Impact Investing

Some clients come to us with a desire to invest their assets to achieve more than just financial returns. As a Certified B Corp, we seek to effect change both at home and abroad. This is done by facilitating investment in high-impact projects for those clients who desire to have a direct connection to their investments.

Impact Investing comes with a different set of risks and returns than traditional investing, and may not be appropriate for all investors. Not all opportunities are available to all investors, but we strive to democratize access to Impact Investing, by seeking out investments that are available both to affluent and non-affluent clients who have an interest in high impact investing.

We are constantly seeking out new opportunities to Invest with Impact. This page is not a comprehensive list of Impact Investments (contact us for a current list), but is intended to showcase the first investment we have sourced directly, through our partners at Vanderbilt Financial Group.

An investment that fights climate change, reduces your carbon footprint, cleans the air, helps farmers build revenue, and produces sustainable timber all at the same time

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About World Tree

World Tree USA, LLC (“World Tree”) is an agroforestry company focused on promoting the environmental and economic benefits of the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree.

Founded in 2015 by Wendy Burton, the World Tree group includes foresters, agronomists and scientists with extensive experience with agroforestry and, more specifically, the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree.

World Tree is the largest grower of Empress Splendor (Paulownia) trees in North America, with 2000 acres under management across the USA, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. The management team has over 30 years of experience working with the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree and grows 18 exclusive tree varieties.

The Eco-Tree Program (Opportunity Overview):

The Eco-Tree Program provides investors with the opportunity to participate in a timber investment while creating direct environmental benefits relating to forest restoration, carbon sequestration and promoting healthy eco-systems. The Eco-Tree Program leverages the fast growth rate of the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of agroforestry.

World Tree’s objective is to meet the growing global demand for timber in a more sustainable way. The Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree has been rated the fastest growing tree in the world, maturing in only 10 years, to produce a timber that has the highest strength to weight ratio of any hardwood commercially grown. The Company diversifies risks for investors through growing trees in 5 countries, at hundreds of unique farm locations

Or, book a time with us to discuss this offering

Investment Objectives:

World Tree intends to plant, manage and harvest the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree. Gross Profits will be distributed to investors once the trees have reached maturity, have been harvested and the timber sold for profit. For every 2,000 Series A 2020 Eco-Tree Units investors purchase, World Tree will plant 1 acre of trees. Investors can receive distributions in 8-12 years if trees reach maturity, are successfully harvested, and if the timber is sold for profit. The profits, if any, from the harvest of the ES Trees underlying the Series A 2020 Eco-Tree Units will be distributed 50% to the Farmers and 50% to the Company. The Company will then share equally between the Series A 2020 Eco-Tree Unitholders (distributed pro-rata) and the Manager, resulting is the Unitholders receiving 25% net profits from the harvest.

Alignment of Interests and Impact:

World Tree’s Eco-Tree Program is a way to fight climate change, protect our forests and bring resilience back to the land. It provides an investment opportunity that also gives back and has a direct environmental impact. Over the course of a year, one acre of trees provide significant carbon sequestration.

The Eco-Tree Program addresses many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including No Poverty, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life on Land, and Partnership for the Goals.

Meet the Team Behind World Tree

Wendy Burton

World Tree Founder and Chair

Wendy Burton has over 24 years of experience with the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree. She has been the motivating force behind World Tree’s mission to regnerate our forests, drawdown carbon, all while producing a robust return to investors. The protection of our old growth forests through the planting of Empress Splendor (Paulownia) trees has been a singular passion since she founded World Tree.

Doug Willmore

World Tree Chief Executive Officer

Doug Willmore has been highly successful in a broad, diverse range of executive roles. He has been the CEO of a fast growing highly successful reference pathology laboratory before its prosperous sale. He has been a widely sought after consultant to Fortune 50 companies seeking culture change. He has completed a successful career in the public sector as a City Manager and Chief Executive Officer. He has managed budgets as large as $800M and turned around bankrupt cities. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

Dr. Cathy Key

World Tree President and Chief Operations Officer

Dr. Key has presented World Tree to Canadian and US audiences on the stage of conferences that in include the Social Finance Forum and Sustainatopia, as well as investment groups in cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Atlanta. With a PhD in Anthropology, specializing in the economics of cooperation, Dr. Key brings a diverse skill-set to the organization. She has over 17 years’ experience in business development, marketing and sales and has worked with organizations that include Telus, McGill University, Johnson and Johnson, University of Illinois and the University of British Columbia.

Farmer’s Almanac

“Possibly the world’s most amazing tree.”

Bloomberg Businessweek

“We Already Have the World’s Most Efficient Carbon Capture Technology”

Devin Thorpe

“This tree packs a punch for investors in fight to reverse climate change.”

Risks and Risk Management:

• Agricultural risks include crop failure. World Tree plants trees across dozens of farms many thousands of miles apart. World Tree has replacement tree reserves available.

• The Farmers contracted by World Tree must properly care for the Empress Splendor (Paulownia) trees from their planting as startlings through their growth cycle to maturity. Farmers must properly water, prune and care for the trees. Failure to do so could result in some or all a Farmer’s Empress Splendor (Paulownia) trees either dying or failing to mature to expected height and diameter, thereby reducing the amount of Empress Splendor (Paulownia) lumber that may be harvested from a Farmer’s trees. World Tree works closely with farmers in the US and globally in educating and training.

• Investment risks include no regulatory review, highly speculative, limited voting rights, limit on amount available to repay unit holders, no tax advice, lack of marketability and liquidity of units.

• Issuer risks include reliance on ability and judgment of Company management, net worth and going concern of the Company, deployment of Empress Splendor (Paulownia) tree startlings, and farmer risk as indicated above.

• Industry risks include natural disturbances, world events, lack of an established market for Empress Splendor (Paulownia) timber in North America, and factors out of the Company’s control.

For a complete overview of World Tree’s Risks and Risk Management, please refer to the Offering Circular.

This is neither an offer to sell, nor a solicitation to buy, a security, which can be made only by the prospective investors if it is preceded or accompanied by the Offering Circular, which contains various and important risk disclosures. This material does not purport to be complete and should be read in conjunction with the Offering Circular. All potential investors must read the Offering Circular and no person may invest without acknowledging that they have received, read, and fully understand the Offering Circular.

AN OFFERING STATEMENT REGARDING THIS OFFERING HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SEC. THE SEC HAS QUALIFIED THAT OFFERING STATEMENT, WHICH ONLY MEANS THAT THE COMPANY MAY MAKE SALES OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED BY THE OFFERING STATEMENT. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SEC HAS APPROVED, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION IN THE OFFERING STATEMENT. YOU MAY OBTAIN A COPY OF THE OFFERING CIRCULAR THAT IS PART OF THAT OFFERING STATEMENT FROM THE OFFERING CIRCULAR.

YOU SHOULD READ THE OFFERING CIRCULAR BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT.

SECURITIES OFFERED THROUGH VANDERBILT SECURITIES, LLC. MEMBER: FINRA, SIPC

DISCLAIMER: PRIVATE SECURITIES OFFERINGS MAY HAVE A LONG HOLDING PERIOD, BE ILLIQUID, AND CONTAIN A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. INVESTORS MUST BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE LOSS OF ALL OF THEIR PRINCIPAL.