Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good.
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Kevin Egolf is an impact investing professional focusing his efforts on socially responsible farmland investing. His passion for sustainable agriculture and extensive finance background naturally led him into the growing impact investing field and towards impacting agriculture. Through Iroquois Valley Farms, a leader in triple bottom line impact farmland investing, and Local Farms Fund, a land access venture for early stage farmers in the NY Foodshed, Kevin helps investors achieve financial returns while providing social and environmental benefits alongside the investment gains.
As the Managing Director of Business Operations at Iroquois Valley Farms, Kevin was integral in growing the company from six farms when he joined to over 20 and tripling the number of investors (as of January 2015). As a Co-Founder and Manager of Local Farms Fund, Kevin is bringing the Iroquois Valley Farms investment model on a small scale to local early stage farmers. Local Farms Fund is opening the doors of private investments to all investors, including non-accredited, following the principles of Slow Money.
Prior to his work in socially responsible farmland investing, Kevin spent several years in investment banking and private equity developing extensive experience in corporate valuation, transaction management and fundraising. He started his career at Bank of America, in the Consumer and Retail Investment Banking division as the go-to analyst for restaurant transactions, advising on several high profile deals including the buyout of Outback and sale of Applebee’s. After Bank of America, Kevin spent four years with Castle Harlan, a middle market private equity firm in New York. During his tenure, Kevin raised $700 million of debt financing and $300 million in co-equity investments across multiple investments as well as completed the first restaurant IPO in over four years at the time.
Kevin is a graduate of Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and Computer Science. At Wesleyan University, he was Academic All-American, All-New England, 4-time varsity letter recipient and senior captain in the sport of wrestling. He continues to promote and teach the sport of wrestling as a wrestling coach. Prior to a recent relocation, Kevin was the coach at Hunter College High School in New York City. Kevin lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Aurora. Biography Other Interests Outside of sustainable farmland investment and wrestling, Kevin is an avid proponent of regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. He mainly follows a routine of running, lifting weights, and (ungraceful) yoga, but also bikes, hikes, paddles, SCUBAs or does any outdoor activity when available. Additionally, Kevin loves to travel and has been to all seven continents. While at home, Kevin can often be found in the kitchen pretending to be a chef, cooking local, seasonal and sustainably sourced meals.
Some highlights from Kevin Bayuk’s interview with Kevin Egolf include:
An inside look into the Local Farms Fund
How Kevin structured the fund to serve both farmers and investors
Exploring the possibility that the Local Farms Fund can be a model that can be replicated in bioregions across the country
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Kevin Bayuk works at the intersection of ecology and economy where permaculture design meets next economy organizations intent on meeting human needs while enhancing the conditions conducive to all life. He is a co-founder and partner with LIFT Economy, the Senior Financial Fellow at Project Drawdown and a founding partner of the Urban Permaculture Institute. LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinbayuk or email him kevin@lifteconomy.com.