The Story of Avivar
Passion. Partnership. Purpose.
In Spanish, Avivar is a verb. It means to fuel, to enliven, to revive. The story of Avivar Capital begins here, with the personal spark that each of us brings to the work. Our passion ignites action and lights the way for impact investors to make meaningful change in the world.
From our Roots to Today
Tina Castro and Lisa Richter met in their work for The California Endowment in 2008, and have been partners in impact investment ever since. Tina was working fulltime to develop the TCE investment portfolio, while Lisa was consulting on the project through her firm GPS Capital Partners.
Instantly, they knew they wanted to do more—and that they could do it together.
Though they come from very different backgrounds, Tina and Lisa bonded in their work. Tina is the daughter of Cuban refugees who made enormous sacrifices to provide her a better life. Though Tina wasn’t raised in the business world, her drive to make the most of her opportunities led her to earn an MBA and focus on ways that her work in finance could help others.
Lisa grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in a neighborhood that was rapidly changing. Her parents were medical professionals who refused to abandon their community at the height of white flight, and Lisa absorbed their core principles and fairness and service. Her first job was not in finance but as a music teacher on the South Side, where she saw first-hand how the lack of resources created devastating outcomes for her students.
In their work together, Tina appreciated Lisa’s experience and enthusiastic mentorship. Lisa recognized Tina’s talent and passion, and encouraged her to start her own impact investment firm. Lisa pulled back the curtain to reveal what was possible, and Tina took that advice and founded Avivar Capital in 2014.
From the get-go, Tina and Lisa collaborated on projects, and in 2015 they formally merged their businesses under Avivar Capital to move forward together. With complementary skills and a shared vision and values, Tina and Lisa positioned Avivar to use investment capital to solve some of the most entrenched challenges of our era.
