About Me
WELCOME! I’m EJ Elena Shin - a New Yorker, global impact investor, and systems architect at the intersection of institutional finance, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
Capital as a Regenerative Force
I believe capital, when deployed with integrity, is both a driver of risk-adjusted returns and a regenerative force—unlocking value for investors, communities, ecosystems, and future generations. My work bridges financial performance with resilience, proving that commercial success and impact are not at odds, but are levers for scalable transformation in the long term.
Track Record: BlackRock, Aviva, and Beyond
Over the past decade (12+ years), I have held leadership roles at BlackRock and Aviva Investors, guiding trillions in AUM toward performance-driven, sustainability-aligned outcomes.
I’ve worked across ESG integration, traditional/sustainable investing, and decarbonization—building strategies that bridge financial performance with resilience.
A Global Lens Shaped by Diplomacy and Pilgrimage
My global perspective is informed by a cross-cultural upbringing in South Korea, North America, and Europe, and by early proximity to diplomacy and systems leadership. My father, a South Korean diplomat and Vice Minister of Unification, helped design the Sunshine Policy under President Kim Dae-jung—efforts that contributed to a Nobel Peace Prize. Raised among UN diplomats and global policy leaders, I developed fluency in discretion, cross-cultural sensitivity, and the unspoken codes of high-level negotiation. This was further shaped by field trips and pilgrimages to 60+ countries.
From Wall Street boardrooms and London family offices to multilateral forums and the Vatican, I’ve witnessed how capital, influence, and policy converge behind closed doors. This background continues to shape my approach to finance: precise, strategic, and globally attuned.
Fun fact: Living with German and Israeli host families in Canada and New York City during the formative years also deepened my appreciation for cultural nuance and the power of dialogue across differences. Early exposure to diplomatic security protocols gave me an intuitive grasp of discretion, cross-cultural sensitivity, and the unspoken codes of high-level negotiation.
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
On a personal level, I have been on the impact investing journey for 22+ years. My long-term vision is to establish a foundation dedicated to building a living sanctuary that integrates land conservation, community healing, and animal stewardship—a practical blueprint for what sustainable legacy can look like in action.
To me, capital isn’t merely a financial tool—it’s a sacred catalyst. A force that moves through systems, shapes legacies, and carries the potential to build a more conscious, regenerative future.
If you are working toward similar goals, or seeking to shape the future of finance with both impact and soul, I would welcome the opportunity 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.
About Obsidian Odyssey
Obsidian Odyssey is my living notebook—a place where markets, meaning, and memory converge. It is both an intellectual exercise and a personal archive: a way to translate years of institutional investor experience into insights that are accessible, practical, and deeply human.
But more than that, it is a gathering space. I share my reflections, questions, and discoveries here—not as final answers, but as contributions to an ongoing conversation. My hope is that Obsidian Odyssey becomes a place where people also feel welcome to bring their perspectives, experiences, and ideas, so that together we can explore what it means to build wealth, leadership, and lives of meaning in our time.
Here, I am building five pillars of exploration:
1. Personal Finance & Market Insights
I have been paying attention to global capital markets since 2007, when my internships in Wall Street and Seoul first opened the door. But my earliest images go back even further—childhood memories of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis in South Korea: the fall of the won vs. the dollar, the “금모으기 운동” gold collection campaign, and the shocking sight of once-mighty companies collapsing overnight, CEOs becoming homeless on the streets. Later came the dot-com bubble and the arrival of the internet era, which carried its own wave of exuberance and collapse. I didn't know much about finance, but the question always remained in me - why things are the way they are in the world?
By the time I entered university in New York City, I was watching the 2008 Global Financial Crisis unfold just a few blocks away from Wall Street—sometimes from the vantage point of my classroom, other times during my internship in Wall Street. To see the epicenter of the financial world shaken so violently, and to witness the ripple effects across families, economies, and countries, was formative.
These experiences—first as a child, then as a student, and later as a young professional—left deep imprints. They sparked a lifelong fascination with finance and a habit of asking questions about resilience, crisis, and change. Today, I weave those early observations with the lessons of legendary investors and mentors, translating institutional perspectives into insights for personal finance—sharing perspectives on wealth-building in an age of uncertainty and paradigm shifts such as AI, geopolitics, and stablecoins.
2. Sustainable & Impact Investing
The second pillar focuses on the transition toward a more regenerative economy. This includes the energy transition, innovative climate technologies, and a just transition that keeps nature, communities, and humanity at the center of capital flows. Drawing on my experience in global asset management, I want to open conversations about how capital can deliver returns while also strengthening resilience, dignity, and long-term stewardship.
3. Leadership
I believe we learn best by studying those who have walked ahead. In this section, I gather lessons from across domains—finance, academia, politics, government, and technology. Leadership is not just about power, but about clarity of vision, endurance, and the courage to hold paradoxes in volatile times.
4. Conscious Living
Obsidian Odyssey is also about life as a marathon, not a sprint. We are living in an era of expanding longevity—many of us may live to 100. Conscious living means balancing ambition with restoration, striving with stillness, markets with meaning. It is about building a life that is not only successful, but also sustainable, fulfilling, and true—one that becomes both a gift and a legacy for future generations.
5. Artificial Intelligence
We are living through one of the most significant paradigm shifts in history. Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, societies, and the very nature of work and creativity. This pillar is where I share what I am learning and discovering about AI—from its impact on finance to its role in human life—so that together we can reflect, co-create, and discuss how to shape a future that is both innovative and humane.
🔶 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.
💌 Why Subscribe?
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.
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.
🌅Inspirations for this website:
