[00:01:35] – Aimee’s Entrepreneurial Upbringing

• Growing up with her mom as the first employee of a startup, learning business concepts at the dinner table
• Key quote: “I just grew up in it and my mom taught herself how to do accounting by talking to a friend who was an accountant and she had green ledger paper and a 10 key, and she just figured it out. A true entrepreneur.”

[00:03:31] – Philosophy Major to Law School Journey

• Changing majors four times and colleges three times, still graduating on time
• Key quote: “I changed my major four times and I changed colleges three times, and I still graduated on time.”

[00:06:56] – The Law Firm Revelation

• Realizing traditional law practice wasn’t the right fit after having her first child
• Key quote: “I don’t think I like money or power enough to make this work because I couldn’t figure out any other reason why people would wanna do that.”

[00:11:48] – The Discontent That Drives Purpose

• Aimee’s lifelong sense of discontent as a driving force for seeking solutions
• Key quote: “I have always been discontent… just sort of like going through life wondering why does it have to be this way?”

[00:15:19] – The Calling Conversation

• Meeting Bill High and discovering the concept of calling in generosity work
• Key quote: “The glory of God is man fully alive… when we’re giving of ourselves, when we’re releasing what we have to the Lord, that’s one of the ways that we become more fully alive.”

[00:18:33] – The Uganda Revelation

• The pivotal moment watching a thank you video that changed Aimee’s perspective on business and ministry
• Key quote: “There’s two things my people need Jesus Christ and Business, because together they can change our culture.”

[00:22:30] – Defining Impact Investing

• Clear explanation of impact investing as a philosophy, not an asset class
• Key quote: “Impact investing is not an asset class, it’s a philosophy of investing… intentionally placing capital to achieve a measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial return.”

[00:24:03] – Garden City Investment Example

• How they invest in companies that employ low-skill workers and maintain family business values
• Key quote: “They buy them and hold them for the long term… selling to somebody who’s gonna hold it for the long term and further enhance the values that the company started.”

[00:29:27] – The Relational Nature of Impact Investing

• Why relationships and trust are crucial in impact investing versus traditional grant-making
• Key quote: “This is the most relational work that I’ve been a part of… If you’re going to put money with someone and expect to get it back, you’re going to do that on the basis of trust.”

[00:32:16] – Money vs. Relationship Currency

• Aimee’s perspective on what matters most in creating lasting impact
• Key quote: “In scripture, it says the streets are paved with gold. They take money and they put it on the pavement. So there’s some currency that matters more than money and it’s probably relationship.”

[00:36:55] – Pure Flow Success Story

• The Boda Boda motorcycle taxi business in Uganda providing holistic life change
• Key quote: “Every week when the Boda Boda driver comes in to make their payment… they offer life lesson classes, financial planning classes, discipleship classes, bible studies.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Impact Foundation: impactfoundation.org – Organization helping families invest charitable capital in impact businesses
• Garden City: Evergreen investment structure buying companies with low-skill labor
• Enzi: (Pure Flow) Uganda-based Boda Boda lease-to-own business with discipleship component
• The Wonder Project: Christian film production company behind “House of David”
• Minnow: Streaming platform for kids with Christian content
• Dude Perfect: YouTube brand they helped with private equity rollup
• Immeasurabley More: Book with 30 impact investing stories (published by Impact Foundation)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Impact investing is a philosophy of intentionally placing capital to achieve measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial return
• Business can be one of the most powerful platforms for ministry and lasting change because of its scale and distribution capabilities
• Charity alone cannot solve poverty and brokenness – it requires the combination of charity and sustainable business
• Impact investing is highly relational work that requires trust and long-term thinking
• Every investment has an impact – the question is whether we’re intentional about what that impact is

CALL TO ACTION:

• Subscribe to the StoryLens podcast for more conversations exploring how stewardship, structure, and story come together to shape lasting legacies. Connect with Aimee Minnich at christy@impactfoundation.org or visit impactfoundation.org to learn more about impact investing with charitable capital.