This Week in ESG and Impact Investing

  The December 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates a 0.2% increase from November, contributing to a 2.6% rise over the past 12 months. This inflationary environment presents both challenges and opportunities for minority-owned businesses. Impact on Minority Businesses by Sector Asian-Owned Businesses Relevant Industries: Technology, Professional Services, Retail, Hospitality, and Food Services Technology & Professional Services: Asian-owned businesses in tech and consulting are moderately affected by inflation. Rising operational costs, such as wages and office space, require careful cost management. They can leverage remote work trends and digital platforms to optimize resources. Retail & Hospitality: Higher food costs (+0.2% in December) and shelter costs (+0.4%) directly affect Asian-owned restaurants and hotels. Adopting efficient supply chains and energy-saving measures can help offset these increases. Strategic Insight: Diversifying offerings, such a...

The Employment Situation for December 2024 provides a detailed look at unemployment trends by race, gender, and age, revealing persistent disparities and shifting dynamics across demographic groups. Here’s a breakdown and analysis of the data: Key Highlights: 1. Overall Labor Market:    - Unemployment Rate: Decreased slightly from 4.2% in November 2024 to 4.1% in December 2024, reflecting a modest improvement in the labor market.    - Employment-Population Ratio: Increased by 0.2 percentage points, reaching 60.0%. This suggests that more people found work relative to the total population.   2. By Gender:    - Adult Men: Unemployment decreased from 3.9% to 3.7%, a notable 0.2 percentage point decline, indicating a stronger recovery among men.    - Adult Women: Unemployment declined marginally from 3.9% to 3.8%. While the decrease is smaller, it aligns with the broader labor market recovery.    - Teenagers (16-19 years): Unemployment ...

A lawsuit filed by Andav Capital and its founder, Nisha Desai, against PayPal represents not only a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose and legality of diversity initiatives but also a bad-faith attempt to weaponize civil rights law against efforts to address historical and systemic inequities.  See:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/response-paypal-minority-vc-funding-lawsuit-zbqse/

  도널드 트럼프가  2024 년 미국 대통령 선거에서 재선에 성공하며 ,  이민자 커뮤니티는 충격과 불안 속에 휩싸였습니다 .  트럼프의 재선 공약과 초기 행보는 그의 첫 임기 때처럼 반이민 정책을 강화하고 이민자들의 권리를 제한하려는 방향으로 나아갈 가능성을 시사했습니다 .  대규모 이민자 추방 ,  노동 비자 할당량 축소 ,  국경 장벽 확대와 같은 정책은 이민자들이 직면한 차별과 소외를 더욱 심화시켜 기본권을 약화시키고 점점 더 적대적인 환경을 조성할 위협이 있습니다 .  이런 상황에서 ,  저는 서울대학교 국제이주와포용사회센터 (CTMS) 가 주최한  " 의사소통은 이주민의 기본권 "  세미나에 참가하게 되었습니다 .  트럼프의 재선으로 인해 이민자 권리가 국제적 논의의 중심에 떠오른 가운데 ,  이 세미나는 이민자의 기본권 보장 ,  특히 의사소통의 중요성을 중심으로 한국과 세계가 배울 수 있는 시사점을 제공하는 의미 있는 자리라고 느껴졌습니다 .  특히 ,  이주민의 기본권을 확보하는 데 있어 의사소통의 중요성을 깊이 이해할 수 있는 자리였습니다 .  2025 년 기준으로 ,  만약 미국에서 순이민이 대폭 감소했다면 , GDP  성장률이  0.2%  포인트 감소했을 것으로 추산되며 ,  이는 약  130 억 달러에 해당하는 손실입니다 .  또한 ,  노동력 부족은 농업 ,  건설 ,  가사 서비스와 같은 주요 산업에서 비용 상승을 초래해 인플레이션 압력을 가중시켰습니다 .  반면 ,  이민자 증가 정책을 시행했을 경우 ,  같은 해  GDP  성장이 최대  0.5%  포인트 더 높아졌을 가능성이 있습니다 . 이러한 이점에도 불구하고 ,  미국...

The re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States in the 2024 election sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, sparking widespread anxiety and uncertainty. Trump's campaign promises and early policy signals suggest a return to—and potential intensification of—the anti-immigrant measures seen during his first term. Policies such as large-scale deportations, reduced labor visa quotas, and the expansion of the border wall threaten to deepen the discrimination and marginalization immigrants already face, undermining their fundamental rights and creating an increasingly hostile environment. Against this backdrop, I had the opportunity to attend the seminar "Communication as a Basic Human Right for Migrants," organized by the Center for Transnational Migration and Social Inclusion (CTMS) at Seoul National University. With Trump's re-election placing immigrant rights at the forefront of global discussions, this seminar served as a timely platform to ...

Former President Donald Trump’s economic policies, particularly his approaches to banking and financial services, have reignited speculation about their potential impact on minority businesses and consumers. As his political presence grows, understanding the implications of Trump-aligned policies becomes essential for those navigating this complex economic landscape. A defining feature of Trump’s economic policy approach has been financial deregulation. By reducing compliance requirements on financial institutions, deregulation is intended to stimulate lending and expand access to capital. However, this approach often disproportionately benefits large financial institutions while sidelining smaller community banks and credit unions, which are crucial to minority businesses. While proponents of deregulation argue that fewer regulations mean increased credit availability for minority-owned businesses, this outcome is far from guaranteed. The underlying anti-diversity, equity, and inclusi...