Team

Rob Karpati

Founder / CEO

Rob Karpati is a long-term Finance leader. Focusing on strategic transformation and on global process optimization over 35+ years, Rob has developed a capability for integrating complex end-to-end ecosystems in ways that optimize cross-stakeholder value. Using Finance as a business improvement activator, Rob has worked cross-culturally and cross-regionally in bringing together diverse stakeholders toward common perspectives.

Rob has a strong belief in a balanced approach across multiple stakeholders, valuing the concept that sustainable development requires win/win outcomes that engage various corporate, regulatory and community stakeholders in specific aligned collaboration. Solutions that bring long-term mutually equitable value are critical for sustainable development in his mind.

Rob is currently focused on transforming the global artisanal mining sector in order to reimagine financial, social, environmental and economic value given the inherent potential of the 45 million person sector.

Luc Lapointe

Founder / CEO

As a registered professional lobbyist in Canada, Luc has led various reforms in different sectors of the economy. As part of his successful career, he has chaired a Coalition to Reform the Banking Law of Canada. His work has led to several changes, as well as the establishment of the Canadian Financial Products Consumer Protection Agency. He has also chaired a national consultation on pension reform, as well as several others, such as health and education. As Senior Advisor to the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, Luc has created content for teaching financial literacy in all Canadian provinces.

Luc has played a vital role in promoting Innovative Financing principles with a select group of leaders and coalitions, such as: Leading Group Advisor on Innovative Financing, Advisor, Concordia Strategic Dialogue on Innovative Financing, Advisor Social impact bond in Colombia, Founder & Global Council – Impact 2030, Member of the Global Coalition of Universities in Impact Investment & Sustainable Financing.

Luc graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Diploma in Leadership. Luc also successfully managed several political campaigns in Canada and received several awards for his work in innovative finance.

Loren Stoddard

Founder / CEO

Loren Stoddard is a senior diplomat and economic development leader with over 20 years of experience driving multi-million dollar public-private partnerships across emerging markets.

As a former USAID senior advisor, he has spearheaded energy, trade, and agribusiness initiatives across Africa, Latin America, and conflict-affected regions, managing portfolios exceeding $1.8 billion.

A specialist in stakeholder engagement, foreign direct investment, and competitive market expansion, Loren has led high-impact projects, including Power Africa’s clean energy rollout and Afghanistan’s rural trade development.

He holds an MBA and a Master of International Management (MIM) from Arizona State University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

John Howchin

Director, Finance

John Howchin is the former Secretary General of the Council on Ethics of the Swedish National Pension Funds. He is Chairman and CEO of Transition Inc, through which he provides advisory services. He is the Global Ambassador for the UN convened Global Tailings Management Institute and the co-convener of the Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative, setup post the tragic Brumadhino accident in Brazil. He is also a Special Advisor for the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030.

John has been working within the responsible investment community for the last 20 years and is a firm believer in responsible businesses in general and mining specifically. At the Council he initiated and lead hundreds of corporate engagements on all kinds of sustainability and ethics related issues. Before that, as the first Senior Analyst being responsible for environmental stewardship at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) in Oslo, he wrote the initial Climate Change expectations document, initiated climate change engagement with the portfolio companies and spent three years focused on corporate lobbying on climate change legislation in the US.

John started his career at ABB where he worked with corporate sustainability and reporting. John holds a BSc in environmental science and human ecology at Goteborg University.