Robert Wilder - Capitalist Enterprises

Capitalist Enterprises

In 2004, Wilder created the WilderHill Clean Energy Index (ECO), which tracks solar, wind and other low-carbon energy technology companies. A year later, the mutual fund company Powershares Capital Management launched the WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio exchange-traded fund (AMEX: PBW), which mirrors the performance of the ECO index. As of August 2008, PBW held about $1.4 billion in net assets. Wilder describes the philosophy behind quantifying funds by environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues: "This generation tends to be financially sophisticated as seen in the growth of low-cost, no-load funds. They now seek fund holdings that better reflect positives such as clean energy, organic foods and healthier living along with low expenses, transparency, less correlation to major indexes and better tax efficiency. And they shouldn't have to give up any performance in the aim of achieving good returns with social responsibility to boot."

The success of Wilder's index and fund has led other similar indexes to be launched. NASDAQ now has its Clean Edge U.S. Index and ETF, Dow Jones has its Sustainability Index, and Standard & Poor's this year launched green indexes of its own.

The PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy fund was voted the best Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on Wall Street for 2007 by Motley Fool and as the most innovative ETF for 2006 by Capital Link's "ETF Awards". Dr. Wilder was recognized by the San Diego Regional Energy Office with their "Outstanding Individual Achievement" for his clean energy work in 2006.