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Nawar Alsaadi, FSA, SIPC
Sustainable Investing Evangelist | You Can't Afford Not To Follow!
Professional Background
Nawar Alsaadi, FSA, SIPC, is a visionary leader in the realm of sustainable finance and technology, currently serving as the founder and CEO of Kanata Advisors, an esteemed ESG Fintech advisory firm based in Toronto, Canada. Nawar's innovative approach brings together finance, sustainability, and technology, creating a comprehensive advisory service that focuses on shaping a sustainable future. Under his leadership, Kanata Advisors has carved a niche in the advisory space, helping organizations navigate the evolving landscape of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.
Nawar's advisory expertise is centered around four key areas: product-market fit, strategy development, communication, and partnerships sourcing. He believes in establishing long-term relationships with clients, which is reflected in Kanata's selective approach of working with a small number of clients simultaneously. This method not only emphasizes quality delivery but also minimizes any potential business conflicts, aligning the interests of Nawar and his clients effectively.
Before founding Kanata Advisors, Nawar held several pivotal positions that underscored his commitment to ESG principles. As Chief Impact Officer at ScopeFour Capital, he played a critical role in integrating sustainable investment practices. His tenure as Senior Portfolio Manager for ESG Investing at Canada Post Pension Plan showcased his ability to manage sustainable investment portfolios successfully. In addition, Nawar served as the Director of ESG Insights at NEI Investments, an ethical investment firm, where he led initiatives to enhance ESG investment strategies.
Education and Achievements
Nawar Alsaadi has an impressive educational background that has been fundamental to his career in sustainable investment and advisory services. He studied for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) with high honors at the Questrom School of Business, Boston University, equipping himself with advanced knowledge in business management and strategy. Complementing this, he holds a Professional Certification in Sustainable Investment (SIPC) from Concordia University, positioning him as an expert in the ESG investment sector.
Nawar also enriched his academic portfolio through an exchange program in Business Administration and Management at Saint Mary's University, which further diversified his expertise. Additionally, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in International Business from Schiller International University, providing a strong foundation in global business dynamics.
Throughout his career, Nawar has amassed a wealth of experience, serving on various advisory boards. His strategic insight has been sought after by organizations such as Impactive Tech, Neural Alpha, and Iconic Air, where he contributed to advancing innovative solutions in technology and sustainability. Nawar's influence extends to academia and research, evidenced by his role as an Advisory Board Member at the ED4S Academy and as an is that of a Senior Impact Advisor at ScopeFour Capital.
Notable Achievements
Nawar Alsaadi's career is marked by numerous notable achievements that reflect his dedication to advancing ESG principles across various sectors. His leadership role at Kanata Advisors has enabled organizations to strategically align their operations with sustainable practices, driving both economic and social impacts positively.
His previous positions underscore his expertise in ESG investing; as the Chief Impact Officer and Portfolio Manager at ScopeFour Capital, he championed effective ESG strategies that resonated with investors committed to socially responsible investments. Additionally, his tenure as Senior Portfolio Manager for ESG Investing at Canada Post Pension Plan highlights his capability in managing investment portfolios while adhering to sustainable practices.
Nawar's advisory roles at organizations such as NEI Investments and AMNIe.org further emphasize his commitment to enhancing ESG engagement. His experience as an activist shareholder and founder of multiple organizations reflects his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for creating lasting change through investment.
Nawar's influence and contributions to the field of ESG advisory services establish him as a key thought leader, continuously advocating for responsible investment practices that honor both economic growth and environmental stewardship. His comprehensive understanding of the interplay between finance and sustainability positions him uniquely in the fintech advisory landscape, where he seeks to empower organizations to realize their ESG goals.
tags':['ESG Fintech','Sustainable Investment','Toronto','Financial Advisory','Strategic Partnerships','Product-market Fit','CEO','Impact Investing','Business Strategy','Sustainable Finance','Executive Leadership','Global Business','Advisory Board Member','Investment Management','Corporate Responsibility','S
Highlights
Gartner published their updated Environmental Sustainability hype cycle last month. Here are some of the key changes compared to the one published August last year (https://lnkd.in/gPRe-mKq):
➡ Scope 3 Emissions Data has progressed further along the innovation trigger, and is now mid-way through this phase. ➡ Carbon Accounting and Management Software are now at the other side of the inflated expectations peak, and just about to enter the trough of disillusionment. ➡ ESG Management Software, Supplier Sustainability Applications and Climate Risk Analytics are now firmly in the trough of disillusionment phase having exited the peak of inflated expectations. ➡ AI for Sustainability is still at the threshold of the peak of inflated expectations. ➡ Climate Change Adaptation, Master Data Management for ESG, Resource Positive Buildings and Net Zero Factory have entered the hype cycle and are currently at the beginning of the innovation trigger phase. ➡ Sustainable Finance now sits at the peak of inflated expectations. While Sustainable Business had advanced along the trigger of innovation phase. ➡ Net Zero Data centers exit the innovation trigger and now is at the peak of inflated expectations. ➡ Energy efficiency, EV charging and Building Information Modelling, have exited the hype cycle (having entered the plateau of productivity). ➡ ESG remains stuck in the trough of disillusionment. ➡ IoT for Sustainability has edged closer to the slop of enlightenment.
As a reminder, here is the primer on Gartner’s hype cycle: https://lnkd.in/gpiss9V2
Sustainability solution providers will benefit from keeping tabs on the above as technologies on right side of the peak of inflated expectations tend to experience commercialization headwinds as opposed those to left which tend benefit from strong tailwinds especially when approaching the peak. Adjusting, or at least reassessing, your development, communication, pricing, and distribution strategy as to where your sustainable technology is in the hype cycle is a valuable exercise.
For those looking for sustainability solutions along the sustainability-business value chain, you are welcome to visit KanataQ (https://kanataq.com/).
ESG in 9 Weeks – Week 6
For those following my 9-Weeks ESG virtual course, here is the content for Week 6 – ESG Reporting & Measurements:
What is ESG reporting? Author: IBM Topic: The ABCs of ESG reporting. https://lnkd.in/gmhG5uUv Understanding ESG Reporting Author: IFAC (The International Federation of Accountants) Topic: Rationale and basic principles and challenges of ESG reporting (video). https://lnkd.in/ghSEvAkn
Evolution of ESG Reporting Frameworks Author: Satyajit Bose, Columbia University Topic: Overview of major ESG disclosure frameworks and their evolution up to 2020. https://lnkd.in/gRCpUJaD Why is ESG so difficult in practice? Understanding the challenges of ESG disclosure Author: Cheng Qiang, Singapore Management University Topic: Challenges and limitations of ESG disclosure. https://lnkd.in/gJe9Ptt5
Global ESG Disclosure Standards Converge: ISSB Finalizes IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 Author: Deloitte Topic: Sustainability and climate disclosure standards IFRS S1 and IFRS S2. https://lnkd.in/gbrEQ3zR Executive Summary of the SEC’s Landmark Climate Disclosure Rule Author: Deloitte Topic: Overview of the newly released (March 2024) SEC climate disclosure rule. https://lnkd.in/gmVzX6XN
What is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)? Author: IBM Topic: Introduction to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. https://lnkd.in/g4EagnC9
(Optional) The Effects of Mandatory ESG Disclosure Around the World Author: Author: Philipp Krueger, Zacharias Sautner, Dragon Yongjun Tang, Rui Zhong Topic: Empirical evidence for the benefits of ESG disclosure on information flows and capital markets. https://lnkd.in/g-VMNhUv (Optional) Aggregate Confusion Author: Florian Berg, University of Mannheim Topic: The growth in corporate ESG disclosure has led to a proliferation of highly divergent ESG measurements/ratings (video). https://lnkd.in/gDKKK4Fk
The content release schedule for the previous weeks and upcoming weeks can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g3zdUDFX.
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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