About Her Business & Career: Catherine Berman is the cofounder and CEO of CNote, an impact investing firm committed to helping institutions invest in underserved communities. CNote’s main goal is to open the door for the average investor to be able to invest in existing programs that combat systemic inequality. One of the main product categories that allow for this are community development financial institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs have historically been too complicated for the average investor to invest in, but CNote is working to make it easy.
Why She Made the Worthy 100: Berman’s innovative financial problem-solving has made it more accessible to invest in CDFIs. Although this type of investment has traditionally been unavailable due to its complexity, Berman has paved the way for investors to be able to elevate these community programs while also receiving reliable and profitable returns. Berman has established herself as a innovator in the investing world by simplifying the process of investing in community programs, thus finding the common ground between thriving capitalism and community support.
Industry: Impact Investing
Year Founded: 2016
Headquarters: Oakland, Calif.
