EPOCH Pi Attends World-Changing Women’s Summit 2020
EPOCH Pi Co-Founder Lynn Carpenter didn’t want to miss the World-Changing Women’s Summit 2020. Having attended for three years straight, she knew just how inspirational and worthwhile this year’s conference would be. So when dates were disclosed and registration opened, Lynn signed up.
Presented by Conscious Company Media, the event’s goal is to foster inspiration, ideas and conversations concentrated around best practices for leading and thriving in the conscious business world.
This year, the three-day convention took place in picturesque Sonoma, CA, in the heart of wine country. More than 250 female business leaders and change agents — all connected by the common aspiration of using the power of business to make the world a better place — showed up.
“As a B Corp investment bank, we believe that businesses can be a force for good and leading with values is essential to our business model,” says Lynn.
EPOCH Pi is not just a certified B Corp investment bank, the company also abides by the principles of Conscience Capitalism, the idea that businesses operate for a purpose beyond profit. Both founding partners sit on the board of their local chapter of the international movement that is dedicated to elevating humanity through business.
The World-Changing Women’s Summit 2020 sought to empower attendees to live more environmentally sustainable, socially just and meaningful human existences. The summit’s panel discussions and speakers touched on complex topics such as creating greater impact in the world, bringing purpose into your profession and developing yourself as an authentic, conscious leader.
“The World-Changing Women’s Summit 2020 really raised the bar in regards to social consciousness and responsibility,” says Lynn.
This year, the summit was clear on inclusivity; explicitly inviting all women-identifying persons to participate. Additionally, an expanded session and panel discussion titled “Understanding the Experience of Women Of Color” was highlighted, offering eye-opening insights to participants.
Speakers included renowned leaders and business owners like Missy Park, Founder and CEO of Title Nine, a company that has been creating and curating athletic gear for women since 1989; and Jenee Johnson, the Program Innovation Leader on Mindfulness, Trauma, Racial Healing at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
But for Lynn, the stand-out speaker was Jane Wurwand, the pioneering esthetician and founder of Dermalogica, one of the most successful skincare lines in the world. During her “fireside chat,” Wurwand spoke on staying true to her vision and values for more than 30 years in business, even when the brand was acquired by Unilever.
Wurwand explained that when she decided to sell her company in 2015, she took a values-driven approach, announcing the opportunity to select companies through a whisper campaign. The covert operation produced a handful of interested parties who Wurwand tasked with setting up the initial meet and greet as an indirect way to glean insight into company values.
One CEO booked a reservation at a high-end restaurant that drew a lot of attention from on-lookers, another flew Wurwand to NYC for a lavish six-course meal complete with wine pairings. The final meeting was requested by a CEO who flew commercial to L.A., took an Uber to the Dermalogica headquarters and opened the conversation with questions about Wurwand’s nonprofit business accelerator, Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship, a global initiative that provides support, education and training, access to small loans and business resources to aspiring women entrepreneurs. In fact, he left without even discussing numbers or terms.
Wurwand said it was obvious the last CEO — Paul Polman of Unilever — demonstrated that he shared Dermalogica’s values of creating impact and the human element approach to business. In the end, that was whom she trusted with the purchase of her company.
Wurwand’s story resonated with Lynn. As a purposeful investment bank, EPOCH Pi approaches each business transaction holistically, leading with their client’s mission, vision and values, and incorporating cultural alignment into every step of the process.
“Our method allows us to deliver the best value and the best fit for our clients,” Lynn explains. “It contributes to the long-term success of the deal and enables them to sell to an aligned partner without feeling like they’re selling out.”
From capital raises to mergers and acquisitions to for-purpose corporate structures, EPOCH Pi takes a values-led approach to each of their clients’ corporate transactions. Interested in learning more about our proprietary process? Contact us — we’d love to discuss your business goals and share how we can help!