Environmental, Social, and Governance
Due to the content creation process relying principally on intellectual and creative (versus physical) inputs, the risk and scope of environmental impact are low relative to other sectors.
However, the potential social impact of our portfolio companies on popular culture is tremendous, and this is what Dogma Capital Industries, LLC chooses as a primary area of ESG focus.
Culture, and the digital media channels that amplify and drive it, are ever- and fast-evolving; hence, our ESG policies must adapt to this landscape. We continue to augment and refine our ESG policies, but they can broadly be categorized as follows:
Exclusionary screens (for example pornography, gambling, and tobacco),
Positive amplification (for example: democratizing the creation of, or access to, content and strengthening diversity in content creation), and
Ongoing measurement and improvement (for example portfolio company performance assessment).
The first two initiatives above facilitate an optimal approach to portfolio company selection, the latter facilitates ongoing operational optimization.
While we exercise our influence as shareholders and board members of portfolio companies, we recognize that management alignment and support of our ESG practices and policies are key for effective implementation. As such, a key factor we consider in “positive amplification” is to back management teams who have a track record and history of good business practice and low controversy. In addition, we seek to invest in companies where the management team shows a willingness to embrace good ESG practices. Within this framework, we rely on building healthy and durable relationships with portfolio company managers, which in turn allows for open dialogue regarding the often fraught and uncomfortable topic of cultural impact.
Finally, we rely on the input of diverse thought leaders in shaping discussion regarding the cultural impact of Dogma Capital Industries, LLC’s portfolio companies.
These leaders can speak credibly to differences in lived experiences and, hence, form a strong and necessary core for such dialogue.