# What and Why?

You might be thinking "Why am I here?" "What is the purpose in life?" Oh sorry, wrong group! Now that you're here, you might be thinking "I want to make an impact, but I have no idea where to start?" Well, this is your ultimate guide to shareholder activism and where you fit in!

## But I don't even know what shareholder activism is!?

Many of the companies that we are familiar with are publicly held, meaning that regular everyday people can own part of a company. In most cases, publicly traded companies are majority-owned by institutional investors, but about 37% of those shares are held by households (US Federal Reserve/Financial Accounts of the United States). <mark style="color:green;background-color:green;">**If typical households or retail investors (aka everyday people) can own part of a company, that also means everyday people also have a say in how a company should operate or pursue a certain course of action.**</mark>

## Why is shareholder activism important?

The importance of shareholder activism follows along with our global trends for change. In recent years, <mark style="color:green;background-color:green;">**Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)**</mark> issues have become a key focus of many companies and increasingly for many shareholders who want to ensure their investments are also doing "good" in the world. Influence, particularly when money is involved, can be a major driver for a course of action. While shareholder activism can focus on any number of topics that may call for change within companies, ESG and sustainability courses of action are increasing focus areas. As we face the climate crisis, we can <mark style="color:green;background-color:green;">**influence companies to make changes to align with global concerns for our climate and people.**</mark>&#x20;


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