Dr. Walter Schindler - A poet, a scholar and Impact Investor

Hello Dr. Schindler, it’s an absolute pleasure to have you sit down with us today for this impromptu Q&A. Not many people are familiar with your literary background, we have a few questions. You’re currently recognized as one of the US pioneers in impact investing through environmentally conscious business practices all over world. Let’s delve into who you are, shall we?

Your book The Napoleon House, a book of thirty-three poems how did that come about?

The Napoleon House was a collection of poems that I carried around in my briefcase everywhere I traveled, and I was constantly polishing the old ones and inspired to write new ones. Then one day, unexpectedly, I was contacted by the founder of a commercial publishing house with about 400 books in circulation. He took me to lunch at a private club in New Haven, and then he surprised me by asking me to publish my book of poetry. He said that he and his wife (and co-owner of Archon Books publishing house) had always dreamed of publishing a book of original poetry. I regarded this as a miracle and accepted his offer.

He later published my Yale Ph.D. dissertation, Voice and Crisis. After many years of assuming my writing career was over, I am working on my third book, thanks to another miracle. It will soon be published as The Sustainable Foundation: Bridge to the Future.

How did you transition from being a writer to working in venture philanthropy and impact investing?

After Voice and Crisis, I became a legal advisor to the pioneers of renewable energy and renewable power projects. Then I started focusing on sustainable investing. Impact investing was the logical, creative bridge to my future!

Many green technologies aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases to prevent climate change. 

How have your investments and speaking engagements helped promote reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses to help battle climate change? Is there an example we can share with your readers?

I have invested primarily in unique new technologies and projects that reduce pollution, mitigate climate change and help the world solve problems in energy, water, food, and other resources. One of our new investments will create water from the air, and another will provide an all-natural weed control product to replace the carcinogenic Monsanto Roundup, thereby reducing deaths from cancer. Solar power is one of the most successful green technologies and is now cheaper to deploy than fossil fuels in many countries. 

How do you see its growth in the next fifty years? 

Solar power is becoming increasingly efficient and cost-effective through technology. I have advised two solar technology companies that will be game-changing.

I’ve noticed on Walter Schindler’s website that you and your team have spent time discussing global and national droughts, sounds like you’re concerned, what can we do as a planet? 

We must embrace technologies that reduce pollution and climate change as if our lives depended on them because they do.

What inspired you to go into the field of sustainability? Let’s talk about what motivates you and how passionate you are about this topic.

This is the subject of my new book, which will be published in less than 30 days:  The Sustainable Foundation: Bridge to the Future.

Kat McFarlin is assisting me in writing the book. We will send you one of the first copies. Gabriella Sannino, and her firm Level343 are our SEO advisors and marketing consultants, especially for Transformation Holdings online presence. It’s showing me how strong and vast the digital world is. We’re earning our place among leaders in merger and acquisitions as shown in this link from investopedia. It’s really exciting times.

What most interests you about this specific role?

Sustainability as an industry often calls for a mix of creativity and analysis. They can be research-heavy but require effective communication with team members. 

You have stated the question well. According to the Meyer Briggs test, I have solid intuitive gifts, analytical abilities, emotional commitment, and calm judgment.

How do you typically go about your work?

Sustainability also faces challenges. I looked at all alternatives and chose a life dedicated to the sustainable future of our planet. 

Can you tell us about a time when you faced a challenge while working on a sustainability project? How did you overcome it?

It’s not exciting to talk about your failures, but being able to present what you’ve learned from them is critical. In an area constantly evolving, such as sustainability studies, you will need to adapt to new research and scientific studies regularly.

The failures from which I learned the most would be covered extensively in my new book.

What is one project you’ve worked on that didn’t work out? What did you learn from the experience?

I developed and financed the world’s leading energy storage company, and it failed only because a foreign competitor burned it to the ground in the middle of the night. And we have it on video.

We are grateful to Dr. Walter Schindler for taking the time out of his busy schedule and answering our questions today! We’ll continue following him on Linkedin, Twitter and Forbes Councils in order get insights into sustainability topics like impact investing.