Our Mission

Our mission is to connect purpose-driven enterprises and investors with the fuel of capital and strategies to meet their goals. We exist to make a lasting, efficient, positive social, and environmental impact through changing the way people think about money.

Who We Serve

We serve corporate and foundation investors looking to align more of their assets with their mission and values.

What We Believe

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social
impact

We are dedicated to making a significant difference in social and environmental issues locally, nationally, and globally. Our future requires a deep structural movement that ensures real and lasting change.

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dedicated to
results

We are dedicated to delivering the best results to our clients. By using a combination of experience, industry-leading processes, and innovative strategies we provide accurate advice that helps our clients make a meaningful difference in the social issues important to them.

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equity
& inclusion

We approach our work with a dedication to engage with the diverse world around us, to see inequities, and work to change them and actively include those too long excluded from our industry. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all of our clients, collaborators, and team members.


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transparency
& objectivity

We are open and honest with our clients about the work we do for them by providing a clear-eyed assessment of the opportunities and risks in a real-life cultural context. Our goal is to empower our clients by equipping them with information that is simple and accessible. We ensure our own financial practices support our ability to remain objective (for example, by not accepting “success fees”).

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health
& family

We honor the full lives of our team, clients, and colleagues. We adhere to business practices that enable us to not only work to our fullest capacity but rest and recharge so we can continue to provide the best services to our clients

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Integrity
& confidentiality

We do not compromise our values and we hold all information gathered from our clients with the strictest confidentiality.

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Meet the Team

susan hammel

Susan Hammel

linkedin logoCFA, Founder

Susan Hammel, CFA, translates between mission-driven change-makers and expert investors. Susan began her career at Prudential Impact Investments where she managed an $88 million impact portfolio and obtained her CFA® . Susan’s Harvard MPP and cum laude philosophy degree from Carleton College inspired her to leave Wall Street and use her financial acumen to help mission-driven organizations.

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Susan has extensive board experience, serving on the Fresh Energy Board, Minnetonka Yacht Club Board, and Carleton Careers Advisory Board. Previously she served on the Sunrise Banks’ Advisory Board and was prior chair of the Citizens League and NPH USA. A lifelong lover of water, (liquid or frozen) Susan and her family reside in Deephaven, a lakeside community outside Minneapolis where she enjoys competitive sailing, recreational kayaking, and skiing.



Terri Barreiro

linkedin logoSenior Principal

Terri Barreiro is an expert in systems change and a mission-driven venture advisor. She is an adjunct instructor and fellowship advisor at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. She is co-founder of and volunteer venture coach at Impact Hub MSP and consultant to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

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She is co-author of Social Entrepreneurship: the Journey from Issue to Viable Venture and founder of the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship serving the College of Saint Benedict and Saint Johns’ University. She brings to her work more than 30 years of experience as a nationally recognized nonprofit and philanthropy leader with extensive experience in United Way, corporate giving, and family foundation operations. She earned an MBA and BA cum laude at the University of Minnesota as well as completed an Executive MBA program at Carnegie Mellon University. She has enjoyed volunteering throughout her life, currently serving on the boards of Folk School Warroad, Market Access Fund, and Impact Hub MSP. Enjoying birds, nurturing native gardens and prairies is how she shares her leisure hours with her husband.


Terri

Randy Olsen

Randy Olson

linkedin logoPrincipal

Randy Olson is a longtime advocate of innovation and entrepreneurship having led technical assistance and financing programs to assist small businesses. With an MS Degree from the University of North Dakota, and an MBA from the University of Minnesota, he has directed training, facilitation and mentoring to entrepreneurs from 21 states and four countries resulting in high rates of business formation and capitalization (both equity and debt).

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An avid traveler with his family, Olson has climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan, participated in a Buddhist retreat in South Korea, and has visited too many wineries to count in the United States and in Europe.



Brett Kasper

linkedin logoInvestment Associate

Brett Kasper is a systems thinker that believes money is simply a tool to be used in the creation of non-financial value. With more than 10 years of experience evaluating investment managers and strategies, he has developed a knack for research and due diligence, underpinned by core concepts such as relativeness, expected value, and opportunity cost.

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Brett earned his BS from Depaul University and is in the process of earning his MBA at the Carlson School of Management, where he'll focus on development finance, impact investing, and social enterprise. He has earned the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.


Brett Kasper

Danielle St Luce

Danielle St. Luce

linkedin logoInvestment Associate

Danielle St. Luce is experienced with debt, equity and grants as forms of small business finance. Her work has focused on non-traditional financing for minority and underserved small businesses. Danielle’s work as the head of a non-profit financial institution’s development department, has made her an expert in donor development and investor relations for non-traditional financial firms. She holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations.



Ashley Burdge

linkedin logoOperations Manager

Ashley Burdge is a strategically-minded project manager who brings passion, innovation, and structure to teams. Her forward-thinking work ethic invites collaborators to think broadly about challenges faced by companies, communities, and individuals. Ashley earned a degree in History Education from Brigham Young University and has previous work experience in St. Paul public schools.

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She has worked with various nonprofits in a professional capacity, most recently with the San Francisco Symphony on the foundation and corporate giving team. Her work in event planning ranges from small engagements to company galas with 2500+ attendees. She has served on the board for Climb 4 Kidney Cancer. Ashley is a dedicated mother of an energetic toddler and enjoys spending her time with family outdoors in the woods, on a bike, or on the lake. She lives with her husband and daughter in St. Paul, MN.


Ashley Burdge

Bailey Johnson

Bailey Johnson

linkedin logoEvent & Marketing Manager

Bailey is a values-based marketing professional. She has a degree in communication studies, strong passion for community-building, and over 11 years of experience working at purpose-driven organizations. As a strategic engagement consultant, she manages marketing, communications and events for social ventures like Cogent Consulting, Impact Hub MSP and GoodCarts.



Eric White

linkedin logoAdvisor

Eric brings an open, learning, client-centered, and increasingly culturally-competent, action-oriented approach to his work. Coming to finance later in life, he began his higher education pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics at the University of Montana but ultimately switched to business, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Metropolitan State University in Twin Cities, with a sojourn for certification in traditional music from the Conservatoire National Douta Seck in Dakar, Senegal and many years as a carpenter, musician, and artist.

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Eric joined Cogent in 2016 after a decade at Slocum (now Pavillion, a Mercer Practice), a full-service investment consulting firm serving more than 100 clients representing over $120 billion in assets. As co-founder and head of Slocum’s Responsible Investment Strategies Group, Eric worked with mission-driven organizations, advising on policy and program construction, sourcing and completing investment manager selection, and program monitoring and assessment, placing more than $300 million in impact investments and another $2 billion in traditional private investments across the religious, foundation, and corporate clients. At Cogent, he is most gratified by designing the now $105 million Minnesota Impact Investing Initiative Fund collaborative and working with $10 million, $100 million, $1 billion, and $3 billion clients to move from interested to invested in impact. A resident of Saint Paul, he spends his free time enjoying bouldering with his sons and walks with his wife and 4 dogs.


Eric

What We Offer

If you are a foundation, philanthropist, or investor that wants to use the tools of finance and sustainability to change the world click below to see how we can help you!