Building Canada’s social finance market
We’ve been part of the social innovation and social finance ecosystem in Canada since the beginning. For over a decade, our team has worked with investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to build the market. Our experience ranges from managing Canada’s leading academic research centre on social innovation, to incubating over 40 social ventures and managing millions of dollars in impact capital.
Our Story
Our roots trace back to 2007 as part of the founding team of the leading academic research centre for social innovation and social finance in Canada. We incubated over 40 ventures, many of them the leading examples of social enterprises in Canada. Led by Dr. James Tansey, we formed the Pacific Impact Investor Network (PIIN) in 2015, a network of investors made up of financial institutions, foundations, and family offices representing over $4 billion in assets under management. Since then, we have been advising impact investors on projects and investments across a variety of sectors, including climate change, education, and preventative health.
Since then, we have made contributions to the Canadian social innovation and social finance ecosystem. In 2017, we advised the Government of Canada as part of the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Committee. Additionally, the UBC Sauder Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing launched the Social Innovation Academy, a pan-Canadian experiential learning program that connects the top students with social ventures.
In 2020, we launched Canvas Impact Advisors. Canvas aims to become Canada’s leading impact investment advisory firm by mobilizing capital to drive social and environmental outcomes.
Our Team
James Tansey
CEO
Mike Wood
VP Technology
Thor Jensen
Consultant