Koppa - The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab

A Question for Consideration: Can Diversity Yield Alpha: Lessons from the LGBTQIA+ Global Finance Forum It was a privilege to attend the LGBTQIA+ Global Finance Forum, hosted by Deutsche Bank and Koppa - The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab and expertly curated by Fabrice C Houdart A striking panel featured the remarkable Dr. R. Martin Chavez — former CFO, CIO, and Co-Head of Securities at Goldman Sachs, Harvard-trained computer scientist, Stanford Ph.D. in medical information sciences, and one of the most influential leaders in global finance and technology. Marty’s story is extraordinary — from pioneering data-driven trading systems on Wall Street to championing diversity as a strategic asset. Key learnings: 1️⃣ Markowitz, Meet Humanity - The Efficient Frontier Captures Better Returns. Team OC looks for the best and the brightest people to drive performance, recognize unconventional patterns, and participate in innovation ahead of others. Harry Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory taught us that combining uncorrelated assets can lower volatility and enhance returns. Marty reframed this through a human lens: “The free lunch in finance is diversification — and diverse teams are the human version of that.” Rethink diversity as a performance multiplier. In retail, it’s the same logic — product variety, cultural inclusion, and fresh creative voices build resilience. The strongest portfolios — and the strongest companies — invest in difference. 2️⃣ Be Special. Innovation Loves the Outlier. BTW - example from Team OC, many people found our ideas about curbside pickup, robotics, and A.I. 5 years ago weird and not necessarily useful!!!! Marty shared stories about early experiments in quantitative modeling — ideas once seen as “too strange” that eventually transformed global markets. That mindset is just as relevant in retail: today’s outliers — indie beauty founders, new store formats, AI-driven personalization — are tomorrow’s category leaders. The lesson? The best ideas often start as deviations from the mean. 3️⃣ Authenticity Is Alpha Marty said something I’ll never forget: “I never wasted energy pretending to be someone else — I put that energy into my work.” Consumers and colleagues alike can feel when authenticity is real — just as investors can sense when conviction is genuine. A takeaway: Leadership, like investing, rewards those who diversify, take calculated risks, and stay true to their values. Huge thanks to Deutsche Bank, Koppa, and everyone who made this event possible. Diversity isn’t philanthropy; it’s portfolio optimization. And as Marty Chávez proved — authenticity can deliver the highest compound return. #LGBTQIA #Finance #RetailInnovation #Leadership #DiversityIsAlpha #MagicMeetsLogic #DeutscheBank #Koppa #FutureOfFinance #FutureOfRetail

At Koppa - The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab : from Policy to Practice: Building the Infrastructure of LGBTIQ+ Inclusion The second day of the Koppa Global #LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Finance Forum opened with a powerful focus on the infrastructure behind inclusion — the ecosystems, tools, and policies that determine whether capital truly reaches our communities. We began with Ise Bosch (Dreilinden), who challenged us to think boldly about deploying philanthropic endowments for queer innovation across the Global South. Then Kelly Roberts-Robbins (Sagana) led a sharp discussion on microfinance, technology, and closing the “missing middle” for LGBTIQ+ entrepreneurs — with Colin Walsh (Varo Bank), Stefan Bollier (Impact Advisors), and George Gachara (HEVA Fund) showing how new models of finance can thrive where traditional banking fails. In our Policy Pathways session, Philip R. Crehan (Koppa) and panelists Ambassador Chantale Wong, Kerry Ashforth, and David Ehrich unpacked how regulation, procurement rules, and multilateral frameworks can accelerate (or block) inclusive finance. The message was clear: capital doesn’t flow in a vacuum — policy shapes possibility. An extraordinary morning of realism and vision — proof that the movement for LGBTIQ+ economic empowerment is central to our vision for LGBTQ+ people. #InclusiveFinance #LGBTIQ #KoppaLab #EconomicInclusion #GlobalSouth Justus Eisfeld Philip R. Crehan M.V. Lee Badgett Kelly Widelska Courtney Clark Swathi Pottabathini