About Me

Hi, welcome to Obsidian Odyssey! I’m EJ Elena Shin — a New Yorker, global impact investor, and systems architect with over 12+ years of experience at the intersection of institutional finance, sustainability, and long-term value creation.

Capital as a Regenerative Force

I believe that when deployed with integrity, capital can be a regenerative force—unlocking value not just for investors, but for communities, ecosystems, and future generations.

Track Record: BlackRock, Aviva, and Beyond

Over the past 12+ years (22+ years on a mission journey), I’ve worked across ESG integration, sustainable investing, and decarbonization—building strategies that bridge financial performance with resilience. I’ve held leadership roles at firms like BlackRock and Aviva Investors, helping guide trillions in AUM toward performance-driven and sustainablity-aligned outcomes.

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As a founding ESG architect at BlackRock, I helped pioneer institutional ESG strategy across private and public markets over a decade between New York and London. In roles spanning portfolio manager, sustainable investing specialist, and lead climate researcher, I worked directly with the Head of EMEA and global CIOs—stewarding over $2-3 trillion in AUM—alongside sovereign wealth funds, insurers, endowments, pension funds, and family offices to align capital with the energy transition, sustainability goals, and long-duration impact. Most recently, as Head of Climate Solutions at Aviva Investors, scaling net-zero and impact strategies across private and public markets. Now, an impact investor. For more, check out my LinkedIn.

A Global Lens Shaped by Diplomacy and Pilgrimage

My perspective is global—shaped by a cross-cultural upbringing in South Korea, North America, and Europe, and informed by both high-level institutions and personal pilgrimages across 60+ countries.

From Wall Street boardrooms and London family offices to multilateral forums and the Vatican, I’ve seen how influence moves behind closed doors—where capital, strategy, and global decisions were made.

To me, capital isn’t just a financial tool—it’s a sacred catalyst. A force that flows through systems, shapes legacies, and carries the potential to build a more conscious, regenerative future.

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Rooted in a diplomatic and cross-cultural upbringing, I was raised among UN diplomats and global policy leaders. My worldview has been shaped by time with German and Israeli host families in Canada and New York City, as well as a lineage of public service that traces back to 57 B.C. in Korea.

What is Obsidian Odyssey

Obsidian Odyssey is a thought leadership platform for capital allocators, institutional investors, and next-generation leaders reimagining finance in an era of climate change, AI disruption, and planetary transition.

We explore the structural, ethical, and spiritual implications of investing—from regenerative finance and nature-based solutions to conscious living and systemic repair.

If you're asking how to align performance with purpose, you're in the right place.

A Glimpse Into the Future

My long-term vision is to create a foundation that supports the development of a living sanctuary for land restoration, community healing, and animal stewardship—a blueprint for what sustainable legacy can look like in practice.

If you're dreaming into similar spaces or looking to shape the future of finance with soul, I’d love to connect.

Welcome aboard!

With deep gratitude and warm regards,
EJ Elena Shin

🔷 What Is This Platform?

Obsidian Odyssey is a strategic sanctuary and global platform—bridging finance, systems thinking, and consciousness to design a more just, sustainable future.

👉 Read About Obsidian Odyssey

🔶 Why Join the Community?

Because this is where next-generation thinkers gather—not just to network, but to redesign the systems that shape our world.
It’s free, private, and rooted in purpose.

🔶 How to Get Involved

Subscribe to the newsletter. Read or contribute to the blog. Pass along to your family, friends, and colleagues. Join future digital salons, gatherings, and retreats.
Come as you are; leave more whole.

Because you’re done with noise.
Each edition delivers signal: grounded insight, soul-fueled finance, and high-frequency reflections on where the world is heading.

Welcome to the Odyssey.

📬 To collaborate or contribute, please connect via LinkedIn.

🌀 Mission

To co-create a just, inclusive, and sustainable world—on Earth and beyond. 🌍✨

⚠️ Disclaimer

All views expressed are personal and do not represent any employer or affiliated institution. This platform is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

II. Long version. 🧐 If you have time and really want to get to know me. 🙂 I warned you - it’s long!

My dream is to create a society where people can THRIVE as their true selves and find inner peace through harmony with nature. To do this, I’m pursuing solutions through finance, knowing that we live in a capital-driven world. I aim to bridge the public and private sectors to shape a financial system that reflects human values and respects all living beings.

I have been looking for YOU. Partners and co-creators and the community of like-minded people, to build a more sustainable and equitable future.

🪐My journey thus far:

I've been on a mission-driven path for most of my life. It began when I was just four years old and pitched the idea of studying abroad to my parents, telling them I needed the best education possible to help people.

After nearly a decade of persistence, I left my birth country of South Korea to study in Toronto, Canada. I lived with a German host family, followed by a Jewish host family (not at the same time), and attended a gifted program focused on astronomy and quantum physics. Later, I moved to New York City and studied politics, international relations, and finance at NYU.

I landed my first job at BlackRock in NYC and spent the next decade growing there across New York and London. I wore many hats—multi-asset portfolio manager, global sustainable investing specialist, and ESG/climate integration lead. I partnered with institutional investors across the U.S., EMEA, Latin America, and Asia—co-creating investment strategies, designing ESG frameworks, and speaking at industry forums and lectures, including Cambridge University. I also authored thought leadership pieces on ESG policy, regulation, and portfolio construction.

(For more on my professional background, feel free to connect on LinkedIn.)

Before my asset management career, I explored various fields to find my true calling. I interned with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in South Korea, working on national security and ODA; with the International Vaccine Institute (a UN affiliate); and with several NGOs. I initially imagined becoming a diplomat or a human rights lawyer at the UN. But after witnessing how many good ideas failed due to lack of funding, I pivoted. I wanted to redirect capital—toward sustainable development, toward people, and toward systems that work.

To learn the financial system from the inside out, I interned in investment banking (M&A), private equity, and fixed income portfolio management in both NYC and Seoul.

I’ve also continued studying while working full-time—driven by a desire to contribute to shaping the blueprint for humanity’s future. I completed a Sustainability Master’s Certificate at Harvard University (3-year on-campus program), an Economic Development Certificate through LSE and the University of Cape Town, and an Executive Leadership Certificate at Oxford Saïd Business School.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve traveled to 60+ countries on pilgrimages and professional journeys—seeking models of governance, societal resilience, and meaning. I’ve become a quiet observer of humanity. These experiences have shaped not just how I think, but who I am.

As Maya Angelou said, “I come as one, but I stand as 10,000.”

🛰️Why I created this website:

“Memento Mori – remember your mortality.” — Marcus Aurelius

I’ve always been on a spiritual quest to find life’s purpose—aware that our time here is finite. While at university, I considered renouncing the world to meditate in the Himalayas and pursue spiritual enlightenment full-time (you can imagine how thrilled my parents were 😄). But I realized that fulfilling my mission required collaboration, connection, and community.

As we navigate a post-COVID world, I find myself asking deeper questions about what it means to be human, and how we can use our talents, tools, and capital to build something better.

This platform is my way of creating space—for dialogue, learning, and bold new ideas. I want to connect with people across finance, science, academia, entrepreneurship, and the creative arts. If you’re thinking about the future, reimagining what’s possible, or simply searching for a more thoughtful way forward, you’re in the right place.

Let’s build it—together.

💗My intentions for this space are three-fold:

Documentation + Community + Healing

I want to share my journey and connect with like-minded people from around the world. The saying goes “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Additionally, I hope this space can be a healing place for anyone, regardless of their background or labels. While I don't have all the answers, I want to share my journey and mistakes to spare others unnecessary pain and suffering. As a species, we evolve by learning from each other. Each of us is on our own hero's journey, and I look forward to learning about yours. Please come and say hello!

😊A few rules of engagement:

Positive vibes only. No egos. Be kind. Remember your mortality. This is a safe space. Share knowledge, laughter, and optimism. SHINE YOUR LIGHT AND SMILE! If you're feeling down, observe and let this community inspire you. Let's help each other regain strength and energy.