Boann Social Impact Appoints Brian Smith as Managing Director

VANCOUVER, British Columbia & TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boann Social Impact is pleased to announce that Brian Smith has been appointed Managing Director, Engagement and Market Development, effective February 1, 2024. Brian is a highly regarded British Columbia-based business leader and advisor with expertise in community-focused impact investing and social innovation, and a commitment to the development of the social impact sector in Canada.

“Boann is excited to welcome Brian to the team. Brian’s focus and track record in place-based social impact investing and commitment to mobilizing capital to drive SDG-related outcomes for communities makes him a strong fit for our team and mandate,” said Derek Ballantyne, CEO of Boann.

Brian is an Advisory Member for TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good and the co-founder and Board Chair of Persephone Brewing Company – a Certified B Corp widely recognized as an early adopter and model of ecologically positive systems, including regenerative agriculture and community impact. Having worked at the intersection of clean technology, capital and climate action, Brian is passionate about mobilizing finance solutions that can catalyze the adoption of nature-based solutions to the climate emergency. Brian served as Executive Director of a Community Futures office and was a co-founding partner and CEO at Rhiza Capital, where he helped unlock more than $180M of new capital for investment in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As Managing Director, Brian will lead the engagement and market development team at Boann Social Impact. In that role, he and the team will extend and strengthen Boann’s relationship amongst Canada’s existing and emerging social impact investors, contribute to the development of the social impact sector and help drive Boann’s mandate as it enables impactful investment in undercapitalized sectors, communities and regions across Canada.

About Boann Social Impact

Boann Social Impact LP is a partnership created to manage capital contributed by the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund. Along with its private fund, Boann Impact Capital, Boann targets investment of more than $200 million over 5 years to support Canadian purpose-driven intermediaries and enterprises creating measurable impact. Boann is attracting dollars and innovation into the impact investing marketplace, to create new investment opportunities and foster new models of funding social progress with the strength of financial capital. For more information, visit: http://www.boann.ca/