Beyond Business – Triloma’s Transformational Approach to Investing
July 21, 2017 | Beth Glavosek | Blue Vault
What if you could invest in something that not only potentially yields financial results but also allows you to make the world a better place?
That’s the transformational approach that Triloma Financial Group, a private investment management firm based in Orlando, Florida, is taking with its platform of investment opportunities. Triloma manages and sponsors a group of investment programs, both public and private, that are focused on private equity, real estate, and energy investments.
Blue Vault recently spoke with Larry Goff, Managing Director and Founder of Triloma Financial Group and Chief Executive Officer of Triloma Securities, to learn more about his company’s unique concept that is serving the needs of investors while meeting the needs of others around the world.
Industry Veteran Puts Passion into Practice
Goff, a 30-year veteran of the alternative investment industry, says that after 25 years with product sponsor CNL Financial Group, he felt a compelling desire to do something different. After leaving CNL, he initially created a private equity firm with his brother and two other colleagues. They put together private restaurant and hotel deals as investment opportunities for family office and Reg D investors.
He says that, in an industry where products and sponsors are proliferating, relationships are the key to true success. “I eventually came to the conclusion that I didn’t want be just another product sponsor with typical REIT offerings,” he explains. “Relationships are everything. It became my passion to create a business that would change others’ lives.”
Beyond Business – The Triloma Way
After his daughter started Beauty for Ashes Uganda, a nonprofit organization that empowers women to provide for their families through co-ops, business loans, literacy training, and education, Goff saw an opportunity to tie his business model to a foundation that would support Beauty for Ashes, as well as other organizations.
He was committed to instilling a sense of empowerment from the ground up, starting with Triloma’s very own employees. “I like investing – it’s what I’ve done for 30 years – but I like people more,” he says. “I wanted to create an opportunity to do more than just make money. We seek to maintain a culture in which every employee feels appreciated, safe, and valued. If you’re appreciated at work, you’ll be a better person at home – whether it’s as a spouse, parent, family member, or friend.” He says that all Triloma associates have the opportunity to participate in the success of the firm. Most team members are shareholders, and everyone has a chance to participate in profit sharing. In addition to sharing financial success, Triloma associates understand that they’re not just selling financial products; they’re also contributing to the firm’s ability to support Beauty for Ashes Uganda and achieve the purpose-driven side of the business. “We treat our people in such a way that they not only enjoy coming to work; they’re enjoying the journey along the way,” Goff says.
Who are Triloma’s Clients?
Goff says that Triloma’s clients are also excited to be involved in what they’re doing. He explains Triloma’s unique value proposition:
- Offer a trusted platform supported by knowledgeable employees with years of experience in alternative investments
- Work with broker/dealers who are open to offering smaller, more fluid opportunities than traditional large nontraded REIT and BDC programs
- Within those broker/dealers, build relationships with advisors and create investment opportunities with their clients’ needs and the rapidly changing regulatory environment in mind
Triloma raised more than $200 million in equity capital in 2016. “Having the alternative investment industry entrust us with over $200 million in capital is a remarkable achievement for our first full year of operations,” Goff says. “As we continue to make it our priority as a firm to improve the lives of our investors, partners, and associates, we believe our success is a direct result of this focus.”
What’s Next for Triloma?
Goff says that he anticipates slow but steady growth as company leadership builds the firm from its current 60 associates to a goal of about 80. “I don’t want to be any larger than that because I’m very protective of the culture we’ve created,” he explains. “It’s very important to me that the experience that our advisors and clients have with us is consistently excellent, whether it’s at the home office or out in the field.”
As broker dealers reengage with alternative investments in new ways, Goff anticipates sponsoring creative product offerings that will appeal to those wanting something different. With the firm’s mission of supporting charitable and humanitarian aid, its goal is to identify opportunities that seek to achieve more attractive returns for interested investors but also allow funding to flow into more charitable endeavors.
He also expects to expand Triloma’s range of organizations it supports, building on the success of Beauty for Ashes. “As we attract more people to our organization who share the same passion for helping others, I envision a whole world of opportunities opening up as they bring new interests and missions to our attention,” Goff says.
Whatever the future holds, it’s clear that Triloma is becoming a leader in the industry with a business model that places people over profits. Instead of doing business to simply make money, they’re doing business to change lives.
Stay tuned for additional conversations with Triloma, including an interview with Deryck Harmer, President & Chief Executive Officer of Triloma Energy Advisors, advisor to the Triloma EIG Energy Income Funds. He’ll talk about the structure of the company’s offerings and what sets them apart in the post-DOL world.
For more information about Triloma, visit Blue Vault’s Sponsor Focus page.
