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Key people at Just Economy Institute.
Just Economy Institute is an advocacy and educational organization that connects, educates, and supports financial innovators and leaders who redirect capital and power for social and environmental problems. The institute convenes annual cohorts of up to 28 Fellows, catalyzing new ventures, collaborations, and community wealth-building. JEI has supported 237 Fellows and alumni over nine years, including Wendy Cooper, Co-CEO of Dragonfly Ventures, and Stephone Coward, co-founder of BankBlackUSA. Supported by RSF Social Finance, the organization promotes community-centered solutions and cross-sector collaboration to advance economic, racial, and environmental justice. Founded as the Integrated Capital Institute by Deb Nelson, with Joel Solomon as a founding facilitator, it began operations in approximately 2014. Its business model centers on JEI operates as an advocacy and educational organization supported by RSF Social Finance, an activist investing firm. The organization convenes Fellows and provides learning opportunities and community support rather than generating traditional revenue.
Key people at Just Economy Institute.
The Just Economy Institute (JEI) is a nonprofit organization that connects, educates, and supports financial activists and change makers aiming to redirect capital and power toward solving social and environmental problems, with a vision of a just and resilient economy supporting all people and the planet.[1][4] Its core mission emphasizes community-centered solutions, cross-sector collaboration, a holistic approach integrating inner personal work with practical capital strategies and collective power-building, and integrated capital activation for economic, racial, and environmental justice.[1][4] JEI's flagship offering is a nine-month fellowship program featuring in-person immersions, online sessions, one-on-one advising, peer coaching, and creative capital projects, training participants in topics like financial activism, community wealth building, social movement investing, and critiques of extractive capitalism.[1][7]
JEI was founded by Deb Nelson as the Integrated Capital Institute (ICI) around 2016 as an initiative of RSF Social Finance, where Nelson served as vice president of client and community engagement; it rebranded to Just Economy Institute in October 2021.[2] Nelson, an activist entrepreneur and former executive director of the Social Venture Network (later rebranded and merged into left-of-center business advocacy), launched ICI with support from advisors like Joel Solomon, Akaya Windwood, Marian Moore, and Don Shaffer to train financial activists in wealth redistribution and systemic change.[2][8] Over nine years, JEI has evolved from this RSF-backed program into an independent entity focused on fellowship-based education and networking, with funding from grants like the #NoRegrets Initiative to sustain need-blind admissions and staff.[3]
JEI operates at the intersection of impact investing, fintech innovation, and social justice movements, riding trends like ESG (environmental, social, governance) integration, regenerative finance, and catalytic capital in tech-driven sectors such as climate tech and community wealth platforms.[1][7] Its timing aligns with growing scrutiny of extractive capitalism amid climate crises and racial equity demands, enabling activists to influence tech ecosystems by redirecting venture capital toward soil health tech, social fintech, and power-shifting tools.[1][2][7] By training influencers in "whole portfolio activation" and cross-sector coalitions, JEI amplifies tech's role in systemic change, countering traditional VC models with community-led alternatives and fostering startups embedded in justice frameworks.[1][4]
JEI is poised to expand its alumni network as demand rises for finance professionals skilled in just transition strategies amid accelerating climate and inequality pressures. Trends like AI-driven impact measurement, blockchain for community capital, and policy shifts toward regenerative economies will shape its fellowships, potentially deepening tech integrations for wealth redistribution. Its influence may evolve from educator to ecosystem convener, powering a new generation of mission-aligned innovators and challenging dominant capital flows. This positions JEI as a pivotal force in redefining wealth's purpose, echoing its founding call to shift power for collective well-being.[1][2][4]
