EcoPlanet Family Office: Constructing an Impact Investment Portfolio

By Nate Schlein, Kunal Doshi
2025 | Case No. E902 | Length 4 pgs.
Entrepreneurship

This case explores Rachel Carlan’s challenge as the newly appointed Chief Investment Officer of EcoPlanet Asset Management (EPAM), a multi-billion dollar portfolio within Luke Walter’s family office. Walter wants his largest pool of assets to directly support his mission of building a more humane and healthy planet across specific thematic areas, but the EPAM team is paralyzed by this mandate, struggling to find investments that both meet market-rate return requirements and align with Walter’s thematic focus areas at appropriate scale.

The case highlights the tension of balancing financial objectives with mission alignment. Students must evaluate different investment approaches as Carlan considers whether to pursue traditional financial returns, pure-play thematic investments, or develop an alternative strategy that satisfies both Walter’s vision and portfolio requirements. This dilemma offers important lessons about stakeholder management, the structural challenges of aligning large institutional portfolios with specific impact goals, and the strategic role of different capital pools within a mission-driven organization.

Learning Objective

This case is designed to help students understand the challenges of aligning institutional portfolios with impact objectives. Students will learn how mission-driven organizations can leverage different capital pools strategically while maintaining financial discipline and impactful outcomes. The case also explores stakeholder management and hiring approaches when navigating competing priorities between financial returns and mission alignment.
This material is designated for use in specific Stanford GSB classes only. For inquiries, contact the Case Writing Office.

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