Anna Stumpf

By 2050, Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S. are projected to double — from about 7 million people today to nearly 14 million. Globally, dementia cases are expected to triple, topping 150 million. That’s not an abstract number. It means almost every CPA firm will be touched by this issue through clients, colleagues or family members. Why start a conversation about burnout with Alzheimer’s? Because the link is closer than most realize.

To some in the business world and on Wall Street, the growing expectation that one must pair “doing good” with “doing business” – described by terms like “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) and “environmental social and corporate governance” (ESG) – feels like being told to eat more fiber. A firm’s leaders may genuinely care about social and environmental issues. They may be actively involved in philanthropic projects to address environmental and social problems.

Institutional investors always are looking to increase profits and mitigate risk. The growth of data has introduced the ability to manage new risks, and with the rise of socially responsible investing, one of the newest risks investors can weigh is social impact. Traditional risk management has been a reactive and defensive exercise, notes Amit Sharma, co-founder, Empowerment Capital.