After working for 16 years as CEO of the American division of her family business, Els returned to Belgium to establish The Nest family office. Driven by a passion for people and their well-being, her goal is to increase the scale of impact on people's lives. 

How did you become involved in impact investing?

Until recently, I lived in the US and was actively involved in our family business. This changed when we decided to withdraw from daily operations, resulting in a liquidity event. It catapulted me into a journey of self-discovery; after 16 years, I moved back to Belgium and went from being the CEO of a large organization to "what am I going to do now?". A UN climate summit became my eye-opener and a calling for me to use profit for impact. I realized that I truly want to make a difference. This led us to start a family office focused on impact investing. And some of the inspiring people we met at the beginning and along the way, such as Myleen Verstraete from PYM, Maarten van Dam from Pymwymic, and many others, continue to inspire us today.

What are you most passionate about changing/creating through your actions and investments? 

I am passionate about building a resilient and circular food system, based on respect for all living beings; plants, fungi, and animals, with farmers and agricultural workers at its core. As investors, we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs and philanthropists who create solutions that: 
1) Use technology to enhance and optimize nature-based solutions. 
2) Develop innovative business models that regenerate local economies and prioritize farmers and growers.
3) Contribute to the transition to a better system, by truly complementing the existing ecosystem. 

Who do you ask for advice and why?
We want to be experienced and informed investors, so we consult multiple advisors, mentors, and experts. This way, we can make well-considered decisions and learn a lot along the way. We are also part of various networks that we can tap into – such as PYM, CREO, YPO, FORA, and The Shift – and I am blessed with a small team of very talented people whom I can always ask for advice. 

What are your thoughts on philanthropy as an impact investor?

There are many initiatives that, by their nature, require philanthropic funding. One example is access to knowledge and training for farmers. Many farmers want to adopt more regenerative methods, but they don’t know where or how to start. Providing those farmers with access to that knowledge is not directly a "bankable business model," but once the farmers have this knowledge and community, impact investments can help them bridge financial gaps and create a positive return. For us, philanthropic giving is more emotional and less based on due diligence – it’s more about supporting a mission than investing for a specific return/goal. Both are needed. 

How has impact investing changed your daily life / daily decisions? And does it continue to do so?

Impact investing has changed my (daily) life for the better. Having a purpose and seeing the positive impact you can make is so rewarding and motivating. Of course, I also want to practice what we preach in my daily habits. I have started gardening and creating space for wildflowers, I have my own chickens that I feed leftovers to every day, I eat and enjoy local organic products, and have largely stopped eating meat and dairy. I have become very conscious of waste and I teach my children how important their actions are. We have also bought a bio-regenerative farm of 100+ hectares, Domain de Graux. We are not perfect, but we become more conscious every day. 

How would you describe your investment style? 

Pragmatic, impact-driven, long-term.

What advice would you give to people just starting with impact investing?

Start with your end goal in mind. What impact do you want to create? What return do you want to make? And do something you are passionate about and interested in. 
Practically speaking, it is also important to decide whether you want to invest directly, through a fund, a wealth manager, or a combination of several ways. This depends on the time you can/want to allocate. Also, do thorough due diligence. It is easy to "throw money away" at something with good intentions but with a structure set up for failure. In addition, you will want to decide which asset class you want to invest in. Impact investing includes various asset classes, from cash at a sustainable bank, to microfinance bonds, private equity, and real assets such as affordable housing.  
Building networks is also a great way to learn from each other. In fact, it is an important focus in our family office: creating awareness, sharing knowledge, and helping each other.  
And one last very important piece of advice, and this is where I started: check where your money sleeps. How does the bank invest your money?