Around the Firm 2Q2025 (Faith-Based Edition)
Progressions & Team Updates
As we reflect on the second quarter of 2025, Innovest is proud to celebrate several noteworthy accomplishments across our team. These achievements showcase the dedication, expertise, and values that define our commitment to excellence and stewardship.
We’re pleased to share that Sydney Aeschlimann has earned the ASPPA QKS® designation, an honor awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who demonstrate strong knowledge in 401(k) plan administration, compliance, and operations. This designation highlights Sydney’s deep understanding of qualified retirement plan regulations and her commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards in our industry. Congratulations, Sydney!
We also extend our congratulations to Analyst Assistant Sydney Armstrong and Manager Stephanie Dufano, who were honored with Innovest’s monthly Service to Others Award. Their consistent dedication, outstanding teamwork, and exceptional client service exemplify the spirit of this recognition.
Awards & Publications
Several Innovest team members were recently featured in prominent industry publications, showcasing their expertise and thought leadership. Sydney Aeschlimann and Robert Stebbins authored “Ascending SECURE 2.0: Catch-Up Contributions” in 401K Specialist Magazine. Rick Rodgers and Kyli Soto contributed “The Importance of Independence” to TEXPERS, while Troy Jensen and Luke Hollister were also featured in the same publication with their article, “Completing the Journey.” Additionally, Paul D'Alessandro, a frequent contributor to NonProfit PRO, published two insightful articles: “The Scarcity of Money from Nonprofit Major Donors” and “Balance-Sheet Philanthropy: The Real Wealth Behind Planned Giving.”
Richard Todd and Sarah Newman offered their perspectives in the Christian Leadership Association (CLA) blog post, “Christian Investing Is Not What It Used to Be.” The pair were also featured in Catholic News Agency’s article, “Christian Investors Gather in Denver for Ecumenical Investing Conference.” Additionally, Richard was featured on two podcast episodes: "Investing God’s Money" on The BeatiDudes, and "How the Financial Consulting Industry Weaponizes Christians’ Money Against Them" on Meeting of the Minds, part of the Salem Podcast Network.
These contributions underscore Innovest’s continued commitment to thought leadership and sharing valuable insights and serving as a trusted resource for our clients and the industry.
Service To Others
At Innovest, community involvement is a core value, and this past quarter, our team proudly supported several impactful organizations across the Denver area.
A group of Innovest team members spent a meaningful day volunteering at Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado, helping restock their Baby Bucks and Housing Basic Needs stores. Together, they brought 8,700 baby wipes, 582 diapers, and numerous essential items for moms and babies, restocking shelves and organizing supplies to support teen mothers and their children in building strong, healthy futures.
Another fun and impactful event was DIRT’s Annual Trivia Night, attended by many of our team members. DIRT (Divergent Inclusive Representation Transforms) is committed to fostering inclusive, equitable employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Originally launched as a mobile coffee truck in 2013, DIRT now operates two community-centered coffee shops in Denver. We’re especially proud that Innovest’s Dustin Roberts serves as a Board Member for this inspiring organization.
Innovest is also proud to support ACE Scholarships, one of our valued clients. Our own Wendy Dominguez and Christian O’Dwyer attended ACE’s Annual Luncheon, featuring an inspiring keynote from Coach Nick Saban. ACE’s mission is to ensure every child has access to a quality education. We are honored to champion this mission and organization.
Lastly, we celebrated the achievements of our graduating interns from Arrupe Jesuit High School, Manny and Osmar. We are especially proud of Osmar Garcia, who was awarded a prestigious Daniels Scholarship, a remarkable accomplishment that reflects his dedication and promising future. Both Manny and Osmar made meaningful contributions to the Innovest team through our internship sponsorship program with Arrupe, and we are grateful for their hard work and positive impact and know that they will do amazing things in the future!
Innovest is honored to serve and support these exceptional organizations that are making a lasting impact in our community.
Conferences, Speaking Engagements & Webinars
Greg Ring and Paul D’Alessandro, representatives in Innovest’s newest division IPS Philanthropy Architects (IPSPA), hosted a two-day conference called Pivot in Denver focused on supporting nonprofits. The event showcased how IPSPA can assist organizations with planned giving strategies, emphasizing approaches that help minimize tax burdens and empower donors to give more generously during their lifetimes.
Innovest founded and hosted the CIIC this spring. The Christian Institutional Investors Conference, held in Denver in April 2025, brought together faith-based investment leaders from across the country for meaningful dialogue on values-aligned stewardship. The event featured insightful presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities focused on aligning investment strategies with Christian principles. It served as a valuable platform for collaboration, education, and inspiration among institutions committed to integrating faith and finance.
Innovest’s Co-Founder, Wendy Dominguez spoke as part of a panel discussion at The State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) Spring National Meeting. She and the other participants spoke to fighting anti-fiduciary behavior in the industry. They described the key players in the fight toward disruption and importantly identify landmines for state fiduciaries and ways to navigate them to improve the alignment with the values of the constituents and beneficiaries they serve.
Sloan Smith also contributed his insights, delivering an economic update and nonprofit outlook at the Colorado Society of CPAs (COCPA) conference.
Rich Todd and Sarah Newman had a strong presence at several investment conferences this quarter. Sarah engaged with many interested attendees while representing Innovest and speaking at the COCFA (Consortium of Catholic Foundations Conference), CLA (Christian Leadership Alliance) Meeting, COCFC, and the CapinCrouse International Symposium.
As part of our ongoing commitment to financial education for both the public and our clients, Innovest hosted a series of informative webinars during the second quarter. Sloan Smith held a conversation with Avi Korn, Managing Director and Co-Head of Asset Based Finance at KKR, a global investment firm specializing in alternative asset management and capital markets. Their discussion explored key insights in asset-based finance and examined current market dynamics. Sloan also led a separate webinar titled Unlocking Opportunities in Asset Based Finance.
In another session, Rick Rodgers and Tomas Jansen presented 7 Common Mistakes Employers Make with 401(k) Plans, offering practical guidance for plan sponsors. Additionally, Dustin Roberts contributed to a recent DCIIA (Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association) webinar, sharing his perspective on Modernizing the K–12 Retirement Plan alongside fellow industry experts.
Innovest launched its new Quarterly Faith-Aligned Webinar Series this month. The inaugural episode, titled “Proxy Voting – The Most Overlooked Responsibility in Fiduciary Governance,” featured guest speaker Jerry Bowyer and drew strong attendance.
These webinars offered valuable perspectives and actionable insights, reinforcing Innovest’s role as a trusted source of financial expertise.