Some women believe that an important way to change the business world is to have quotas for women on boards of directors. Others disagree— vehemently at times. I’ve sat in rooms and watched the debate go back and forth, and all the while we are distracted from seeing the very real momentum that is building around gaining a better understanding of the world of women and investing.

Indeed, in the course of my own research into women and money, 25 percent of women I have interviewed told me they are investing a sizeable portion of their entire wealth in a business that is directly related to their personal cause.

Ultimately, women want to make a difference. They want to invest in things that are important to them. They are investing in causes, in concepts, and in companies whose values are aligned with theirs.

In this article, in honour of International Women’s Day, I profile three Canadian women and CFA charterholders who have shaped their businesses with this in mind. Their stories help us to get a picture of women’s evolving relationship with money and the role it plays in their lives.

Bonnie Foley-Wong, CFA has come up with the concept of “integrated investing” that incorporates emotion and intuition along with fundamental analysis into her investment research.

“Having worked for over 15 years in finance and investment banking, I wanted to apply my financial and investment skills to something more purposeful that resonated with my values. In 2013, I launched Pique Ventures, a fund investing in ventures that do business in a way that empowers people and has a positive impact while providing investors with a fair return.

“I am building a global alternative investment firm and espousing an integrated investing approach. This means integrating information from analysis, emotion, intuition, and body into our investment decisions. Better outcomes in both financial and social returns derive from the way in which investment decisions are made. I developed an investment methodology for evaluating ventures and investment opportunities for impact and economic potential because I firmly believe that an integrated investing approach is more viable and sustainable in the long term.”

Barbara Gray, CFA has built an investment thesis around “heart and soul” investing— companies that earn profits but also do good things.

“I started Brady Capital Research in 2010 with the mission of creating an innovative qualitative-oriented investment research platform focused on companies with a greater purpose and the ultimate goals of building a community connecting investors with heart-and-soul companies and leading-edge business strategists, and of developing new ways for investors to look at and value companies. On November 15th last year, along with my U.S. partners, we launched the Customer Value Index 200 (CVI 200), a research analysis tool based on my social capital investment thesis, which provides investors with exposure to the top 10 percent of North American listed companies that score the highest in terms of competitive position, social attributes, and authentic core values.

Lally Rementilla, MBA is advising and investing in female entrepreneurs, with a focus on facilitating the capital raising process.

“I was privileged to have been raised by two successful entrepreneurs and investors—my mother and grandmother. Growing up, I saw them build, grow, and diversify their respective businesses, as well as make very astute investments. I witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly through the lens of female entrepreneurs.

A few years ago, after a successful career in strategy and corporate finance in the technology sector, my entrepreneurship genes kicked in. I found myself wanting to dedicate a huge chunk of my time and energy towards investing in female-led companies and leveraging my business experience to help them raise capital and manage their financial performance.