James Osborn, CPWA^®

James is the founder and partner of Envest Asset Management (EAM) and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA^®) professional.

James Osborn, Founder & Partner

James’s roots run deep on sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and financial planning which motivated him to create EAM. His experience spans several sectors and a couple of decades. It includes a career as an environmental engineer, investment banker in clean energy, and private equity fund manager at a clean energy-focused fund. However, he felt that he could serve society better by working directly with individuals, families, and small businesses through personal financial planning and investing.

As a private wealth advisor, he felt so strongly about these values that he led Envest Asset Management to become a Certified B Corporation™ financial advisory firm in the state of Connecticut.

Prior to starting EAM, James spent the bulk of his career at Wall Street institutions having raised, placed, or invested billion dollars in the ESG space. He’s been a guest lecturer and panelist at various clean energy-related conferences and an educator on ESG and sustainable investing to various organizations.

Outside of work he was formerly on two non-profit boards. He has two children with his wife and is still actively running through the streets of Ridgefield and Wilton. James earned his MBA from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. He also earned his BSE in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University where he was a Division I track and field and cross-country athlete. James completed executive education at Yale School of Management in Wealth Management Theory and Practice.

After investing hundreds of millions of dollars for large companies driving social change through ESG and SRI, I had a feeling that business could do more. But this wouldn’t come from corporate executives at large companies or corporate investing from large pension funds; it would come from customers, shareholders, and people.”

— James Osborn