Josh is the Principal at iCubed and joined the SVP Denver Board in November 2022.

Describe the path that brought you to SVP Denver. 

In a nutshell, what brought me to SVP Denver was a former colleague of mine, Russ Williams who invited me to an SVP Denver coffee.  There had been a couple of SVP Denver events at the former Johnson and Wales campus. The whole facility had been retrofitted for culinary social enterprise, and there’s a cafe there – DIRT Coffee. 

So the person who introduced me to SVP Denver was, ironically, someone that I had worked with in a completely unrelated field. I had done finance work in the past through a valuation and due diligence firm that I owned. I had been doing work in Denver primarily for private equity and venture funds for the last 15 years. I sold that firm, and was doing work in the social space with impact investments. This launched me into the work I’m now doing which is diligence related to impact investments for foundations and family offices.

I got a call from Russ Williams, my former colleague, who was now an SVP Denver Partner. He introduced me to SVP Denver through the event at DIRT Coffee and several other people showed up who I recognized, including my work partner, who also happens to be my sister, Janice Fritch. I thought, “Wow, this is a small world.” She was very enthusiastic about SVP Denver and encouraged me to get involved. 

What social mission organization are you involved with that inspires you the most?

I would say that there are two organizations that inspire me a great deal, because I feel like they are themselves inspired.  I’m impressed by their foresight. 

One is the Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation (CHAC) for which I am now a board member. They help first time home buyers with down payments.  It has been around forever. It was funded, in part, by Sam Gary from the Piton Foundation. He understood that there is a dearth of opportunity for first time home buyers and that exists both in the supply side and on the side of overwhelming demand.

So, what are some ways that we can ease that process for first time home buyers in order to begin to build real generational wealth?  Their program is structured as a loan but it has very encouraging strings attached, including financial education to ensure the probability of repayment. The idea here is not to make things difficult by enforcing repayment, but to create controls and accountability, which has a positive effect on other areas of a person’s life. That’s the purpose of home ownership in some ways – creating a piggy bank that serves like a mandatory savings account. By enforcing terms, at the end of the day, it creates the discipline that then bleeds into other parts of a person’s life. 

The other organization is Maiker Housing Partners in Adams County.  I think that the spirit and intent of what they’re trying to accomplish there is so innovative and humane. I can’t overemphasize the human element.  We’ve spent some time with the Maiker team, and I love their commitment to creating a supportive community.  Based on my interaction with their team, it’s clear they are willing to do anything to help alleviate the strain of affordable and unattainable housing in Adams County. 

What’s something new you’ve learned about yourself in the last three months?

I am beginning to discover the value of patience. I’m discovering that I actually possess some degree of patience, and when I embrace it, better things often show-up than what I’d impatiently anticipated.

There have been times recently when I have felt like I have an idea and then I take the time to allow it to incubate – take root somewhere in the ether.  Then it takes shape in ways that I could not have possibly controlled or that I could not have possibly manipulated or forced.

So if you didn’t live in Denver, where in the world would you want to live? 

Aspen. I just love Aspen. But who doesn’t? And then the follow up question is a really basic one. Then why don’t you live in Aspen? The barriers to entry there are so clear and so apparent that they don’t even need to be spoken. With that said, I really love Denver. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

What I am discovering about this impact space is that it is very collaborative. I have never approached someone who I have either felt threatened by or who I have felt as if I am threatening, and that’s been really encouraging. 

The “market” rewards time and experience and I think that SVP Denver rewards enthusiasm and interest – no matter what shape or form it takes. So there’s very little discriminating that takes place. Everyone at SVP Denver has been so thoughtful and considerate in embracing new ideas.  I think that’s a great reflection of the space that we represent which is meant to be collaborative and inclusive.