personal, family, and impact goals; and to our operational partners* who were key components of the infrastructure that enabled us to steward clients assets with the level of care and precision they deserve.
As I look to the future, I’m excited to explore new opportunities and discover what the next chapter holds.
*Libretto, Addepar, Canoe Intelligence, SUBSCRIBE, Ethic, Aperio, Wasmer Schroeder, StoneCastle, Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, Inspira Financial, Broadridge, As You Sow, YourStake, ImpactAssets, COMPLY, RPCK Rastegar Panchal, bizhaven, Quantum Insurance Services, Inc., PPB Capital Partners
Join us in shaping the future of impact investing! We’re collaborating on a new research study on impact-linked compensation (ILC) for fund managers, and we’d like your help. The study is led by Aunnie Patton Power in partnership with The ImPact and with support from the Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing. By collecting data, documentation and insights from a wide range of industry participants, the researchers hope to create evidenced based tools for GPs to design appropriate impact linked compensation structures (including carry, annual bonuses and review), while also empowering LPs to better assess compensation during due diligence. We invite all GPs, LPs and intermediaries to participate in this survey and share their thoughts and experiences. Completing the survey will give you the opportunity to participate in the first convening on May 24th, where we will discuss the current state of ILC as well as feature case studies and focus groups on specific challenges around ILC. Learn more at www.impactlinked.co.
