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Regenerative visions for a small planet: family offices and impact.

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The Greyparrot Analyzer at work sorting waste

Impact investing continues to grow and evolve, driven by the next generation of wealth owners who desire to generate positive social and environmental change alongside financial returns; something that is becoming ever more possible and attainable. This is partly due to regulation, a better understanding of what’s possible, more consensus on best practices and technology playing an enabling role.

According to a recent report by UBS , the impact investing market has seen substantial growth, underscoring its increasing importance among family offices and high-net-worth individuals.

However, embarking on this journey can be daunting, confusing and jarring, given the diverse generational dynamics, varying value sets, and myriad investment options available. According to data from Simple , while many family offices aren’t willing to consider climate change investments, those that do would only proceed if an investment were backed by similarly-mind families - meaning those that take the charge have the great responsibility of executing ventures with passion and purpose, and delivering results.

While a majority of family offices won't consider climate change investments right now, those that ... [+] do are likely to invest in enterprises backed by similarly-minded familes.

The Journey Into Impact Investing

Setting an impact investment course along with others who have made this journey is one way to help navigate common pitfalls. Michael Smith, General Partner and Co-Founder of Regeneration.VC , comes from an entrepreneurial background. His journey into impact investing started after his last exit.

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"After selling my company, I saw that despite donating time and money, things were getting worse for our planet. I realised a more aligned and catalytic approach was required,” Smith outlined.

Frustration with the status quo often leads investors to define their values and seek capital alignment around key issues. Many impact investors stress the importance of finding one's true calling and committing deeply to it - just like Smith - in order to collaborate with philanthropic partners to catalyse significant change.

"It's essential to identify your true calling and go deep. For me, it was the environment; others might find their passion in education or healthcare," shares Smith.

With a clearly defined focus on climate, the next step was to launch Regeneration.VC , (RVC) a fund that opened up for external LPs to scale the impact of capital deployed to $45M for Fund 1 and targeting $150M for Fund 2. The fund focuses on climate technologies in underfunded areas within consumer industry supply chains such as apparel, food, packaging, and electronics that represent roughly 45% of global emissions and 80% of biodiversity loss.

A VC vehicle that sits outside a family office provides more than just a structure. There's space for collaboration with other impact investors from knowledge sharing to also co-investing in opportunities.

One such collaboration for Smith and Regeneration.VC was with One Small Planet , an impact investment firm, founded by Will Peterffy in 2020 (son of billionaire Thomas Peterffy, Chairman at Interactive Brokers).

When they began their impact journey, it was through a joint investment into Cruz Foam , a company producing biodegradable foam alternatives. "Cruz Foam was our first joint investment, bringing together an impact-focused family office with our venture fund. Our mutual focus on significant environmental impact alongside financial returns showed us the potential of further collaboration," says Smith.

Jack Wielebinski, CIO at One Small Planet, brings a unique perspective as he integrates traditional venture fund principles with a mission-driven approach.

As Wielebinski outlined, "The way I look at investing is that it's not just about generating ROI; it's about solving a real problem in the world."

Both Peterffy and Wielebinski's background and passion for the environment and indigenous rights have shaped One Small Planet's investment strategy, focusing on underfunded areas that promise significant impact. Wielebinski also stresses that as an impact investor it's important to focus on under-funded areas; adding that "nearly 90% of climate finance goes towards energy transition and almost half of that is towards e-mobility”.

Overcoming Challenges in Impact Investing

Intergenerational dynamics and value alignment.

Starting an impact investment journey can be daunting, particularly when navigating the diverse values and expectations of different generations within a family office. Smith suggests beginning with a deep exploration of one's priorities, such as education, healthcare, or the environment, and engaging in a learning journey before deploying capital.

Accordingly, data from Simple highlights that most family offices similarly approach sustainable investments by exclusionary screening, rather than through ESG integration or impact investing.

Most surveyed family offices approach sustainable investments through exclusionary screening.

Wielebinski adds that family offices should make strategic decisions regarding stage, sector, and capital allocation. He highlights the importance of aligning returns with impact, using Cruz Foam as an example. This sustainable material innovator has demonstrated how private market deals, although requiring longer holding periods, can yield substantial impact and returns when aligned with the right incentives.

Collaborative Ventures: Regeneration.VC And One Small Planet

Cruz Foam, a company producing biodegradable foam alternatives, was the initial joint investment that brought Regeneration.VC and One Small Planet together. Smith's family office was the preseed investor, followed by Regeneration.VC at the seed stage, and eventually joined by high-profile investors like Leonardo DiCaprio. This collaboration laid the foundation for a strong partnership between the two firms.

According to Smith, "This investment showed the power of collaboration in achieving both financial returns and significant environmental impact."

From this strong base, their partnership continued with investments in Greyparrot , a company that optimizes waste sorting with AI technology, in collaboration with Closed Loop Partners. This venture exemplifies how impact-driven technologies can address critical environmental challenges while providing attractive returns; the company recently announced an additional $11M top up following last year's Series A round.

A future where entirely new solutions have a chance to thrive seem more likely according to Wielebinski, "There is a world where we can live a modern, dignified life, harmonizing people and planet, where everyone has enough and systems are not blindly extractive, and we all have a responsibility towards creating that future; One Small Planet, and many other organizations like RVC are all focused on catalyzing that brighter future."

Advice for Aspiring Impact Investors

For those new to impact investing, Smith and Wielebinski shared three key tips to help navigate this evolving landscape.

1. Choose The Right Investments And Focus On What You Know

Smith emphasises the importance of leveraging your unique insights and expertise when selecting investments. "It's very hard to be a direct investor unless you come from the industries you are investing in. Start with a fund that specialises in the area impact investing you are interested in or consider a fund-of-funds that covers the areas you care about," he advises.

Wielebinski echoes this sentiment, highlighting the need for alignment with your mission. "If an investment doesn't fit within your mission or what you're trying to achieve, it's better not to pursue it. Focus on where you can make the most difference."

2. Network And Build Deal Flow

Building a strong network and deal flow is crucial for success in impact investing. Engaging with like-minded investors and industry leaders can provide valuable insights and access to unique investment opportunities. Wielebinski stresses the value of having a diverse network that includes not only other investors but also entrepreneurs, industry experts, and thought leaders.

This diversity can lead to a broader range of opportunities and a more comprehensive understanding of the market. Smith adds that fund mangers can also become knowledge partners, "Building relationships with fund managers is crucial. Map out what the relationship will look like, including the frequency of check-ins and learning events."

3. Engage In Learning And Focus On Your Passion

Both Smith and Wielebinski stress the importance of embarking on a learning journey and focusing on causes you are passionate about. Smith advises that "…before deploying capital, go on a learning journey. Talk to others who have done this before and join ecosystems that can fast-track your understanding and impact." Wielebinski encourages investors to identify their passions, whether it's organic farming or indigenous rights, and commit to making a difference in those areas.

Making A Difference

Regeneration.VC is launching a new fund with a target size of $150 million, with One Small Planet as an anchor investor. One small Planet’s Fire Fund manages $100mm across all its investing vehicles, and separately disperses philanthropic capital through the Peterrfy foundation, focused largely on nature conservation by funding indigenous people communities and local communities.

However, it would seem that there is a need for a lot more. Wielebinski states, "We need a hundred other funds and more emerging managers to drive the innovation required to tackle the world's pressing issues."

The growth of impact investing reflects a broader recognition of the need for impactful, sustainable, and socially responsible investment strategies. With more wealth owners and family offices sharing their journeys, the industry might be able to attract more aspiring impact investors looking to make a difference.

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Journey - frontiers: 40th anniversary remastered (180g vinyl lp + 7").

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Journey's 1983 Album Frontiers Has Been Remastered for Its 40th Anniversary on 180g LP. Also Includes a Bonus 7" With 4 Additional Tracks.

On October 27 Legacy Recordings will release the 40 th anniversary of Journey’s 1983 classic album, Frontiers .  Newly remastered this 180g vinyl contains the smash hit “Faithfully” and will also include a bonus 7” that has 4 additional tracks. Two of the tracks “Only The Young” and “Ask The Lonely” were originally intended for the album but left off due to vinyl time constraints. “Only The Young” ended up on the Vision Quest Soundtrack while “Ask The Lonely” appeared on the Two of A Kind soundtrack. The bonus 7” also includes remixes of “Only The Young” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Steve Perry & Bryce Miller.  The remix of Separate Ways was most recently featured on the NETFLIX series Stranger Things, Season 4.

1. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

2. Send Her My Love

3. Chain Reaction

4. After The Fall

5. Faithfully

1. Edge Of The Blade

2. Troubled Child

3. Back Talk

4. Frontiers

1. Only The Young (Steve Perry & Bryce Miller Remix)

2. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Steve Perry & Bryce Mille Extended Remix)

1. Only The Young

2. Ask The Lonely

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ESPN NEXT participant spotlight: Anissa, content associate

When you are part of The Walt Disney Company, your career can take many different directions. From being an intern at National Geographic to pursuing the ESPN NEXT program, Anissa has developed a passion for production and sports media in her early career.

After completing her degree in media and journalism from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Anissa decided to join ESPN NEXT to tap into multiple areas of production. “The program promoted opportunities to work on various sports like the NBA, March Madness, NFL and everything in-between.”

Anissa is currently pursuing the Accelerator portion of her program as a content associate. In an environment where stories and sports news develop quickly, Anissa plays an essential role in the features department pulling video footage, assisting with pre and post production for several media pieces, and even pitching new stories.

ESPN is taking sports entertainment to new heights through innovation, but it takes people like Anissa to make it happen. For “sports fans, by sports fans” is a popular saying at the company, it demonstrates that there are committed employees applying their skills to fulfill ESPN’s mission of serving sports fans anytime, anywhere. “Sports have always been a huge part of my life, so to be able to work on and produce content for ESPN was an amazing career path discovery.”

As part of her role, Anissa is involved with the NBA and WNBA production where she helps produce segments like the “Sounds of the Game” during the 2023 playoffs. “I got some of the best sound pieces in the broadcast and got to attend my very first WNBA game within seven months of being at the company!”

What has been Anissa’s most memorable moment at ESPN? During proud Women’s History Month in March, she pitched a features idea surrounding young female athletes in the Women’s Super League and received approval to produce the entire piece. “I was not only passionate about the story, but also excited to work with a new team and meet new people who were just as passionate about getting this project off the ground.”

Throughout her program, Anissa has been shaping the future of her career by gaining expansive production experience and exposing herself to a large network of professionals. The next step for Anissa came through the NEXT Accelerator, an extension of the NEXT program allows participants to develop their career through mentorship and exclusive development opportunities. “I’ve been able to connect deeper with my assigned mentorship and career coach pairing Celia Bouza has been my rock through the process of growing as a creator and I am eternally grateful to have met someone like her. I think about development in a whole different light because of the opportunities like the business project and the stretch assignment that we are allowed to participate in”

Anissa has made the most out of her program so far, and she recognizes that ESPN fosters an environment of collaboration and talent development. She invites people to pursue the ESPN NEXT program. “I never thought I would be producing graphics for a summer league game or shadowing a video shoot to interview Sue Bird. This program is a great place to start if you want to pivot your career or develop your skills set as a creator within production.”

To learn more about the ESPN NEXT program and other career opportunities at ESPN, go to Disney Careers !

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From endangered to empowered: The Topeka shiner’s journey

In the heart of America's midwest, a quiet revolution in conservation is taking root. As the United States celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, the prairies and waterways of America's heartland have been quietly weaving an uplifting tale of partnership, resilience and ecological triumph. Kraig McPeek, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Illinois-Iowa Field Supervisor, shared his optimism about the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act., "As we celebrate half a century of the Endangered Species Act, the story of the oxbow restoration and the Topeka shiner is a reminder of what we can accomplish together."   

We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are part of a remarkable partnership creating ripples of change throughout the midwest. This coalition of state agencies, agricultural associations, and passionate farmers has come together with one purpose: to restore and safeguard Iowa's precious oxbow habitats and, in doing so, protect the stability of oxbow ecosystems. Our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program acts as the very glue binding the coalition together. 

Oxbows, U-shaped remnants of river meanders, are vital for ecosystem health, acting as biodiversity hotspots and playing key roles in water filtration and flood control serving as important habitat. Central to these habitats is the endangered Topeka shiner, a small, native freshwater fish. Its presence or absence reflects the overall health of the ecosystem. 

An oxbow is formed when a winding curve of a river becomes isolated due to erosion of river banks and the creation of a new river channel during high water flow. Sediment builds up in oxbows. Oxbows dry out. They disappear altogether when plants cover them. The degradation of these special places, as seen in places like West Buttrick Creek in Iowa’s Raccoon River watershed, not only diminishes water quality but also threatens the survival of the Topeka shiner and other aquatic species. Restoring oxbows is crucial not just for this species, but for maintaining the health of freshwater systems.

With the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in 2023, the revival story of the Topeka shiner highlights the critical role of partnerships, innovation, and the sustained dedication of local communities. 

Landowner partnership: The cornerstone of conservation

Without the commitment of landowners, the restoration of oxbow wetlands would remain a distant dream. Kathy Law and her husband, Dave Law, are Iowa farmers who participated in oxbow restoration on their land, stressed the significance of these partnerships, emphasizing, "Landowner involvement is paramount. Their commitment to preserving natural habitats has been the linchpin of this endeavor." 

The narrative gets richer when we consider the multi-faceted benefits that farmers reap from oxbow restoration. For farmers, the benefits of participating in oxbow restoration extend beyond ecological preservation. Brandon Iddings of the Iowa Soybean Association noted, "Not only have these wetland restorations become a haven for endangered species, but they've also proved beneficial for crop yields."

In the heart of Iowa, where family farms dot the landscape and generations have tilled the same land, Kathy speaks with reverence about the soil underfoot. "Our land is not merely an income source," she begins, echoing the sentiments of countless Iowa farmers. "It's our heritage. For many, these lands have been passed down through generations. It's not just about profit, it's our lifestyle, our very way of life." 

Kathy's commitment to the land is evident. But she also highlights a mutual relationship between conservation efforts and farming benefits. "When we participated in the oxbow restorations, the soil they removed was of such high quality that it was spread over one of our fields," she recalls. "This seemingly small act resulted in our corn yielding over 20 bushels more per acre. The only reason for this boost we can pinpoint is the improved quality of our soil from that deposited dirt." 

For Kathy and many like her, conservation isn't just about protecting nature—it's about enhancing productivity and ensuring their land's legacy continues. "There are tangible economic benefits alongside the invaluable environmental advantages," Kathy emphasizes. "It's not just about doing the right thing for nature, but also ensuring our land remains prosperous for generations to come." 

Joe emphasized the ease for farmers: "Through collaborations, farmers can participate in these restoration efforts without the burden of added costs." 

What’s Next: Hope for the Topeka shiner 

The restoration of oxbow habitats has been crucial for the Topeka shiner, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service playing a significant role in bringing all the characters of this story together. When asked about their experiences working with partners on Topeka shiner conservation, staff shared different perspectives along the same narrative – the future for this little fish depends on collaborative conservation much like a community coming together to save the Topeka shiner. 

This sentiment is echoed by Kathy, who sees the increasing participation of landowners in oxbow restoration as a sign of growing grassroots conservation efforts. The success story of the Topeka shiner and oxbow restoration, showcasing community and organizational collaboration, offers hope and a model for future endeavors.

 "Every plot of land rejuvenated, every oxbow restored, brings us closer to a future where our natural habitats thrive," Brandon of the Iowa Soybean Association concluded. 

We encourage more landowners to join this cause, providing resources and support for tailored restoration projects.

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New AAC Commissioner Tim Pernetti poised to lead conference into an ever-changing future

• Updated: Jun. 17, 2024, 8:16 a.m. |
• Published: Jun. 17, 2024, 8:14 a.m.

Sports Business Journal

Editor’s note: This article was written by Ben Portnoy and first appeared in Sports Business Journal , the industry’s leading source of sports business news, events and data.

Rutgers University Director of Athletics Tim Pernetti speaks during a press conference announcing Rutgers announces a move to the Big Ten on Tuesday, November, 20, 2012, ending a two-decade relationship with the Big East. Seated from left: Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany and Rutgers University President Robert Barchi. The decision to defect from the Big East, of which Rutgers has been a member for football since 1991 and for all sports since 1995, comes on the heels of the University of Maryland’s governing board unanimously voting to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference and join the Big Ten. (Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger) SL SL

It’s just after 4 p.m. on a weekday as Tim Pernetti slides into a plastic chair inside the boisterous Rhythm & Riffs bar tucked into the heart of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center at the annual NACDA convention in Las Vegas last week. The slot machines at the primo hotel whir. Buzzers sound. Chips clack.

There’s something poetic about this mayhem literally swirling around the new American Athletic Conference commissioner who’s officially one week into his job after being hired in April.

College sports are engulfed in chaos. Pernetti, the ex-Rutgers athletic director who’s spent the past decade in the private sector, didn’t need to jump back into the fray. Frankly, why on earth would he want to?

Let him explain.

“A lot of people close to me in the industry are like, ‘What are you doing?’” Pernetti said, grinning. “And what I said was, I do think sometimes in your career you may shy away from things that feel like there’s chaos. There’s uncertainty [in college sports]. It’s a little disorganized. There’s a lot of unknowns. … But the business is full of great people that actually care about the industry — and when there’s chaos and uncertainty, that’s when there’s more opportunity to do things differently.”

He is a unique animal in the world of conference commissioners, but one whose nontraditional background follows a familiar trend among those recently tasked with similar roles.

Pernetti, a New Jersey native, played football at Rutgers in the early 1990s, followed by a lengthy career in media. A spell as the athletic director at Rutgers ended in controversy around men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, but not before Pernetti shepherded the school into the Big Ten. He’s since been near but not directly inside the college ecosystem as president of IMG College, among other ventures.

What that all means is this: Pernetti’s worldview is different from others in college athletics.

He drew headlines with loose reference to shaking up the college football postseason and mentions of private capital during his introductory press conference in Dallas. That could scare some people. Others will tell you college sports need folks who see things through a new lens.

Pernetti absolutely has the latter perspective.

“The conference is willing to take risks,” he said. “I wouldn’t have seriously considered it if I wasn’t convinced [of that] by the presidents that I met. … When you talk about selling a jersey patch across the entire conference — every school, every sport — and the revenue from that flowing directly to student athletes as compensation, it makes people uneasy because they don’t understand it. The hard part for me — and the part I’m looking forward to — will be getting everybody in these conversations, being transparent, batting it around and seeing if we can find a way to do some of these things.”

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The job Pernetti inherits is unique. His predecessor Mike Aresco brought a league born out of the old Big East’s football ashes and banged the drum about a so-called “Power Six” conferences. The high moments were high. Cincinnati’s 2021 playoff berth and Tulane’s 2023 Cotton Bowl upset of USC come to mind. That carries weight. As does the league’s 12-year, almost $1 billion television deal with ESPN, the most lucrative among Group of Five leagues.

The AAC that Pernetti inherits, however, has changed. Houston, Cincinnati and UCF are now Big 12 members. SMU is off to the ACC. Army is on its way in, but that adds only so much. The divide between the Group of Five and Power Four, too, has never been more pronounced.

More broadly, the framework settlement in the House, Hubbard and Carter antitrust cases looms. Schools are likely to be able to share revenue north of $20 million annually with athletes as soon as next year assuming Judge Claudia Wilken gives the settlement her blessing. That barometer will be a competitive requirement in the upper echelons of college football. Those in the AAC and elsewhere in the Group of Five will do what they can to keep up, but that’s an increasingly tall task. Related: NACDA attendees grapple with House settlement

Pernetti is well aware of this divide. He knows the industry at-large is thinking in ways more closely aligned with the old J.G. Wentworth commercials — dial 877 CASH NOW — than with the long-term nuance and innovation needed to survive.

College sports require new thought in 2024. Better monetization of existing revenue streams and creating new avenues are functional requirements. A fresh set of eyes is also welcome in sifting through those hypotheticals.

“Nothing’s off the table,” Pernetti said of finding new revenue sources. “We have to look at things differently, especially given where the puck is headed right now. … And if that means something like a leaguewide jersey patch for all institutions and all sports, and seeing opportunities through a new lens, then that’s what it means, and everybody has to get comfortable with change.”

Pernetti is once again smack dab in the middle of this swirling world of college athletics. Alarm bells are blaring across the enterprise. No amount of luck at the slot machines is stopping that. Now, it’s on Pernetti to make sense of it all and keep the AAC relevant and thriving.

May the odds be ever in his favor.

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The Voice of a Hundred Faces: Dee Bradley Baker’s ‘Star Wars’ Journey

With “The Bad Batch” ending this week on Disney+, the man who has voiced hundreds of “Star Wars” characters over the past two decades looks back on his run.

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By Rafael Motamayor

For “Star Wars” fans who have seen only the theatrical blockbusters, clone troopers are peripheral figures, at most recalled as the title menace in “Attack of the Clones,” from 2002. But over the past two decades they have become essential to the franchise, the pillar of animated “Star Wars” series including “The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels” and most recently, “The Bad Batch.”

And in that time one man has been essential to the clones: Dee Bradley Baker, who has voiced them all.

Not all of the shows — all of the clones, hundreds of them since getting cast for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which debuted in 2008 with a feature film and an animated series that lasted for seven seasons. Now Baker’s incredibly prolific gig, which also included plenty of non-clone roles, has finally come to an end: “The Bad Batch,” the “Clone Wars” sequel series, concludes its three-season run on Disney+ this week, and there are no plans for more clone shows.

“It’s been wonderfully gratifying to go on this journey,” Baker said.

Baker, 61, has been a voice actor for nearly 30 years, working on series like “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “American Dad,” “Codename: Kids Next Door” and “Space Jam.” Before “Star Wars,” he almost exclusively played funny parts: He voiced every animal in “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Perry the Platypus in “Phineas & Ferb” and creatures in live-action projects like Sebastian the rat in “The Suicide Squad.”

“I would get cast as more young, energetic and comedic because that’s how I thought of myself,” Baker said. The “Star Wars” shows “pulled so much more from me as an actor because it asked things of me I wouldn’t even think of.”

Many of the dramatic and emotional stories early on in “The Clone Wars” involved the clone troopers. After all, it is easier to kill a replaceable clone, one of millions, than a Jedi who also shows up in the theatrical movies.

Though the series was on Cartoon Network and aimed at kids, the war stories were intense and put the increasingly hard-bitten clones through one wringer after another. One story arc channels the novella “Heart of Darkness”: The troopers are led by a ruthless Jedi General in a jungle planet, until the general’s constant sacrifice of lives leads to insurgency. One episode was directed by Walter Murch, the Oscar-winning sound designer behind the Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now,” itself inspired by “Heart of Darkness.”

“Voice acting is acting, you need the same skill and the same talent,” said Ashley Eckstein who played Ahsoka Tano . (This central “Clone Wars” character last year became the center of a live-action show , “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson.)

“It can even be harder and more difficult to do voice acting,” Eckstein continued. “Dee and I had to do some deeply emotional and action-packed scenes, and we had to stand still behind a microphone. You can’t act it out or move around. You have to convey all of it just through your voice.”

“The Clone Wars” was followed by “Star Wars Rebels,” which follows a small Rebel crew that eventually includes a group of surviving clones, and “The Bad Batch,” centered on a squad of “defective” clones with even more distinct personalities.

One obstacle to making clone troopers compelling is the challenge of differentiating them. (They are, after all, clones.) There were small attempts from the beginning to make them distinct from a design standpoint. The creators gave them colorful armor and insignia to contrast them with the Empire’s more well-known stormtroopers, according to Dave Filoni, who was supervising director and an executive producer of “The Clone Wars” and is now the chief creative officer of Lucasfilm.

“They were able to express their individuality, where stormtroopers are individuals taken into service and stripped of their personality and identity,” Filoni wrote in an email. Still, a look is little without the voice and personality that goes with it, and Baker’s performance was a big reason the characters became so central.

The first test to see if Baker voicing all the clones would work came in “Rookies,” the fifth episode of “The Clone Wars.” The episode came from an idea by George Lucas, who wanted to do an episode of just clones, and follows a group of cadets who come together as a squad and stave off a droid invasion.

As Henry Gilroy, the show’s head writer, recalled, “That recording session was actually a revelation, for we realized that we could write anything for the clones to do with story and character and Dee would execute to perfection.”

The clones soon went from being one-off characters with little personality to proper members of the expanded cast, with their own emotional and dramatic arcs that carried on throughout the show’s seven seasons and into “The Bad Batch.” (The character Echo is the last surviving member of that rookie squad.)

All the clones are based, fittingly, on the same voice: the one Baker created to play Captain Rex, the second-in-command to Anakin Skywalker and his closest friend in “The Clone Wars,” after Obi-Wan Kenobi. Baker would settle on one or two defining qualities for each clone — rank, age, attitude, quirk — to guide his performances. He used to record one clone at a time, going through an entire script with one and then doing the same with the next and so on until an episode was done.

But as “The Clone Wars” developed more complex arcs, he took a faster, more daunting approach. “I would start to play all of them and just jump back and forth,” Baker said. “I just read through the scenes straight through as if they’re characters playing out a scene, but it’s just me going from one voice to the other.”

Michelle Ang, who stars in “The Bad Batch” as Omega, is amazed by this process. “He can not only perform the different personalities, but hold five different viewpoints of all the ‘Bad Batch’ characters and argue for each one,” she said. “It feels like there are four distinct people I’m working with.”

Eckstein called Baker a mentor, comparing their relationship to that of Ahsoka, her young Padawan character, and Baker’s seasoned Captain Rex. “He taught me the ways of the Force, the ways of voice acting,” she said. When she too was asked to play multiple characters in the same episodes, “I learned from Dee, who is brilliant at doing that.”

Baker, who started out in comedy, said improv helped train him to embrace the odd vocalizations “Star Wars” shows can require and to move fluidly between characters.

“I am not so much prepared as I’m ready,” he said. “You want to be open and available to steer this and configure that in a way that the writers you’re working with want things to go. You can’t prepare for it. You get that in the immediate human connection of now, and that is inherently improvisational.”

The end of “The Bad Batch” is the end of an era, even if other “Star Wars” roles eventually come Baker’s way, like the upcoming video game “Star Wars Outlaws.” Though characters like Ahsoka Tano live on in live-action, and Captain Rex made a cameo in “Ahsoka,” “The Bad Batch” characters were the last characters that Lucas, the “Star Wars” mastermind who is no longer involved with the franchise, had direct input on. The significance of this isn’t lost on Baker.

“I’ve loved ‘Star Wars’ since I was a kid,” he said. “Nothing can be more fun than to play in the universe that captured your imagination as a kid.”

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