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Don Shafer
Don Shaffer is President & CEO of RSF Social Finance, a nonprofit financial services organization at the center of a growing movement to support a network of place-based, local economies that value human beings and the environment. Inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner, RSF has made over $145 million in loans and over $65 million in grants since 1984 to organizations in the areas of Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship. This year RSF is launching the very first mezzanine finance vehicle specifically for social enterprises seeking growth capital, and the forthcoming PRI loan platform will allow foundations to make low-interest loans to high-impact organizations.
Prior to joining RSF, Mr. Shaffer served as Executive Director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), developing it into an alliance of over 15,000 independently-owned businesses across the U.S. and Canada. Recently, he has also served as Interim Executive Director of Investors’ Circle. His experience includes over 15 years in senior management positions building social mission companies including Comet Skateboards, a designer and manufacturer of premium skateboarding products committed to local and sustainable business practices. He has served and led sales, marketing, business development, and general operations teams in the education and software sectors. Mr. Shaffer participates in an advisory capacity with Entrepreneurship@Cornell, the B Lab Standards Advisory Committee, and Slow Money, as well as co-chairing the Roots of Change Business Leadership Council. He also serves as a Board Member of Comet Skateboards, BALLE, and Social Venture Network. Mr. Shaffer graduated with a degree in American History at Cornell University, and lives in Oakland, California, with his wife Jennifer and their daughter Sabine.