Ben Guillon Email & Phone Number

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Denver Metropolitan Area

Conservation Investment Management is a business incubation and investment company focused on nature conservation.After working for several sophisticated investors, I realized that the main limitation in the conservation finance space is the lack of quality deal flow. Most entrepreneurs do not think of nature conservation as a field where they can develop a succesful company. Local communities and activists are directly faced with the consequences of environmental degradation, but they lack the business acumen to succesfully develop ventures. CIM's team bridges the worlds of business, investment and ecology. In partnership with local communities, we develop, incubate, prototype and grow profitable businesses that protect and restore nature.

Denver, Co And San Rafael, Ca

WRA is one of the leaders in environmental services in the Western United States.As chairman, I lead a realignment of the company’s strategy, including a change in executive leadership, a reorganization of the board of directors and a change in the company culture.As Chief Investment Officer, I developed and lead WRA’s conservation finance practice, making WRA one of the most prominent developers of mitigation and conservation banks in the western U.S. I personally lead the development of several wetland mitigation and habitat conservation banks in California, Colorado and Wyoming.

Washington, Dc And San Francisco, Ca

Led origination, analysis, and structuring of over $40 million in conservation investments, including wetland and species conservation banks, and forest carbon projects in the U.S. and in Malaysia. Worked directly with New Forests’ investment committee to approve and manage investments

Washington, Dc Usa

Managed an investment portolio of nature-based businesses, such as a fly fishing ecotourism venture in Mongolia. Participated in the development of the Biodiversity and Agricultural Commodities Program (BACP)

Washington, Dc Usa And Luzaka, Zambia

Co-authored a study on the economic impact of nature-based tourism in Zambian national parksDeveloped and managed several nature conservation projects in Africa. These included a GEF project leveraging payments for ecosystem services to develop a transnational protected area system in the Congo Basin, as well as a BioCarbon Fund project focused on small landowners in Benin

Kourou, French Guyana

Supported France/Brazil transnational cooperation on sustainable wildlife management in the Amazon

Conakry, Guinea Conakry

Developed an investment proposal for a small-scale fish smoking factory to support a local women's community

Paris Area, France

Customized independent study of zoological medicine (full-time summer, half-time academic year)Focused on ethology, enclosure enrichment, endoscopic diagnostics, and general zoo management

Pointe-Noire, Republic Of The Congo

Habitat Ecologique et Liberté des Primates' goal is to reintroduce to the wild chimpanzees that were victims of illegal trafficking. My role included opening and maintaining trails, surveying wildlife and poaching signs, and monitoring the health and behaviour of a group of recently released chimpanzees.

Master Of Science - Ms, Environmental Economics

Master Of Public Administration - Mpa, Environment, Agriculture, Forest - Engref

Master Of Science - Ms, Environmental Anthropology / Ethno-Ecology

Msc, Ecology - Livestock And Wildlife Management In Developing Countries

Doctorate, Wildlife Medicine

Activities and Societies: President of the Exotic Wildlife Center, Varsity sailing team