Erika Karp
Executive Director, Finance Leaders Fellowship
The Aspen Institute
Erika Karp is the Executive Director of the Finance Leaders Fellowship (FLF) at The Aspen Institute, a program dedicated to igniting senior finance leaders around a shared vision of transforming the finance industry. In her capacity, Erika steers the strategic course of the Fellowship, prioritizing opportunity and urgency among the Fellowship’s exceptional group of Fellows. As these finance leaders pursue their professional ambitions, Erika actively seeks to uncover synergies across functions, sectors, and regions, aiming to enhance the trust, breadth, and impact of global institutions on environmental and societal fronts. Chief among her responsibilities is to catalyze action to support new ventures and cultivate a community of values-driven leaders.
Erika joined the Aspen Institute in January 2024 following 25-plus years of experience in finance and capital markets, with leadership roles spanning sustainable and impact investing, investment banking, asset management, and wealth advising. While on Wall Street, Erika developed a deep belief in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis as a critical input to investment decision-making. From this belief stemmed her vision to leverage the system of capitalism towards a more regenerative and inclusive global economy, in part by advocating for the confluence and strategic deployment of financial, human, and natural capital. Erika most recently served as Executive Managing Director and Chief Impact Officer at Pathstone, an $80B family office and investment advisor. Prior to joining Pathstone, Erika was founder and CEO of Cornerstone Capital Group, a sustainable and impact investment advisory firm, which she founded in 2013 and scaled from zero to $1.3B AUM before leading the merger with Pathstone in 2021. Previously, Erika was Managing Director and Head of Global Sector Research at UBS Investment Bank, where she created and chaired the Global Investment Review Committee, served on the UBS Securities Research Executive Committee, and served on the Environmental and Human Rights Committee of the UBS Group Executive Board.
Erika speaks on matters of sustainable investing and finance at venues around the world, including the UN Global Compact, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Wharton School, the New York Stock Exchange, the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, the White House, the Vatican, and many others. Erika was appointed to the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Financing & Capital. She holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BS in Economics from the Wharton School.
Erika lives in Manhattan with her wife Sari who is a Psychoanalyst, and her three daughters. Among her interests are traveling and playing poker. She is currently studying Hebrew and Torah under the tutelage of her youngest daughter.