FOUNDERS
OUR STORY
We previously worked together to build an international public-private fund to address systemic economic drivers of modern slavery and forced labor risks in supply chains. The result was 75M USD of funding for 40 projects on the ground addressing migration risks for domestic workers from the Philippines, public-private partnerships for migrant construction workers in India, and financial sector partnerships to leverage anti-money laundering protocols to go after illicit funds of traffickers.
Building on our experience building and managing a fund and working across sectors to address root cause issues and intransigent global challenges, in January 2023, we envisioned a new fund to invest in a vibrant planet and human health. Based on the Biophilia Hypothesis and tapping into our backgrounds in biology, molecular genetics, and corporate sustainability, we kicked off an effort to develop a nature-based thesis.
Natalya Wallin
Co-founder, GP, Managing Director
Natalya brings extensive experience in executive leadership, fund management, board management, fundraising, investor relations, public-private partnerships, and building organizations and teams.
Her role is to provide executive leadership and vision, ensure organizational alignment, spearhead external engagement, build strategic partnerships across sectors, and lead investor relations.
She has a background in biology and molecular genetics, previously served as Managing Director for a $75M public-private fund focused on forced labor risks in supply chains, earned her Exec MBA at Duke and MPP at UChicago and was named a Forte Fellow for women in leadership.
Natalya is a LifeTime Foundation athlete and ultrarunner, a top 30 female finisher at the Leadville 100 and 8th place female at the Moab 240-miler.
Melissa Kim
Co-founder, Advisor
Melissa brings extensive expertise as an operator in leading large teams to drive product innovation, business growth, and peak performance across companies, startups, and executive teams.
A co-founder in developing and investing in the founding vision for Vitality and focus on nature-based solutions, Melissa continues to serve as a strategic sounding board, providing insights and support at key milestones and ad hoc engagement with portfolio companies with a focus on revenue growth, risk assessment, and executive teams.
She earned her dual degree B.S./MBA at Cornell where she spearheaded early efforts on corporate sustainability.
Melissa surfs and is a practitioner of mindfulness and meditation.