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William Michael Cunningham

Economist at Creative Investment Research

WASHINGTON, United States

William Michael Cunningham (@Creativeinv) delivers compelling and thought-provoking presentations. He is recognized for his prescient economic and social forecasts and for creating one of the first ESG investment vehicles to drive positive social change while generating above average returns. In 1993, he warned regulators about the "Nigerian Scam." In 1995, he warned about the risk of megabank mergers, a risk which, twenty years later, the merger partners acknowledged. In 2012, he wrote one of the first books on crowdfunding. In 2016, he noted that "our Fully Adjusted Return Forecast** indicates that, over time, things will get much, much worse....." under the incoming Administration.

Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Washington, DC
Speaking Topics: ESG, Diversity and Inclusion, Economics, Impact Investing

William Michael Cunningham Points
Academic 0
Author 243
Influencer 77
Speaker 0
Entrepreneur 0
Total 320

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Company
Business Unit: Creative Investment Research
Theatre: North America and Europe
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Average Hourly Rate: $200-$300
Number of Employees: 1-10
Company Founded Date: 1989
Media Experience: 20 years
Last Media Interview: 01/04/2023

Areas of Expertise

Blockchain 30.05
Business Strategy 35.66
Climate Change
Coaching
Cryptocurrency 30.63
CSR
Digital Disruption 30.05
Diversity and Inclusion 45.04
Entrepreneurship 34.67
Finance 32.23
FinTech 30.05
Generative AI
Innovation 30.10
National Security 31.07
Social 30.11
Startups 39.18
Sustainability

Industry Experience

Federal & Public Sector
Financial Services & Banking
Other
Professional Services
Real Estate

Publications

1 Analyst Report
Unleashing the Power of Sustainable Investments: Discover New Frontiers for Responsible Growth
Creative Investment Research
June 07, 2023
We understand the importance of staying informed and having access to reliable research and insights. That's why we have partnered with Research and Markets, a leading provider of industry reports and analysis, to bring you a selection of highly recommended reports:

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

13 Article/Blogs
Response to the Fifth Circuit Court’s Ruling on Nasdaq’s Diversity Rules
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December 19, 2024
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Tags: Business Strategy, Cryptocurrency, Diversity and Inclusion

Analysis of the Implications for Minority Businesses: November 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI)
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December 19, 2024
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Tags: Business Strategy, Cryptocurrency, Diversity and Inclusion

Using #Bitcoin to Finance Black Women
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December 19, 2024
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Tags: Business Strategy, Cryptocurrency, Diversity and Inclusion

November Unemployment Data Shows Progress for Asians, Hispanics, Retrenchment for Blacks
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December 19, 2024
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Tags: Business Strategy, Cryptocurrency, Diversity and Inclusion

A small-dollar business lending scheme finds a niche at Huntington. American Banker Newspaper. 11.22.24
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December 19, 2024
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Tags: Business Strategy, Cryptocurrency, Diversity and Inclusion

Anti DEI Efforts Lead to Higher Black Unemployment in March
Creative Investment Research
April 06, 2024
From January 2023 to March 2024, the unemployment rate for whites remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 3.1% and 3.5%. For Black individuals, the unemployment rate initially increased from 5.4% to 5.8% in November 2023 before decreasing to 5.2% in December 2023. The rate reached 6.4% in March 2024.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Finance, Social

Elon, ESG and DEI
Creative Investment Research
January 27, 2024
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, recently made headlines with critical remarks about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and his stance on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These comments have ignited a firestorm of debate, raising questions about Musk and the broader implications of his views.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion

The Navy Federal discrimination case should be a lesson for banks
American Banker Newspaper
January 10, 2024
Navy Federal, the largest credit union in the U.S., is currently facing a lawsuit over a report that it has been rejecting more than half of applications for conventional mortgages by Black borrowers while approving applications for white borrowers with similar income and debt levels.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Finance

The SEC's crackdown on Binance and Coinbase is misguided
American Banker Newspaper
June 08, 2023
Rather than viewing cryptocurrency as a threat, regulators, financial institutions and society at large should embrace this opportunity to redefine the future of finance in a way that serves everyone, writes William Michael Cunningham, founder of Creative Investment Research.

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Tags: Blockchain, Digital Disruption, FinTech

Rethinking Federal Reserve Policy in a Post-Covid Economy: From Interest Rates to Corporate Profits
Creative Investment Research
June 02, 2023
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to transform our world, including the economy, in profound ways. A significant shift has occurred in the relationship between unemployment and inflation, often described by the Phillips Curve. Unlike traditional understandings of this curve where low unemployment often leads to high inflation, the post-pandemic era has demonstrated a significant alteration in this relationship.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

A Comprehensive Approach to Mass Shootings
Blogger
April 15, 2023
Here's a comprehensive approach to mass shootings.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

Maternal Health Financing Facility for Black Women: A Solution to an Urgent Problem
Blogger
April 12, 2023
Creative Investment Research (CIR) is among the organizations that believe there is a solution to the problem. Through our proposed impact investing vehicle, the Maternal Health Financing Facility for Black Women (MHFFBW), we aim to tackle the mortality gap and support Black women during childbirth, which will, in turn, benefit their communities.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

NOW IS THE TIME FOR BLACK FIRMS TO OBTAIN CAPITAL — HERE’S WHY
Black Enterprise Magazine
January 04, 2023
We continue to believe that now is the time for Black firms to obtain capital. Historically, there has never been a better time for Black firms to do so. A number of new capital sources offer funding for Black firms specifically. These include JP Morgan, MBDA, several new Black-focused venture capital firms. We suggest Black firms focus on banks and corporations making Black Lives Matter (BLM) Pledges. (For a list, see Chapter 9: Corporate Pledges to Black Lives Matter: A Source of Capital? in Thriving As a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America: Building a Pathway to Success for Minority Entrepreneurs. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4842-7240-4)

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship

3 Books
Thriving As a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America: Building a Pathway to Success for Minority Entrepreneurs
Apress
January 08, 2022
The book provides expert coverage of both established and underused resources at the federal, state, and local levels that are dedicated to minority business expansion. By reading this guide, you will learn how to tap into the resources made available by government agencies such as the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and programs like the Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI). Additionally, non-governmental funding sources such as banks, credit unions, and venture capital are examined in-depth, with sound advice on approaching each.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

The JOBS Act: Crowdfunding Guide to Small Businesses and Startups 2nd Edition
Apress
November 02, 2016
The second edition of this book shows how full implementation of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act by the SEC in 2016 enables entrepreneurs and SME executives to leverage crowdfunding platforms to raise significant amounts of capital for their startups and small-to-medium–sized businesses.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship

Top 50 Crowdfunding Campaigns: Fifty Most Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns
Amazon
December 14, 2014
An analysis of the Top 50 crowdfunding campaigns, 'top' measured by total dollars raised Campaigns are color coded for easy analysis: (Gold = Games; Red = Movies; Purple = Hardware; Green = Social).

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Startups

1 Book Award
Thriving As a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America: Building a Pathway to Success for Minority Entrepreneurs 1st ed.
Apress
October 22, 2021
The dramatic increase in minority- and female-owned companies continues to transform the business world while setting standards for those who follow. Thriving as a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America offers you a comprehensive guide to current practical knowledge of minority business development, from grants and loans to market building. This book demonstrates how you can use specific laws, institutions, and new technologies to set up and steer your business to success.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion

3 eBooks
FEDERAL AGENCY EQUITY ACTION PLANS: Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government Kindle Edition
Creative Investment Research
October 12, 2022
Signed on "his first day in office, Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government... directed the Federal Government to advance an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda."

The Order directs "over 90 federal agencies across the federal government, including all Cabinet-level agencies as well as over 50 independent agencies" to conduct "equity assessments of 3-5 of their agency’s high-impact services for the American people, to uncover where systemic barriers to access may exist." The Agencies "developed Equity Action Plans for addressing—and achieving—equity in their mission delivery for all Americans. Equity Action Plans were required to include accountability mechanisms and to identify success metrics and key milestones toward progress."

This book compiles and evaluates Federal Equity Action Plans, grading each Federal Agency and includes the text of each plan. The Executive Order signed by President Biden is also included.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, GovTech

FEDERAL AGENCY EQUITY ACTION PLANS: Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
Creative Investment Research
May 10, 2022
This book compiles and evaluates Federal Equity Action Plans, grading each Federal Agency and includes the text of each plan. The Executive Order signed by President Biden is also included.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship

Top 50 Crowdfunding Campaigns: Fifty Most Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns
Creative Investment Research
December 28, 2014
An analysis of the Top 50 crowdfunding campaigns, 'top' measured by total dollars raised Campaigns are color coded for easy analysis: (Gold = Games; Red = Movies; Purple = Hardware; Green = Social).

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Tags: Business Strategy, Finance, Startups

3 Media Interviews
Trump’s New Economic Policies Could Have A Detrimental Impact On Black Businesses, Yet Some Opportunities May Exist
Black Enterprise Magazine
December 17, 2024
A sizeable 24% of Black-owned businesses operate in sectors dependent on imports affected by tariffs. Due to the projected tariffs the Donald Trump administration proposes, the annual revenue loss for those businesses could range from $1.8 billion to $3.6 billion.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship

REPORT: U.S. DEFAULT COULD BRING $132B ECONOMIC LOSS FOR BLACK AMERICANS
Black Enterprise Magazine
May 25, 2023
Offering a potentially stormy outlook, Black Americans could face an economic loss totaling a whopping $132 billion if the U.S. government goes into default for a protracted period.
According to an analysis from Creative Investment Research, the largest financial blow for Black Americans could come from the nation’s housing market totaling $60.9 billion. The findings are from the firm’s Projected Impact of Federal Government Default on Black Americans: Dire Report.

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Tags: Business Strategy, National Security

Revisiting the World's First Social Impact Bond
Creative Investment Research
March 29, 2023
The article documents the creation of the first social impact bond, a mortgage security backed by home mortgage loans exclusively from minority-owned institutions. Fannie Mae, GE Capital Mortgage Corp., Creative Investment Research, and an institutional investor collaborated to create this mortgage security.

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Tags: Innovation

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