Corporate Boardrooms Are America's New Battleground

The fight over the direction of the country has moved from elections and national protests to the annual meetings of big American companies.

At Merck's annual meeting this year, an event where shareholders vote on the company's most pressing topics, a conservative group proposed ending the company's diversity programs. The proposal failed with just 1 percent support, but it forced the CEO to publicly defend a point of view that was once uncontroversial.

This wasn't an isolated incident. Anti-diversity proposals have surged over the last five years, with almost 50 resolutions filed this year demanding companies stop work on diversity.

The strategy isn't about winning, these resolutions average just 2 percent support. Instead, they're campaigns designed to generate media attention and normalize these actions.

As an investor, you are entitled to a voice and a vote. These shareholder votes have been a powerful tool for sustainability advocates for decades, from pressing carmakers to improve safety to holding oil companies accountable for their pollution.

These tactics work. Just as we've seen companies progress toward better accountability, they are now quietly backtracking on diversity to avoid these public fights.

By investing with Illuminate, we vote across all the companies in your portfolio to fight back.

When you choose where to invest, you are choosing your future world. Only invest in the future you want to see.