Partner Highlight: BSW Wealth Partners

Aligning Life and Money: Brian Lichtenheld on Turning Values into Impact

Walking the talk is one thing. Aiming for systemic change is another. Brian Lichtenheld is doing both. From a vegan diet and an energy-efficient home to composting, fair trade purchases, and pro-bono service on nonprofit finance boards, his life reflects his values. At BSW Wealth Partners, he helps clients do the same with their money, turning portfolios into tools for impact. And through their membership with Premiums for the Planet, Brian and BSW are harnessing the often-overlooked lever of insurance to drive climate finance solutions at scale. We sat down with Brian to discuss how he translates his personal philosophy into professional practice, why aligning wealth with values matters, and how even financial systems most people ignore can become engines for a future that works for all life.

Premiums for the Planet: BSW believes that wealth isn’t just about financial accumulation. It’s a dynamic journey shaped by personal values and the psychology of money. How does this philosophy guide your work with clients and how do you help them use their financial resources to create a meaningful and fulfilling life?

Brian Lichtenheld: I like to think of money as wampum, in that it can serve as both a store of value, and an opportunity to integrate culture, history, and beliefs into financial decision making. (Editor’s note: Wampum consists of polished shell beads, historically used by Eastern Indigenous peoples for ceremonial purposes, recording agreements, and as a medium of exchange and trade before becoming a currency in early colonial North America.) Through this lens, investing becomes a method for expressing what is truly important, and can help accelerate contributions to our communities, and our planet.

PFP: As Director of Values-Alignment at BSW, you are responsible for maintaining the firm’s Sustainable Investing Methodology and B Corp certification. What exactly does "values-alignment " mean and how does it play out in the work you do for individuals, families, and organizations?

BL: In today's world, we are blessed with easy access to financial metrics, which are critical to effective decision making. To me, “values-alignment” involves taking the additional time to really understand how we can complement the financial with what is truly meaningful, sustainable, and important. By way of example, our Sustainable Investing Methodology gives us a framework for taking the time to align client values and beliefs with their investment strategy.

PFP: BSW’s B Corp score of 156.6 is impressive. What does this score mean in terms of BSW’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility and what does it take to achieve such a high score in the B Corp certification?

BL: Our mantra at BSW is Make Life Better. Arguably the key driver of our B Impact Score is our dedication to Making Life Better for our stakeholders,  most notably our clients, our workers, our local community, and the environment. And as an independent financial advisory firm, we are privileged to have the ability to integrate this care and compassion for our stakeholders into nearly every aspect of our core operations. Ultimately, most every business will take a different road to achieving their social and environmental objectives. In our case, a clear north star has positioned the firm to consistently improve our impact and, in conjunction, our B Impact Score,

PFP: You work with intergenerational families, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations. What are some common challenges these groups face in aligning their investments with their broader goals and how does BSW help them overcome those hurdles?

BL: As I think back on my career, initially the biggest challenge I encountered was awareness. Oftentimes, people knew they could buy organic and recycled products, but hadn’t yet realized that they could vote with their dollars, and align their banking, investments, and insurance with their values. Today, general awareness has risen substantially, and sustainable investing options have increased in quantity and sophistication. Now one of the significant challenges I observe is values-alignment. Everyone, and every organization, has their own priorities and preferences. But sometimes the volume of choices can be overwhelming. We relish the opportunity to guide our clients to the right balance of financial and impact alignment with their investment portfolio and financial plan, oftentimes customizing their sustainability preferences in order to do so. Think of it like the art of baking the perfect chocolate chip cookie: not too gooey, not too crisp. Just the right balance

PFP: What inspired BSW to become a member of PFP and how do you think the integration of climate-aligned insurance solutions will reshape the financial planning landscape?

I had the pleasure of meeting Brad Stevenson as he was beginning PFP and starting the organization's B Corp journey. Since then, I’ve shared the stage with Brad and the PFP team at conferences, presented together on webinars, and we’ve partnered to coach organizations on their climate finance transitions. Becoming a member of PFP was the natural next step given our respect and affinity for the organization, in combination with our desire to align the last of our big 3 financial levers (i.e. 401k offering, banking and insurance) with our organizational values.

Climate-aligned insurance solutions are arguably the brightest light in an otherwise disconcerting insurance landscape. By way of example, we are routinely seeing client’s insurance premiums increasing significantly (in some cases, by up to 50% year-over year), most likely as a repercussion of the changing climate. I believe that climate-aligned insurance solutions are our greatest hope for a more affordable, and sustainable, premium trajectory over the years to come.

PFP: Insurance is a massive yet often overlooked sustainability lever. How do you see insurance playing a critical role in driving sustainability efforts and addressing climate risks, and why is it such an important tool for businesses striving for long-term resilience?

BL: One of the great lines I picked up on early in my B Corp career was “where does your money sleep at night”? Well, there is A LOT of money sleeping within insurance provider investment accounts — financing fossil fuel production and development — that could be reallocated towards investments driving positive impacts on our climate. Insurance is a unique lever because our collective premiums can drive those mostly under-the-radar funds towards sustainable investment options. This would contribute towards a more resilient long-term future for our planet, and the billions of people who inhabit it.

PFP: Growing up near Chicago's notorious Cabrini-Green housing projects gave you early exposure to the wealth gap. How did this experience shape your perspective on wealth management and how does it influence your approach when working with clients on creating social impact and generational wealth?

BL: Contrast is one of the most powerful evaluation lenses. Sweet in contrast to spicy. Darkness in contrast to the light. Happiness in contrast to sadness. Growing up with privilege, while living within blocks of those who were born into a different social economic situation, is a contrasting visual that has never left me. That early experience of socio-economic imbalance, of inequity, has been a primary driver of my quest to expand that awareness. And, where appropriate with clients, I want to expand that awareness to the application of sustainable investing and charitable giving in their portfolios and financial plans. I believe both are powerful force multipliers toward a shared and durable prosperity for all.  

PFP: You’ve been dedicated to volunteering since the 1990s, striving to donate 100 hours of your time per year. How has your volunteer work informed your professional life and how does it influence the financial advice you give to clients?

BL: I see my professional engagements and pro-bono commitments as symbiotic, seemingly unrelated pursuits that are philosophically interconnected and interdependent. The work I do with pro bono financial planning clients and on nonprofit audit and finance committees is linked to my work at BSW through a shared purpose: helping other people navigate financial complexities and challenges, while seeking to make the world a better place. While the specific parameters of each commitment differ, I believe my pro bono experiences provide an additional perspective, and an added depth, to the professional guidance I provide, particularly to the impact-oriented clients I serve. 

PFP: You co-founded B Local Colorado, which brings together local businesses to support B Corps. What does being part of B Local mean to you, and how has it influenced your approach to business and community engagement?

BL: Our technology today provides great benefits: remote work, instant messaging, video conferencing, connection without taking off your slippers. B Local Colorado has provided a complementary experience: opportunities for in-person interactions and a vehicle for deepening relationships with values-aligned colleagues through mission aligned events. B Local Colorado, and the B Corp community in general, keeps me motivated and inspired to continue working toward a just and sustainable world that benefits all life. 

PFP: While working to save the world is one important part, you also clearly have a deep love for nature. How do you most enjoy experiencing the world and nature, and what do you do to stay connected to it in a meaningful way?

BL: Doing a small part to save our planet is motivating to me, and takes me back to when my dad took me hiking into Glacier National Park as a child. He showed me where the glaciers were when he went there as a boy with his dad, and how much they had receded since. My love of nature was inspired by hikes like those, with the visual of a dramatically shrinking glacier always sticking with me. Perhaps a reminder to both appreciate what we have while it's here and an inspiration to continue our collective efforts to preserve our beautiful planet. I’m cautiously confident those efforts will result in hikes where we will all have the opportunity to take the next generation to see those same gorgeous glaciers.