Devon Krainer, HBA ‘12, first became interested in impact investing while attending Ivey, where she learned about the immense power of capital markets and how business leaders have a responsibility to address externalities like income inequality and climate change. Inspired by her professors including Oana Branzei, Mike Valente, Neils Billou and Michele Parkin, Devon joined the inaugural cohort of the HBA Sustainability Certificate program. She then embarked on an internship in Ethiopia, where she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of finance as a tool for social and environmental change.
Expanding Knowledge and Driving Social Change
After Ivey, Devon completed a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo. This taught her how social change can go from ideation to action, and the importance of social movements in policy change.
“I gained a deep appreciation for the power of social movements. Activists and those on the frontlines play a vital role in society and push the envelope in ways I had not appreciated until studying social innovation.”
When asked what advice she would share with aspiring sustainability leaders, Devon encourages individuals to "listen to their inner voice when it comes to career decisions and let passion and intuition guide their next step.” She is a big believer in seeing your career as a jungle gym, not a ladder. In her experience, personal interests often lead to job opportunities. Devon began her personal learning (and unlearning) journey in Indigenous reconciliation and started supporting Indigenous-led initiatives like O:se Kenhionhata:tie in her community. This eventually led her to Raven Indigenous Capital Partners.
Accelerating Indigenous Entrepreneurship
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, an Indigenous-owned and led impact investment firm, aims to accelerate the growth of Indigenous entrepreneurs and revitalize the Indigenous economy. The organization provides culturally appropriate equity financing through centering relationships, decolonizing the investment process, and providing advisory support. As an Investment Associate, Devon evaluates new investments to grow their portfolio, which today includes innovative companies like Cheekbone Beauty, Virtual Gurus and Totem.
Working in allyship with Indigenous Peoples, Devon has learned that equity must be placed at the center of finance to achieve lasting and positive change. In keeping with this approach, Devon shares three lessons she’s learned:
- Everyone has a role to play in supporting reconciliation: We each have gifts, connections and resources that are necessary to promote truth-telling, healing and action.
- Relationships are central to Indigenous worldviews. Centering and fostering relationships enables all voices to be heard at the table, not just the ones that are similar to ours. This is crucial in making the shift towards sustainability and creating shared solutions that work for everyone.
- Without accountability and integrity, impact investors risk becoming shallow and ineffective. Honouring how companies exist in interconnected and interdependent systems promotes greater humility and long-term decision making.
To connect with fellow alumni, join Ivey's LinkedIn Sustainability Community.
