Shaun Paul has 30 years of experience in private finance, philanthropy, and international rural development, leading and supporting the creation and growth of dozens of innovative for-profit and non-profit companies, catalyzing well-being for people and the planet. He currently serves as CEO of Ejido Verde, named Fast Company’s #2 Most Innovative Company in Latin America, a Mexican forestry company formed through a partnership of the pine chemicals industry and Indigenous communities in Michoacán to reforest 12,000 hectares for pine resin extraction. He grew a 1000-person workforce to restore and protect forests, along with structuring and securing $50 million of investments.

Prior, he established Reinventure Capital to invest in growth companies led by women and people of color. Before that beginning in 1992, Shaun Paul co-founded EcoLogic Development Fund and founded Pico Bonito Forests to restore and protect tropical ecosystems. In 1999, Shaun guided the launch and incubation of Root Capital that has provided more than $1.5 billion to Latin American and African businesses.

Shaun’s fundraising assured the design and execution of plans, securing over $80 million from a range of donors and impact investors, deploying capital mobilization strategies for crowdfunding, annual giving, major gifts, government contracts, foundation grants, corporate royalties, and commercial structured finance. Shaun has worked on every continent to scale catalytic, regenerative strategies addressing wicked problems. This work has relied on his forging blended finance strategies, business acumen, social mission, and orchestrating international multi-stakeholder partnerships that have included UN agencies, government, multinational companies, and civil society organizations.

Shaun is a Research Fellow at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University and an advisor to the Mentor Capital Network, designated as a Next Generation Leadership Fellow by the Rockefeller Foundation. He has served as a board member of Accelerating Appalachia, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, and Creative Action Institute. Shaun received his Bachelor’s degree in international development from the School of International Service at American University and a Master’s degree in development economics from the University of Michigan. He is fluent in Spanish and English.