Ken LaRoe is the CEO and Founder of Climate First Bank, the world's first climate-focused, FDIC-insured commercial bank with a mission to fight the climate crisis. He is an eco-entrepreneur who has devoted his life to environmental activism and building sustainable businesses.
LaRoe has successfully founded three banks, including First Green Bank and his latest venture – Climate First Bank, which he founded in 2020. The bank offers digital banking options for people across the nation looking to bank ethically and sustainably, while also servicing Floridians in person. Its specialized loan products for solar panels, EV charging and energy efficient solutions help account holders cut their carbon footprint. As CEO, LaRoe has led the bank to achieve more than $60M in solar funding.
While imperfect, America’s free enterprise system has powered a strong, innovative, formerly best-in-the-world economy. Consumers have a greater voice — determining which companies fail or succeed …
“Gov. DeSantis and his cohorts have presented HB-003 and a companion Senate bill that are weaponizing ESG to be something that it is not. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a set of principles that companies can practice to become a well-rounded organization that is appealing to socially conscious investors as well as consumers. The bill would ‘block the use of ESG in all investment decisions’ and will issue sanctions against values-based financial institutions for upholding their ESG practices – unjustly labelling them as unfair, deceptive and unsound. With consumers today demanding that companies act responsibly, many banks have adopted ESG priorities because it makes financial sense and is the right thing to do. By barring ESG this bill is punishing banks for doing good and conducting business in a responsible way that aligns with their values.” – Ken LaRoe, CEO and Founder of Climate First Bank, 2023