Kevin R. Keller, CAE

Excited to see my article on how the principles conveyed in the best selling Jim Collin’s book “Good to Great” apply to board room governance, published by NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors).

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As a board member of the National Small Business Association, I’m encouraged to see momentum building around the SPARK Act led by Ed Markey, legislation focused on expanding access to capital and real business support for entrepreneurs. Across the country we’re seeing more people start businesses than ever before… but many are still starting without the capital, infrastructure, or networks needed to survive. The result: lower revenues, fewer employees, and shorter lifespans, not because the ideas aren’t strong, but because the ecosystem isn’t built for them. Policy matters here. When we strengthen entrepreneurial development AND financing together, we don’t just create businesses, we create local employers, neighborhood stability, and generational opportunity. From what I see every day ESO Ventures working with entrepreneurs, access to capital alone isn’t enough. Access + preparation + trusted support = outcomes. Glad to see this conversation moving forward nationally. Small businesses are not a niche issue, they’re economic infrastructure. #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #AccessToCapital #EconomicOpportunity #BuildWhereYouAre

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📣 ISF Advisors is proud to share a new strategic paper commissioned by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) that lays out a bold strategy to bridge the “great finance divide” — prioritising catalytic investment in the world’s most vulnerable and underserved markets: Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCS). 📉 Despite their outsized needs, these countries receive just 6% of DFI-mobilised private capital, and less than 3% of global FDI. 📈 Meanwhile, the SDG financing gap for LDCs alone is estimated at $462 billion annually. 📊 The paper explores why development finance is falling short and what must change. 💡 A new approach is needed, grounded in: 🔁 Deploying catalytic capital — risk-tolerant, patient, and flexible — to de-risk investment and build local markets 🧩 Unlocking the “missing middle” — SMEs, municipalities, and infrastructure projects that are too small for DFIs, too large or risky for microfinance 🏦 Strengthening domestic financial institutions to sustainably serve priority sectors 📍 Backing place-based strategies that reflect local priorities and enable faster delivery 🌍 This paper also highlights how the UNCDF, with its high-risk appetite, small-ticket capital, and embedded UN partnerships, is uniquely positioned to fill this gap and enable broader capital flows into frontier markets. 🚀 This is a roadmap for catalytic funders, policy makers, and DFIs ready to move from ambition to action — by investing where markets don’t yet exist. 📘 Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/g4ZxC3vp #UNCDF #DevelopmentFinance #BlendedFinance

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In his March 19, 2026, address at "SEC Speaks," SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins introduced a new strategic framework for the Commission titled the "A-C-T" strategy. This agenda is designed to pivot the agency away from "regulation by enforcement" toward a more modern, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment. The three pillars of the A-C-T strategy are: 1. Advance (Modernizing the Rulebook) Atkins argued that SEC rules have failed to keep pace with technology, citing outdated requirements like paper delivery for shareholder communications. • Crypto Focus: He criticized the previous "regulation by enforcement" approach to digital assets, which he claimed drove innovation offshore. He committed to creating clear, "fit-for-purpose" rules that allow innovators to comply in good faith. 2. Clarify (Reducing Jurisdictional Friction) This pillar focuses on eliminating "regulatory no man's land," particularly between the SEC and the CFTC. • Inter-agency Cooperation: Atkins highlighted a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CFTC to harmonize definitions and oversight. • Mutual Recognition: He suggested that if one agency's framework achieves a comparable outcome, the other should accept it to avoid forcing dually registered firms to navigate redundant requirements. 3. Transform (Streamlining Disclosures & Enforcement) The final pillar aims to conduct a "spring cleaning" of the SEC’s rules to reduce the cost of compliance without sacrificing investor protection. • Materiality as the "North Star": Atkins wants to return to an objective "materiality" standard—disclosing only what a reasonable investor needs to know—rather than subjective information based on curiosity. • Enforcement Shift: The Division of Enforcement will shift focus away from measuring success by the volume of cases or technical violations. Instead, it will prioritize misconduct that causes actual investor harm, such as fraud and market manipulation. • Recordkeeping Reform: He specifically called for a common-sense re-evaluation of off-channel communication rules (Rule 17a-4) and document retention standards. Conclusion Atkins concluded by inviting market participants and legal experts to challenge the Commission’s ideas, emphasizing that transparency and rigorous cost-benefit analysis are essential to ensuring U.S. capital markets remain competitive and innovative. #SEC #PaulAtkins #ACTStrategy #SECSpeaks #CapitalEngine #MalloryCapital Capital Engine® Mallory Capital Group #usareit

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Harnessing the Power of Culture: From Assessment to Roadmap to Transformation Dr. Sydney Savion, Vice Chancellor for People, Culture and Belonging at Vanderbilt University will be joined by Cindy Blikre and Anna Grome, Principals at TiER1 Performance, for an insightful discussion at Hunt Scanlon Media's Culture Awards Forum 'The Culture Edge: Driving Enterprise Performance'. Together, they will share how culture assessments can provide a clear understanding of the current state, inspire a compelling future vision, and guide the creation of an actionable roadmap for transformation. View the agenda here >> https://lnkd.in/eRZ6R3aM #culture #people #leadership #assessment #belonging #talent

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𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗘𝗖 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗔𝗤𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀. The SEC’s Division of Investment Management released FAQs on Jan. 15 that offer helpful clarity on two areas advisers continue to struggle with: net performance presentation and testimonial eligibility. 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝘀. 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀 The staff reaffirmed that “net performance” can be shown using either actual fees or a model fee, but with an important caveat. If the fees charged to the intended audience are expected to be higher than historical actual fees, presenting only actual-fee net performance may be misleading. In those cases, advisers should consider using a model fee that reflects anticipated fees or otherwise clearly illustrate the difference through disclosures or side-by-side presentations. Footnote 590 is not a bright-line rule, but advisers must assess whether the presentation fairly reflects what investors can expect. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗥𝗢 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 The FAQs confirmed it will not recommend enforcement action solely because a compensated endorser was subject to a qualifying SRO final order within the past 10 years, so long as specific conditions are met. Those conditions include no bar or suspension, full compliance with the order, and robust disclosure of the disciplinary history for a 10-year period. This aligns SRO treatment with the Commission’s existing approach to non-barring SEC orders. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: The Marketing Rule is principles-based. Rather than relying on technical interpretations alone., advisers are expected to apply judgment, consider the facts and circumstances of each advertisement, and focus on whether communications are fair, balanced, and not misleading. For firms revisiting their marketing compliance frameworks in 2026, these FAQs reinforce the importance of documentation, disclosure, and deliberate design, not just mechanical compliance. Read the full FAQs: https://lnkd.in/exMcfnX7

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Behavioral science offers valuable insights into employee behavior and attitudes, helping inform strategies to drive lasting change. Fidelity's Better Workplace Outcomes model uses these principles to address the biggest challenges for HR leaders and achieve organizational goals.

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