In entrepreneurial circles throughout the world, there is a lot of chatter about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)—17 goals to address some of the world’s most challenging socioeconomic, environmental and lifestyle issues. And that’s due in no small part to the work of Vanderbilt Financial CEO and EO New York Chapter President Steve Distante.

In 2015, inspired by Elon Musk and the story of Tesla, Steve was searching for a way to shore up his personal and professional commitment to being the change he wanted to see in the world. At the same time, the United Nations was unveiling its SDGs. The timing was kismet.

Steve began using these wide-reaching global goals as a guide to aligning his life and business with a greater purpose. He rebranded Vanderbilt Financial as an impact investment broker firm, ensured that his company headquarters were environmentally sustainable via Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and became an outspoken advocate for the UN SDGs. Steve started his advocacy work at the EO chapter level and slowly ramped up his efforts over the years.