Investor Spotlight: Nicole Middleton Holloway, CFP
Over the past 35 years, Community Vision has moved hundreds of millions of dollars into community-led organizations dedicated to the thriving of their neighborhoods. This has been possible in large part because of our diverse community of investors. For this Investor Spotlight, we are excited to feature Nicole Middleton Holloway, CFP, who has several clients invested with Community Vision.
Nicole is an advisor with Natural Investments, a registered investment advisor firm that has specialized in socially responsible investing for more than 30 years. She also owns Strategy Squad, an independent wealth management company that she founded in Oakland in 2016.
In her work, Nicole focuses on supporting the next generation of women and conscious investors in their capacity for making a positive impact with their wealth. She also stays involved in her local community by serving on the advisory board of the East Bay Community Foundation.
Prior to her career in finance, Nicole was in the entertainment industry where she worked on projects related to social justice and women and girls empowerment. During those years, she witnessed the power of money to catalyze social change. She also saw the need for more women of color in professional advising roles in the socially responsible investment industry.
“I wanted to be a person who could help advise and move money,” Nicole said. “Community Vision is an example of a place that I want to see investment dollars move because it has had such a phenomenal effect on my local community.”
As an advisor, Nicole seeks investment options that align with her clients’ financial goals as well as their values. Many of her clients want to invest in ways that contribute towards a more equitable and sustainable future. They see the disparities created by discriminatory practices such as redlining, and they want to accelerate social change through the flow of capital. Community Vision is one of the approved investment options at Natural Investments that provides community investment opportunities.
“My clients understand how ownership around real estate is such a crucial asset in an individual’s—as well as in a business’—ability to build wealth and power. More community ownership of real estate is something that my clients want to see,” Nicole said. “And they absolutely want to see more ownership of real estate amongst people of color. They like the fact that an entity like Community Vision is trying to be thoughtful in its investing.”
For those interested in re-evaluating their portfolio to include more socially responsible investments, Nicole suggests pursuing online resources and finding an advisor who can assist in creating a plan that considers both their financial goals and their values.
“I appreciate that places like Community Vision have such a low entry point to investing,” Nicole said, referencing Community Vision’s $1,000 threshold for individual investors.
“You don’t have to be an accredited investor to be invested with Community Vision. So it’s great for newer investors, investing at a small point to just get started with involving community investments in your overall portfolio. Particularly if you’re interested in local Bay Area impact, Community Vision is a great place to consider.”
Community Vision’s revolving loan fund is supported by individual and organizational investors. If you’re interested in learning more investment opportunities with Community Vision, click here or contact Eddy Lopez, Jr., Investor Relations Associate, at elopez@communityvisionca.org.
