Formative will serve advisors by combining deep asset management capabilities, community infrastructure, and operational support. By integrating YourStake’s technology, Formative aims to enhance its existing investment offerings and establish a tech-powered team to support advisors across financial planning, operations, marketing, tax, estate, and private impact investing.

Gabe Rissman, co-founder of YourStake, stated, “Modern advisors strive to serve the needs of their clients across their financial lives, and we heard demand from our community for a holistic partner in that mission.”YourStake was established in 2019 with the goal of enabling financial advisors to implement values-aligned investing at scale. Initially focusing on impact analytics and personalized portfolio construction, the platform later expanded into a broader AI-driven solution as advisor needs evolved. Rissman explained, “YourStake matured in two directions — deep and broad. We went deep in values-based investing with our collaboration with First Affirmative while building technology for advisors who wanted to offer the highest degree of personalization. And we went broad because advisors want more than a point solution. They need something that works across the full context of the client relationship.”YourStake will continue to operate as an independent technology company serving the broader advisory market, maintaining an information barrier between YourStake and Formative. Patrick Reed, co-founder of YourStake, noted, “Formative is our most comprehensive implementation of the YourStake platform. Every workflow we refine through Formative makes the technology sharper for every advisor using YourStake.”First Affirmative, an early adopter of YourStake’s technology, has over 35 years of experience developing investment programs and values-aligned portfolio management capabilities for financial advisors and their clients. The firm manages nearly $1 billion in assets and has built its reputation on rigorous investment discipline and a shared philosophy that underpins its advisor network.

The two firms previously collaborated on VADIS, a values-aligned direct indexing solution, which has grown to $330 million in Assets Under Management (AUM) and tripled in size over the past two years. This partnership fostered the conviction and trust leading to the current acquisition.

Rissman commented, “First Affirmative created a community with real integrity and mission focus. Advisors consistently told us they wanted to preserve the culture but needed more modern infrastructure, more done-for-you support, and a cohesive platform to help them grow.”George Gay, CEO of First Affirmative since 1986, confirmed that the transaction addresses these needs. “We haven’t wavered from the mission that has always defined this community. Now, we’ve enhanced our ability to deliver on it, giving advisors the modern infrastructure and support they need to grow without losing the investment expertise, culture, and values that brought them here.”The new name, Formative, is intended to carry this legacy forward. Rissman elaborated, “Formative is First Affirmative with fewer letters, but it also captures what we’re building. The advisors we serve build deep relationships rooted in their clients’ formative experiences. And the capital they steward can be transformative.”