Civex Launches with Seven Inaugural Advocate Partners
Civex to provide a new digital platform where individual investors, shareholder advocates and companies can meet, discuss, and have an impact with companies on issues that matter
Civex Between The Lines Newsletter Now Available
Stamford, CT — March 30, 2022 — Civex announced today that it has launched with seven inaugural Advocate Partners: ClimateDAO, Corporate Governance, Green America, IASJ, ICCR, Lift Our Voices, and SEIU.
Civex is the fintech company founded to increase the participation of individual investors in proxy voting by hosting a community where individual investors, shareholder advocates, and publicly traded companies can engage and discuss issues including upcoming proxy votes.
The Civex free proxy-focused newsletter, Between The Lines, is available now. The newsletter contains helpful information and highlights on upcoming corporate proxy statements, including the pros and cons of various matters and proposals covered. .
The Civex community will be accessible on the Civex mobile app, which will be available for download at the Apple Store and Google Play later this year. To receive the newsletter and join the Civex community for early access to the app, sign up online at www.civex.io.
Helping Individual Investors Make Informed Proxy Voting Decisions
Civex was founded by three executives who worked together at the global asset management firm Legg Mason: John Armstrong, CEO and Chief Technology Officer, Mike Mattera, Chief Operating Officer, and Tim Keane, Chief Marketing Officer. The Civex founders’ combined 50-years of experience in asset management corresponds with the emergence and growth of ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) as a critical measure of corporate performance, giving Civex unique insight into the importance of value- and purpose-based investing.
“Our mission for Civex is to be a catalyst of the democratic process that comes with owning shares of publicly traded companies,” said Mr. Armstrong. “Every shareholder has the right to vote their proxy, but far too many individuals don’t. It’s important for shareholders to know what’s at stake and to take action, because every vote counts.”
“Civex is a community where shareholders, shareholder advocates, even publicly traded companies will come to share their opinions, learn and discuss issues,” said Mr. Mattera. “Our end goal is to help individual investors make informed decisions on how to vote their proxy, so they can take action and have an impact on the companies they invest in.”
A Community Where Individual Investors, Advocates and Corporations Engage
In addition to helping individual investors make informed decisions, Civex will be a content and engagement engine for Advocate Partners seeking to broaden the reach and impact of their own messages and campaigns. It will also provide corporations with a direct channel to engage more investors for insights into issues that matter.
“We are thrilled and proud to share our launch with our seven inaugural Advocate Partners,” Mr. Keane said. “They are market-leading examples of the many voices that will enlighten the Civex community.”
The seven Civex inaugural Advocate Partners are:
Climate DAO
ClimateDAO (https://climatedao.xyz ) allows mass coordination among retail investors, empowering them with the means to be activists. ClimateDAO is where activist investing meets Web3.
Corporate Governance
Corporate Governance (CorpGov.net) was founded in 1995 to enhance democratic governance by helping shareholders win increasing control over America’s corporate boardrooms. With the help of Jim McRitchie, Publisher of CorpGov.net, the site has resulted in dialogue and cooperative initiatives with pension funds, corporate directors, labor leaders, proxy advisors, money managers, authors, academics, and hundreds of individual investors.
Green America
Green America (https://www.greenamerica.org) is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses, investors, and consumers to solve today’s social and environmental problems.
IASJ
Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ) (https://iasj.org) a successor to the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing investors with faith-based values who seek to leverage their investments to advance human rights, climate justice, racial equity, and the common good. On behalf of our Affiliates, we engage companies to address strategic environmental, social, and governance issues and advocate for change. IASJ uses a variety of shareholder advocacy strategies to encourage corporations to adopt more ethical and sustainable business practices and believes in seeking out and building collaborative partners who share similar goals, in an effort to increase the effectiveness and impact of our work. Founded in 1975, formerly known as Tri-CRI, we have over forty years of experience with shareholder advocacy and responsible investment.
ICCR
Celebrating its 51st year, ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility) (www.iccr.org) is the pioneer coalition of shareholder advocates who view the management of their investments as a catalyst for social change. Its 300 member organizations comprise faith communities, socially responsible asset managers, unions, pensions, NGOs and other socially responsible investors with combined assets of over $4 trillion. ICCR members engage hundreds of corporations annually in an effort to foster greater corporate accountability.
Lift Our Voices
Lift Our Voices (LOV) (https://www.liftourvoices.org) was launched in December 2019 to create positive, systemic change in American workplaces through the eradication of forced arbitration clauses and nondisclosure agreements for toxic workplace issues. Created and launched by Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, LOV’s mission is to protect American workers by giving those in toxic work environments the freedom to speak freely about their workplace experiences and free them from the laws and business practices that prevent employees from publicly discussing toxic workplace conditions.
SEIU
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) (https://seiu.org) unites 2 million diverse members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. SEIU members working in the healthcare industry, in the public sector and in property services believe in the power of joining together on the job to win higher wages and benefits and to create better communities while fighting for a more just society and an economy that works for all of us, not just corporations and the wealthy.
