BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON
For Ana Olaya, values are not separate from financial planning. They are part of it. As a vegan financial professional — a term used to describe wealth managers or consultants who adhere to vegan principles in life and career — Olaya brings together experience in finance, impact investing, and environmental work with a commitment to animal welfare and sustainability.
She works with clients who want their financial lives to reflect more than numbers on a page. For many, that means looking closely at where their money goes, what it supports, and whether or not their investments align with the kind of future they want to help build.
Here, Olaya shares what vegan financial advising means, why clients seek it out, and how money can reflect personal values.
For those who may not be familiar with the term, what does a vegan financial advisor do?
I help people and organizations invest in ways that are consistent with their values. For a vegan client or animal nonprofit, that may mean building a portfolio that avoids activities they do not agree with, such as factory farming, animal testing, or products that harm animals.
At the end of the day, I do what every good financial advisor does: help people and organizations make better decisions about money. For clients with deeply held ethical values, that means making choices that stay true to those values.
At first glance, veganism and financial planning may seem like two separate worlds. How do those values come together in your work?
Values-aligned investing asks, “What if the way we invest reflects the kind of world we want to create from the beginning?” My role is not to tell people what their values should be. It is to help them invest in a way that is consistent with the values they already have, whether that is animal welfare, social justice, or environmental sustainability. My approach still uses fundamental principles of finance, including long-term wealth building, risk management, and goals-based planning.
When you’re helping someone build a portfolio, what kinds of companies or practices are you looking to avoid, and what kinds are you hoping to support?
Some people assume vegan investing means investing only in alternative food companies. But putting all of your investments into a single company is not generally a sound strategy. It is more of a risky bet.
From my perspective, a better approach is one that excludes cruelty and is built on diversification and quality. So for a vegan portfolio, that means avoiding companies tied to animal food production, leather or fur, animal testing, or breeding animals for entertainment. I also look at broader issues, including human rights violations and prison labor.
Why do clients usually seek you out? Are they specifically looking for a vegan advisor, or are they more broadly looking for someone who understands values-based investing?
It is a mix, but many clients have been vegan or vegetarian for years and eventually wonder whether their investments can reflect those same values. They search for terms like “cruelty-free investing” or “vegan financial advisor,” not always knowing if that exists, and they’re excited to discover that it does.
What do you hope people take away from your work about the connection between money, personal values, and impact?
People seek out values-aligned investing because they want to create a financial path that feels more coherent with the world they envision. I am here to be a partner in that.
To learn more, visit www.uncagedimpact.com or email ana@uncagedimpact.com.
