Fireside Chat: Investing and Ecosystems for Growth
In a world shaped by rapid change and uncertainty, many of us are thinking more intentionally about how we relate to growth, risk, and the future. Questions about growth and investing have surfaced often in our community conversations.
This fireside chat offers a grounded space to explore the foundational principles of investing, while also examining how it fits into a broader ecosystem for growth. We’ll also discuss how investing is not only about financial return, but also a way of aligning capital with values and beliefs about the future.
Rather than focusing on specific products or recommendations, we’ll look at how asset classes behave across different environments, how long-term investing differs from short-term speculation, and how personal circumstances shape the way we engage with financial systems.
Join us as we discuss not only how investing works, but also how individuals participate in the broader financial systems that shape opportunity and long-term growth. We’ll also remain attentive to geographic and socioeconomic context as we explore these topics together.
This session is educational in nature and will focus on understanding principles and context rather than offering personalized investment advice.
Format
We will begin with a guided conversation with our firestarters, followed by an open, informal dialogue with the community.
Themes we will explore
How risk, return, diversification, and time shape long-term growth
The difference between short-term speculation and long-term investing
How investing fits into your broader ecosystem for growth
Firestarters
We'll be joined by a few friends of the Money Health Collective who bring expertise and different perspectives on investing and long-term growth:
Caroline Dabu: Caroline is an independent wealth management consultant and Board Chair of the Financial Planning Standards Board, the international organization that sets professional standards for financial planning across more than 25 countries and territories worldwide. With more than two decades of senior leadership experience in financial services, including leading wealth planning and advisory services at the Bank of Montreal, Caroline is now founder of VSGS Advisory, where she works with organizations to strengthen and evolve how financial and wealth advice is delivered. In this session, Caroline brings a perspective grounded in both industry leadership and long-term strategy, reflecting on how financial planning and investing fit into a broader ecosystem for growth and wellbeing.
Lofton Holder: A seasoned board director and governance leader with more than three decades in global finance and investment management, Lofton serves on the boards of several public, private, and mission-driven organizations, including Golub Capital BDC, UpTogether, and the AARP Foundation. His work centers on financial oversight, capital stewardship, and helping organizations navigate complex market environments with discipline and long-term perspective. For our discussion together, Lofton brings a governance-level view of investing, reflecting on how capital allocation, risk management, and fiduciary responsibility shape not only financial outcomes but also the institutions and communities that rely on them.
Shri Krishnansen: Shri is an Executive Director at a global financial institution and a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, with more than 17 years of experience spanning financial services, wealth management, and fintech. One of MHC’s first volunteers, Shri combines a rigorous, data-driven approach with a deep understanding of human behavior and is passionate about solving the everyday financial challenges people face. Today, he’ll share insights on how we can remove friction from investing and create an environment where long-term financial planning feels more intuitive and accessible.
Moderators
Lin Shi: Founder of the Money Health Collective and Director of Global Benefits Programs & Governance at LinkedIn. A former World Economic Forum Fellow, Fulbright Fellow, and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, she has worked across sectors to advance financial resilience and wellbeing. As lead author of the World Economic Forum’s Longevity Economy Principles, she aligned perspectives from more than 35 global institutions across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors around a shared set of principles for financial resilience. Lin founded the Money Health Collective after seeing, through her work with organizations and individuals, that financial wellbeing requires more than financial knowledge alone. Her work with MHC focuses on creating the practical and human scaffolding that helps people navigate their financial lives with greater clarity, support, and agency.
Luis Chapilliquén: A systemic designer, social scientist, author, and community steward at the Money Health Collective. Across his work in digital transformation, civic projects, and culture, Luis has always cared most about designing spaces for the voices and stories that usually get overlooked. Having grown up navigating and moving between very different worlds, he brings a natural warmth and grounding to the MHC community, creating open and comfortable spaces where participants feel safe to share their real stories and learn together.
Come listen, reflect, ask questions, and engage. No preparation required.