Jim Davidson
General Partner at Dev Equity
Jim Davidson
General Partner at Dev Equity
Denver, Colorado
Overview
Work Experience
General Partner
2014 - Current
Dev Equity aims to help improve the lives of people living in low-income countries by investing in private companies that can make a positive social and environmental impact. By providing long-term capital and direct support, Dev Equity helps innovative companies in select Latin American countries expand their growth, profitability and impact. Jim invested as a Limited Partner of DevEquity in 2013 and joined the General Partnership in 2014. Jim provides mentoring and coaching for portfolio companies, leveraging his experience leading teams both large and small. To learn more about DevEquity, visit http://devequity.com/
Co-Founder & President
2015
PeakChange invests in promising startups and venture funds which demonstrate the potential for business to operate in a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive manner. Investments include the SJF, SustainVC, and Village Capital impact funds as well as a diverse portfolio of early stage companies including Jibu in East Africa (water purification), Copia in Kenya (base-of-the-pyramid consumer products distribution), Praava Health in Bangladesh (health clinics), and Leg Works in Buffalo, NY (low-cost prosthetics).
Board Member
2015
Powered by its innovative Guarantor model, and with a special commitment to empowering women, MCE Social Capital (MCE) issues loans to organizations which help people living in poverty access effective capital. Jim became a MCE guarantor in 2008, enabling over $2m of debt-financing for predominately women-focused micro-finance institutions around the world. In 2012, Jim joined the MCE loan committee, which reviews and approves all staff recommendations for loans, and in 2015 joined the full board. In 2016, Jim was chair of the Small and Growing Business working group which drove the creation of MCE's "SGB Fund" dedicated to direct financing of social venture businesses in emerging markets. Learn more about MCE by visiting http://www.mcesocap.org/
Chair Of The Board Of Directors
2020
Change Finance builds performance-oriented investment products for the sustainability-minded investor. We believe investing for good can profit people, planet, and investors. Through a conscious, rigorous, rules-based approach, we’ve created an Enhanced ESG methodology that underpins our investment products. At Change Finance we believe that it is imperative to transform capital markets if we are to create the world in which we want to live. Our impact-driven, performance-focused strategies are designed to do just that. Our flagship ETF is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the CHGX ticker. Jim is an early investor in Change Finance and joined the board in September, 2020.
Board Member
2014
Unleesh is the world’s easiest workforce development app and platform, designed with experiential education principles in its DNA. Jim is an early investor in Unleesh and a founding board member since 2014.
Board Member
2015 - 2021
Girls For A Change (GFaC) is a Richmond, VA-based organization that empowers girls to create social change. We invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods. Jim joined the board in 2015 and served as chair from 2015 through 2019. Jim also serves as a mentor to Angela Patton, the inspiring CEO of GFaC. Learn more about Angela and the signature Dinner with Dad program of GFaC here: https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_patton_a_father_daughter_dance_in_prison
Board Co-Chair
2018 - 2020
The mission of Social Venture Circle (SVC) is to foster the "Next Economy", an economy which is sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and just for all. SVC was formed as the merger of Social Venture Network (SVN), the original association for purpose-driven business leaders founded in 1987, and Investors' Circle (IC), the first and largest impact investing angel group created by SVN members in 1992. Jim, as board chair of IC, was instrumental in driving the SVC merger and served as co-chair of the combined organization until July of 2020.
Board Member
2012 - 2019
MedClimate CareConnect allows corporate wellness companies and healthcare providers to streamline the caregiving process through communication and patient management mechanisms. Jim was an early investor in MedClimate and a founding board member, serving from 2012 through 2019.
Board Member
2012 - 2018
ThinkImpact is the leader in meaningful, low-cost educational travel focused on social entrepreneurship in Latin America and Africa. Jim was an investor in ThinkImpact and a board member from 2012 until the merger of ThinkImpact with Impact Global Education in 2018.
Board Chair
2012 - 2018
Investors' Circle (IC) was the original, largest and most active early-stage, social-venture impact investing network. Jim joined IC in 2008 and is a Lifetime member. He has invested in over a dozen companies which have successfully raised funds through IC. More detail on many of these innovative companies can be found at http://peakchange.co. In 2012, Jim joined the board of IC and became Board Chair in 2016, serving until the 2018 merger of IC with Social Venture Network (SVN) which formed Social Venture Circle (SVC).
Education
Master of Arts - MA
2018 - 2021
B.S.
1986 - 1991