Michael Lent, CIO

Michael is a founding principal and Chief Investment Officer of Veris Wealth Partners. For 16 years, he’s been delivering financial planning and investment consulting services to high net worth families, family offices, and foundations. Michael has been recognized by the Calvert Foundation for his advocacy of blended value community investing and is regularly cited regarding sustainable investing by major media outlets, including AP and Reuters. Prior to Veris, he co-founded the New York office of Progressive Asset Management, the first full service broker/dealer to focus on socially responsible investing.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Michael – along with Veris co-founder Patricia Farrar-Rivas – was working with community leaders in Central America on issues of economic development. He realized that for his work to achieve its full impact, he and his colleagues would need sustained access to new financial resources. Michael began to focus his efforts on outreach – educating those who were sympathetic to his cause on the important link between capital and social change. It was during this time that he demonstrated his aptitude for finance and his ability to communicate complex topics to a broad audience. Michael quickly grasped the possibilities, and after a deep analysis of the market landscape, chose to reorient his career. He now helps others use their resources to achieve personal financial goals while having a positive impact on the world around them.

Michael is the Treasurer and a Trustee of the Edward W. Hazen Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1925 and is committed to building leadership and organizing capacity among young people in communities of color, empowering them to dismantle structural inequity based on race and class. He serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Social Investment Forum, an association for professionals, firms, institutions, and organizations engaged in socially responsible and sustainable investing. In addition, Michael is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), which sets standards and practices for the investment management consulting profession. He received his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation in 2002.  He graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a B.A. in biology. Michael lives with his wife in Brooklyn, NY.