Who We Are
The 17 Intentional Investment Institute (17III) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the practice of intentional investing.
We equip financial professionals, institutions, and mission-driven organizations with the tools to align capital with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launched in 2025 out of 17 Asset Management (17 AM), 17III carries forward the firm’s field-building mission: training leaders, advancing research, and building initiatives that make impact investing more accessible, rigorous, and transformative.
While our sister entity, Intentional Asset Management (IAM), manages investment products, 17III focuses on education, research, and systemic market development.
Our Vision
A financial system where capital is consistently deployed with clarity, purpose, and measurable impact.
We work to:
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We challenge extractive, short-term approaches in finance and replace them with strategies that prioritize sustainability, resilience, and shared value.
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We design frameworks and funds that address wealth gaps, redirect capital to marginalized communities, and create opportunities for long-term equity.
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From climate resilience to food systems and infrastructure, we mobilize capital toward initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes aligned with the SDGs.
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Through our fellowships and courses, we prepare professionals to lead with integrity, build inclusive strategies, and prioritize both financial and social outcomes.
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We build the infrastructure — from indices to investment vehicles — that allows intentional investing to grow beyond niche efforts and influence the broader financial system.
Our Approach
To develop the infrastructure, tools, and ecosystems that allow intentional investing to grow, our work rests on three interconnected pillars:
Research
Designing capital strategies rooted in systems mapping and measurable outcomes.
Engagement
Partnering with organizations and communities to co-create inclusive, place-based solutions.
Training
Building practical skills through immersive and context-driven learning.
This model ensures our work is practical, transformative, and grounded in evidence.
Our Founding Story
Our roots trace back to 2017, when John Morris, as part-owner of SOCAP, launched the Good Capital Project to help investors embed impact into portfolios. That initiative led to the launch of 17 Asset Management (17 AM) with a 2-year formal partnership with UNCDF in January 2018.
Over the next several years, 17 AM combined research, consulting, and investment design to shape the field of intentional investing. It launched flagship programs like the Populate Wall Street curriculum, the Sustainable Investing Fellowship, and the Reparations Finance Lab, while also developing SDG-aligned equity portfolios and place-based facilities in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Caribbean.
By 2025, with investment products scaling under Intentional Asset Management, 17III was established as an independent nonprofit institute to continue the vital work of market development, training, and systemic research — ensuring intentional investing remains accessible and transformative for the next generation.
OUR JOURNEY
Since 2017, our journey has blended education, product innovation, and field-building — all with the goal of reshaping how finance serves people, communities, and the planet.
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Under SOCAP, John Morris launched the Good Capital Project, a two-year initiative to educate investors on embedding impact into portfolios and building shared language for the field.
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17 Asset Management (17 AM) began operations through a two-year partnership with UNCDF. That same year, the team was commissioned by UNDP to design the Jordan SDG Opportunity Fund.
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17 AM raised its first capital to fund operations, developed the proprietary Populate Wall Street curriculum, launched the first Sustainable Investing Fellowship, and began research into SDG-aligned U.S. equity portfolios.
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17 AM started consulting, supporting clients including Crown Agents (mobilizing $10M for humanitarian health), Better Shelter (securing $1.5M to expand impact housing), and Rosseau (developing an IMM strategy and raising seed capital).
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17 AM launched the Reparations Finance Lab as a nonprofit initiative, designed the Philadelphia Impact Real Estate Fund, and advised on global strategies advancing racial equity and systemic change.
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17 AM expanded into investment products with the creation of Intentional Funds LLC and the Pittsburgh REEF Facility. Launched and seeded seven SDG-aligned U.S. equity portfolios.
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In partnership with FAO, 17 AM launched the Caribbean Food Systems Investment Initiative, creating instruments to mobilize private capital for food security and resilience across the region.
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17 AM established its Advisory Board, bringing together respected industry professionals to guide our strategy, expand our reach, and ensure accountability in advancing intentional investing.
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17 AM established Intentional Asset Management (the new DBA of Intentional Funds) to manage assets, funds, and clients. Simultaneously, it launched the 17 Intentional Investment Institute (17III) as the nonprofit home for fellowships, training, research, and global initiatives, including the African Intentional Infrastructure Initiative.