James Osborn is a fee-only financial planner at Evest Asset Management located in Ridgefield, CT.

An Entire Career Dedicated to Advance ESG/SRI

Envest Asset Management, LLC was formed as a grassroots effort to bring ESG/SRI practices to individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits. This came after a career that spanned from engineering to finance, which included environmental engineering, investment banking in social infrastructure, clean energy project lending, and, most recently, private equity investing in the clean energy space.

A Unique Perspective On ESG/SRI

I worked on all aspects of ESG/SRI. I look forward to educating clients in the space so that we can all make a positive impact together.

• Engineering – Environmental: provided environmental site design for properties, aided in the design of various water and wastewater treatment system.
• Investment Banking – Socially Responsible: member of a team that placed over a billion dollars in debt for social infrastructure projects.
• Private Equity and Lending – Environmental, Governance, and Socially Responsible: Invested (debt and equity) in clean energy assets throughout the U.S. Many investments were located in rural areas that provided highly skilled jobs. A former member of the Board of Directors and Secretary of the Board for various privately-owned companies.
• Non-Profit – Environmental, Governance, and Socially Responsible: Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations: the Ridgefield Education Foundation (“REF”) in Ridgefield, CT and Woodcock Nature Center (“WNC”) in Wilton, CT. REF raises capital to promote educational advancements in the Ridgefield Public School (“RPS”) system. WNC connects people to the habitats, plants, and animals of southwestern, CT through programs that build awareness, nurture understanding, and advance conservation.

A Little More About Me

Prior to launching Envest Asset Management, I worked at Energy Power Partners, a clean energy focused private equity fund. While the bulk of my finance career was spent there, I also worked in clean energy project finance lending for TD Securities and TD Bank. My finance career started as an investment banker in social infrastructure at UBS Securities placing municipal bonds for state and local governments and other municipal authorities. However, I cut my teeth in the ESG space when I started my career as an environmental engineer working in Long Island, NY and in upstate NY.

Outside of work, I am on the Board of Directors for REF and WNC. You may find me actively chasing my two kids around Ridgefield. Or you may find me running the streets throughout Wilton and Ridgefield as an avid distance runner. I also drive a hybrid vehicle.

I hold an MBA from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester and a BSE in Chemical Engineering from Villanova (Go ‘Nova!). I’ve been engaged as a guest lecturer or panelist at various clean energy related conferences.