Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in?

Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that’s stuck with her ever since: What if capital could be a force for good, without giving up returns? Now the CEO and co-founder of Align Impact, Jennifer leads a registered investment advisory firm managing over $750 million.

Jennifer joins Sarah Lockwood to talk about values-based investing, conscious capitalism, and how we can all, regardless of portfolio size, be more intentional about where and how our money is working. Jennifer explains why impact investing isn’t charity, how ESG works (and where it falls short), and the practical steps anyone can take to align their investments with their values. She shares examples of funding solutions in climate change, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and why investing in women and underrepresented founders creates ripple effects that go far beyond profit. She also reflects on her leadership as the outgoing president of EO Colorado, the power of servant leadership, and how Align’s commitment to being a B Corp shapes the way they do business.

If you’re an entrepreneur rethinking how your capital is allocated, or simply curious about whether your investments align with your intentions, Sarah and Jennifer’s conversation will help you take a more conscious, empowered role in shaping your financial impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jennifer Kenning’s Path to Impact Investing 03:15 Breaking the Myth: Do Values-Based Investments Sacrifice Returns? 07:34 How Align Measures Real-World Impact 10:29 Aligning Your 401(k) and Business Capital With Your Values 18:07 Why Align Impact Became a Certified B Corp 22:11 Bringing an Impact Lens to EO Colorado 25:15 Leading Peers and Evolving as a Servant Leader 30:05 Defining the Hopeful Pioneer and Investing for 2030 35:45 Staying Grounded: Purpose, Practice, and Long-Term Vision 38:06 Advice for Founders Committed to Conscious Capitalism

39:39 Empowerment Through Financial Awareness

Links

Connect with Jennifer Kenning:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkenning/ Website: https://www.alignimpact.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/ Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

A carefully planned CEO exit unraveled and what came next reshaped how one founder leads for good.

When Chris Schwalbach stepped away from the CEO seat at AVL Growth Partners, he had a clear plan, a strong successor, and years of preparation behind him. But even with all that in place, something didn’t sit right. The business started to wobble, and Chris found himself wondering if he’d made a mistake. What do you do when the leadership transition you spent years building starts to crack? How do you know when it’s time to step back in?

Joining Sarah Lockwood, Chris shares the real story behind his succession planning journey, from the slow handoff to the unexpected return, and what he learned about himself in the process. He talks openly about the shame he felt stepping back in, the inner work that helped him move through it, and the version of leadership he brings to the table now. If you’re thinking about founder exit planning or wrestling with what it means to let go, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what happens when plans shift and perspective deepens.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Chris Schwalbach’s CEO Exit and Return

02:06 Founding AVL Growth Partners and the Original Vision

04:07 Hitting Growth Ceilings and Planning a Leadership Transition

10:05 The Inner Journey: Failure, Trust, and Self-Doubt

17:12 Becoming CEO 2.0: Leading with Clarity and Confidence

22:00 Managing Team Expectations During a Leadership Transition

28:10 Reflecting on Progress: Using the Gap and the Gain

30:07 Personal Habits That Support Founder Mental Health

37:47 Lessons in Succession Planning and Self-Trust

Links

Conscious Entrepreneur Previous Episode with Chris Schwalbach:

https://consciousentrepreneur.us/chris-schwalbach-the-conscious-handover-embracing-change-at-the-top

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Chris Schwalbach:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschwalbach/

Website: https://avlgrowth.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jesse Pujji reveals how he builds wildly successful companies from scratch by doubling down on talent, distribution, and the power of bootstrapping.

In this episode, Sarah Lockwood sits down with the serial founder and investor behind Gateway X, a venture studio that launches and scales high-performing companies without venture capital. Jesse shares how he went from Goldman Sachs and McKinsey to building Ampush, one of Facebook’s earliest and most effective performance marketing agencies, which grew to manage over $1 billion in ad spend for top brands like Uber, Peloton, and Dollar Shave Club. That experience became the foundation for how he now builds high-performance teams and scalable businesses through bootstrapping.

Jesse breaks down the core principles that drive his companies: hiring exceptional talent, obsessing over sales and distribution, and staying rooted in profitability from day one. He shares the origin stories of ventures like GrowthAssistant, which connects startups with offshore marketing talent, and explains how each business at Gateway X is shaped by a unique unfair advantage and the right operating partner, not a VC-funded roadmap. From his two-farm model for sourcing ideas and people to his frameworks for knowing when to walk away from a failing project, Jesse offers a rare look into what it really takes to scale without VC.

This is a must-listen for founders ready to trade the unicorn myth for real traction, culture-driven leadership, and sustainable growth on their own terms.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jesse Pujji’s Entrepreneurial Journey from Ampush to Gateway X

05:01 Core Principles for Bootstrapping and Scaling Without VC

08:48 How GrowthAssistant Scaled to $20M in Revenue

13:32 The Two-Farm Model: Matching Ideas with the Right People

15:00 Knowing When to Kill an Idea and Move On

16:02 Inside Aux: Translating Marketing for Private Equity

21:09 Why Sales and Distribution Matter More Than Product

22:14 The Power of High Performance Teams

27:02 Building Profitable Companies with Operational Rigor

34:30 Managing Attention, Energy, and Leadership Across Startups

38:48 Conscious Leadership and the Value of Coaching

Links

Dave Kashen - Startup CEO Coach

Book - The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: https://a.co/d/j4uKz9A

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

Connect with Jesse Pujji:

Website Gateway X: https://www.gateway.xyz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepujji/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.