Nigel Sharp is an Australian biodiversity impact investor, conservationist, and environmental business innovator. Nigel builds and invests in “nature-first” businesses, having tangible positive impacts on nature and the community, while being profitable, successful companies.Nigel’s passion for agriculture and conservation started on the family farm in South West Victoria. Nigel would spend his summers helping his father with Soil Conservation Authority projects. As they planted trees along the creek lines and gullies, he knew he would pursue a purposeful life working in conservation.Before beginning in biodiversity recovery, Nigel worked in senior positions across the property and fund management industries. Starting as a rural land valuer, he became an Associate Director for Knight Frank, prior to establishing Australia Asia Investment Management (AAIM). As CEO of AAIM, Nigel oversaw the ASX listing of Flinders Industrial Property Trust, growing it to a $300 million property portfolio when it was taken over by Stockland in the early 2000s. Until 2018, Nigel was also Chair of Kilter Rural, a farmland and ecosystem investment manager.Nigel began pursuing his original passion for conservation in 2001 when he and his wife purchased property on French Island, to conserve and regenerate remnant vegetation and support native fauna. Following its success, he turned to threatened species recovery in 2003 purchasing Mount Rothwell and growing it to be Victoria’s largest feral predator-free ecosystem (473ha), housing several successful captive breeding programs and 80% of mainland Eastern Barred Bandicoot population.Mount Rothwell was not only building vital threatened species’ populations – they were also building valuable partnerships and growing a successful business. Nigel used what he learnt at Mount Rothwell to create ‘The 7Cs’, an investment and organisational framework that encompasses commercial and Impact outcomes. The framework ensures business still achieve maximum Cashflow and Capital, but these are managed amongst interrelated outcomes for Creatures, Climate, environmental Corridors, the Community and Indigenous Culture. Today, Nigel plays an integral role directing the strategy and growth of the ‘nature-first’ organisations he has founded over the past 15 years using the 7Cs Impact Framework and philosophy.Nigel envisages a future where all businesses are ‘nature-first’, striving to increase their bottom-line and biodiversity, through clearly demonstrating they not mutually exclusive goals.