Steve Distante is an entrepreneur, author, documentary filmmaker and farmer.
Steve is the Chairman and Founder of Vanderbilt Financial Group, an investment firm unconventionally focused on socially and environmentally responsible, ethical, and impactful investments.
Under his leadership, Vanderbilt’s culture of G.R.I.T.T (Gratitude, Respect, Innovation, Teamwork, Trustworthiness) coupled with its headquarters in an LEED-certified Platinum office building has placed Vanderbilt at the forefront of innovation and has distinguished the firm as a pioneer in the impact space – embracing it early on as an opportunity to affect real change in our community and the world.
A leader of leaders, Steve shares his unique message of entrepreneurship with purpose as an author, an engaging keynote speaker, a filmmaker, an ambassador to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and through the online educational platform he pioneered, Impact U.
Steve is passionate about sharing his knowledge and ample years of experience through the art of storytelling. His first book, Pitchology: The Art and Science of Raising Capital for Entrepreneurs, an Amazon bestseller, was written to help entrepreneurs avoid being taken advantage of and to better understand a variety of financial opportunities within their business. As part of the Pitchology Series, in January 2024, Steve published Once Upon a Time in Entrepreneurland, a collection of fourteen riveting fables that seamlessly blend truth with a touch of fiction to inspire readers of all ages.
He has launched the Private Investor Network, a community and platform designed to help entrepreneur investors track private investments in other entrepreneurs, to pitch ideas and to collaborate.
As a former President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) of New York City, Steve founded the EO Long Island chapter in 2018. EO is the world’s most influential group of founding entrepreneurs, with over 17,900 diverse leaders in 78 countries. Named as the United Nations Global Ambassador of EO, Steve represents entrepreneurs working across the globe on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 global initiatives set to transform the world by the year 2030.
Steve and his wife and business partner, Heidi, own a 400-acre farm in Georgia, Cally Farms, where they grow Paulownia trees and host entrepreneurial retreats.
Steve’s KOLBE A™ INDEX is 6753, which measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive.
His Strengths are Futuristic, Activator, Arranger, Connectedness and Input.
