Hi, I am David Van Seters, the Founder and President of Sustainability Ventures.  For over 25 years, I have worked to find ways to make the business case for adopting higher standards of environmental and social performance in organizations and local communities.  I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Biology from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Alberta.

I have worked as an environmental business consultant for KPMG (National Environmental Practice Leader) and Golder Associates (Global Sustainable Development Technical Community Leader).  I have also worked as a senior business executive and entrepreneur, having founded or taken a leadership role in more than a half dozen environmental businesses.  These have included an organic food delivery service, a building energy efficiency company,  an electric bicycle company, a building energy financing company, and a community crowdfunding platform.

My work is focused in three key areas:

1) Conducting business consulting assignments.

These are prepared  for a range of clients wanting to assess the economics of new enterprises and initiatives related to local food systems, waste reduction, green buildings, sustainable transportation and the sharing economy.

2) Providing business coaching advice to sustainable business entrepreneurs.

I am currently working with a dozen companies including an organic ice cream maker, an online snack company, a mobility device firm, an industrial equipment company, a landscaping firm, a next generation battery company, a personal goods tracking and waste reduction firm.

3) Taking on an executive management roles in social impact companies.

I select these based on whether I believe they can make a significant contribution and whether they can use my skills.  I am currently involved in two such companies, a building energy finance company called eStream Energy Partners and a community crowdfunding platform called Wayblaze.

In the featured projects section, I highlight a number of the projects I have completed and the companies I am working with.