In this episode of Your Wealth Matters, Maria Dawes meets with Gerard Feliciano, Capstone’s Director of Business Development, to discuss his journey, passion for faith-based investing, and vision for the future. Learn how Gerard is helping investors align their finances with their faith in meaningful ways.
Maria Dawes (Portfolio Manager): Welcome to Your Wealth Matters! I’m Maria Dawes, Portfolio Manager at Capstone Asset Management, today we have a special guest with us, and we’re very thankful to have Gerard Feliciano Director of Business Development at Capstone Asset Management, taking the time out of his busy day to chat to us so, Gerard, first off, can you tell us a little bit of your background and what brought you to Capstone?
Gerard Feliciano (Director of Business Development): Hi Maria, and to all the viewers we have here! My name is Gerad Feliciano, thank you for having me Maria. My background spans over 20 years of business development, in sales and leadership across different industries. Particularly, financial services, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. So, my career started at a company called Merck which is a pharmaceutical company, I quickly moved into leadership roles, building strong teams and new distribution channels.
My career journey transitioned when I moved to Canada into financial services taking on leadership roles at insurance and investment firms. A big part of my success has been due to working closely with sales teams, improving client experiences and driving business growth. I love building relationships, coaching teams and helping businesses align their financial strategies with their goals.
So, my current role here at Capstone now as a Director of Business Development is focused on growing our reach and strengthening our partnerships. What drew me to Capstone—and is still drawing me closer to what it means—is its value-driven approach, the approach to investing is not just about returns but also about impact.
Introducing Faith-Based Investing at Capstone
Maria Dawes: Thanks so much, Gerard, that’s great, what is one exciting project or initiative that we’re currently working on, that you're excited about?
Gerard Feliciano: I’m glad you asked Maria, Capstone has been in an incredible growth mode, driven by our innovative products and funds. So, In Canada, more investors have become familiar with socially responsible investment solutions, and we are refining this by introducing faith-based investment solutions. So these faith-based investment solutions are what I consider to be a game-changer as these funds will be accessible to a broad range of investors, particularly to those who would like to align their values with their investments.
This is more than just another investment option—it has the potential to reshape how we can handle money, wealth, and stewardship in Canada. Capstone has been leading in the space where we’re at the forefront of faith-based investing in Canada. ESG has been in Canada for some time now but, specific funds that align with faith-based values are quite new. We’re not just providing these funds; we desire to raise awareness and lead the way for more people to connect faith with their investments. It’s an exciting time as we help investors grow their wealth while staying true to their values.
Maria Dawes: Yeah! It’s exciting, something new for us, maybe not entirely new, we’ve spent some time in the investing impact world, so this is just a more specific angle that we’re exploring. So, why don’t we talk a little about you personally, what is something you are personally looking forward to in your role this year?
Looking Ahead: Faith, Finance, and a Greater Purpose
Gerard Feliciano: That’s a great question, I’m excited for the year ahead because it’s incredible to see how doors have opened for me here at Capstone. This year, I’m most excited about helping more investors align their finances with their faith in a meaningful way. As I mentioned, Capstone is trying to lead the way in faith-based investing, and trying to provide more options for our investors, and I see this as an opportunity to help change the way people think about money—not just as a tool for wealth, but as a way to honour our faith in God and make an impact.
In my role, it’s more than just business development—it’s about helping people find purpose in their investments and encouraging them to trust in God’s provision. I truly believe we are just getting started, and I’m excited to see where this year takes us.
Maria Dawes: Thanks, Gerard! I think that we have been on this journey for a while, and we’ve introduced the Capstone Stewardship Extension Fund, which is related to mortgages to non-profits. We’ve also introduced the Capstone Kinvest Impact Fund which is providing poverty relief in Rwanda. So, we’ve walked this road a little bit already, it's exciting to see what will happen in the future. We definitely appreciate your role here at Capstone and your time with us here today, so, thanks for coming!
Gerard Feliciano: Absolutely, thank you very much!
Maria Dawes: To our viewers, we hope you enjoyed this version of Your Wealth Matters, we look forward to seeing you again. Just as a reminder, our next video will be our quarterly economic review. Every couple of months we release an in-depth review of the economy, our investment performance, and a review of funds. This is usually a bit of a longer session, so please stay tuned for that. I know a lot is going on in the world and almost every day we have a news release, so you don’t want to miss it!
Gerard Feliciano: Yeah, stay tuned for that and don’t forget to subscribe, bye!
If you’re interested in learning more about faith-based investing or how to align your financial strategies with your values, Capstone Asset Management is here to help. Connect with our team for personalized guidance, and stay tuned for the next episode of Your Wealth Matters, where we continue exploring meaningful ways to grow and protect your wealth.