We work hard to create
hemispheric prosperity
That is no small task
Long story short
Many of us are looking for sound investments. But few find opportunities that truly make a difference, both to our portfolios and to the communities in which we invest.
Deetken Impact is a Canadian impact investing firm, and we offer you both. Our priority is delivering strong, uncorrelated stable returns to our clients. But we differ from other firms in two striking ways:
- One, our focus is geographic. Our mission is to make a social and environmental impact in the Americas, with a deeper focus on investing in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region which — like other emerging markets — is projected to grow at 2x the rate of advanced economies in the next 5 years. Access to capital is necessary to capture and nurture this growth.
- Two, we focus our investments on impact businesses that promote entrepreneurship, provide or improve access to basic services, and strengthen climate resilience. We seek-out untapped opportunities for growth in a diversity of sectors that positively impact communities in the Americas.
Our hands-on approach allows us to provide not only the financial resources that micro, small and medium size businesses in the region need but also the technical assistance required to ensure long-term growth and success.
We have the power
to do well
while
doing good
Years of Experience
Countries Impacted
Investments Completed
Our Team
Deetken Impact Values Diversity
Jose Lamyin
Alexa Blain
Managing Partner
Magali Lamyin
Erik Wallsten
Fernando Alvarado
Carl Black
Partner & Chief Investment Officer
Sustainable Energy
Rachel Murphy
Alejandra Revueltas
Regina Cuadra
Betsy Gaborit
Ana Maria Martinez
Didier Alpizar
Maria Fernanda Correa
Laura Sanz
Lucia Echeverria
Heather Van Mil
José Lamyin
Managing Partner
José has extensive experience as a business advisor for clients throughout Canada, Europe and Latin America in mining, telecommunications, and finance. Prior to co-founding The Deetken Group, José worked for Teck Cominco in Peru and Canada and Deutsche Bank in London (UK). José has spearheaded much of the strategic growth of Deetken Asset Management since inception and is currently focused on investment selection.
José received his BS in Engineering from the University of British Columbia and MBA from IESE School of Business (Barcelona). Born in Peru, José is fluent in English and Spanish.
Alexa Blain
Managing Partner
Alexa is responsible for finance, operations and investor relations at Deetken Impact. She brings over 10 years of experience in financial consulting and asset management, with specific expertise in company and investment analysis, business valuation and securities/corporate finance. Prior to joining Deetken, she spent three years with African Alliance, a pan-African financial services group, where she focused on expanding the firm’s retail financial services operations as well as on the origination and negotiation of new capital. In addition, Alexa has six years of asset management experience with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the Macquarie Group and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Alexa is a CFA Charterholder. She has also completed an MA in Financial Economics and an Honours BA in Economics, both at the University of Toronto.
Fernando Alvarado
Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy, CEO
In his role at Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy, Fernando leads as CEO, General Partner and Investment Advisor of two clean energy and energy efficiency project finance and venture capital funds: Honduras Renewable Energy Financing Facility (H-REFF) and Caribbean Basin Sustainable Energy Fund (CABEF), which he structured and runs with a combined target capitalization of $100m.
Development Investment Banker with 28 years of international credit and investment experience and 18 years of direct experience assessing diversified renewable energy portfolios in Latin America & the Caribbean. He has participated in more than 50 syndicated credit and investment transactions for renewable energy projects in excess of $250 MM. He led the creation, structuring, fundraising, legal closing and portfolio construction of several specialized renewable energy funds.
Costa Rican, based in San Jose, Mr. Alvarado has an MBA in Banking and Finance cum laude from Universidad de Costa Rica.
Carl Black
Chief Investment Officer, Sustainable Energy
Carl is a Portfolio Manager with Deetken Impact focused on analyzing and working with MSMEs, social enterprises, and renewable energy developers in Latin America and the Caribbean. His main responsibilities include supporting business development, managing technical assistance projects, leading investment due diligence, and monitoring portfolio performance. Prior to joining Deetken Impact, Carl worked for five years as a consultant, advising public sector clients an non profits in Canada and financial services companies in Latin America. He started his career at the Bank of Canada, where he researched issues related to household and business credit.
Carl completed an Honours BA in Economics at the University of British Columbia. He also holds an MSc in Economics & Development from the University of Oxford, where he earned distinctions in quantitative and development economics.
Magali Lamyin
Managing Partner
Magali is Managing Partner of Deetken Impact and oversees the impact management and communications strategy at Deetken Impact. She also leads business development efforts for current funds under management and co-leads the strategic development of new funds. She has actively participated in the company’s investment decisions for the past ten years and currently leads the pipeline development for various segments and countries. She is a member of the investment committees of three of Deetken Impact’s five investment funds where among business and financial considerations, she ensures the integration of social, environmental and gender considerations in the investment decision process.
Magali is passionate about advancing gender equality in the region where we invest and has been instrumental in developing the company’s gender-lens investing approach and its implementation across all our investment funds.
Magali brings extensive market intelligence, business development and marketing experience from her work at the Central Bank of Mexico, the Canadian Institute for Market Intelligence, and the IESE-PWC e-Business Centre in Barcelona. She also managed businesses in the hospitality and early childhood education sectors for almost a decade before joining Deetken.
Magali holds a BA in Economics from Mexico’s ITAM and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia.
Betsy Gaborit
Investment Officer
As an Investment Officer at Deetken Impact, Betsy analyses investment opportunities and conducts investment due diligence, monitors portfolio performance, supports business development, technical assistance projects, and impact measurement and management of our portfolio. Her previous experience includes the formulation and execution of projects and finance for more than 10 years with various international organizations including the Interamerican Development Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and the United Nations Development Programme. She also worked in project development and finance at microfinance institution Fondo para el Desarrollo Solidario, and with the Government of Guatemala in the negotiation and contracting of funds for international cooperation.
Betsy has Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s in Project Formulation and Evaluation both from University of San Carlos in Guatemala. She is a certified professional in Microfinance Management by the Boulder Institute of Microfinance, and in Lead Risk Management by the PECB group.
Maria Fernanda Correa
Investor Relations Officer
Maria Fernanda is responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with its global investor base, supporting the mobilization of capital for investment funds, and ensuring high quality and consistent communications with investors, technical assistance providers and intermediaries.
She has over 12 years of experience working in risk management, strategic planning and corporate reporting in the renewables sector in Latin America. Her previous experience includes designing decision-making practices at ISAGEN, one of the largest electricity generators in Colombia, currently owned by Brookfield Asset Management. At ISAGEN, she spearheaded the business and risk outlook analysis of the company.
Maria Fernanda holds a Master in Business Administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a MA in Economics from University of British Columbia in Canada.
Rachel Murphy
Senior Impact & Gender Officer
As the Impact & Gender Officer, Rachel implements the impact management framework of the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund and supports the impact strategy of all Deetken Impact funds. She conducts impact and gender due diligence and monitoring throughout the investment lifecycle, including data collection, analysis, preparation of investment materials, and report development.
To support companies in achieving business and impact goals, Rachel also leads technical assistance engagements with portfolio and pipeline companies across the region, with a specialty in gender-focused engagements and capacity-building for stakeholders. In addition, to support the growth and thought leadership of Deetken Impact, she oversees the implementation of the communications strategy, develops impact-focused content, and cultivates international partnerships.
Rachel brings strong experience in social innovation after leading the design and execution of acceleration programs at Alterna, Central America’s first Center for Social Entrepreneurship, working directly with a diversity of social entrepreneurs and SMEs to drive sustainable growth and maximize impact. She also developed analytical capacities while advising top U.S. and international firms in growth strategy and transactional engagements at L.E.K. Consulting.
Erik Wallsten
Managing Partner
Erik was the Founder and Managing Partner of Adobe Capital, one of Latin America’s leading impact investment fund managers and now part of Vancouver-based Deetken Impact. Over the last decade, he has played a catalytic role in the growth of the impact investing sector in Latin America. Before launching Adobe Capital, he worked at various private equity and venture capital funds in Mexico. Erik received an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering with Honors from Universidad Iberoamericana.
Alejandra Revueltas
Senior Portfolio Officer, Alternative Finance
Alejandra is a financial professional with experience in public and private financial markets. She joined Deetken Impact in 2021 when Adobe Capital and Deetken Impact chartered a joint partnership. At Adobe Capital she led the portfolio performance monitoring including relationship and strategic management with portfolio companies. At Deetken Impact, she is responsible for the investor relations as well as the impact management process for Alternative Finance. Prior to Adobe Capital, Alejandra served as Business Manager Associate at J.P. Morgan Chase in Mexico City, specializing in financial products’ implementation, such as structured notes and investment funds, among others. She has participated in various independent research projects as well as in consulting services while working at Avivar Capital, a U.S.-based SEC registered investment advisory firm focused on managing impact investing portfolios. She also serves as Board Member at some impact-driven companies such as Salauno and Habvita. Alejandra holds a master’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California, and a BA in Financial Administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City, with an International Business certificate from Fudan University in China.
Lucia Echeverria
Human Resources Manager
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and an MBA from the Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona.
Regina Cuadra
Senior Investment Officer – Sustainable Energy
Regina joined Deetken Impact as an Investment Officer, where she evaluates new investment opportunities and monitors the current investments for Deetken Impact´s Sustainable Energy funds throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Prior to joining Deetken, Regina served as CFO at Inkia´s Energy subsidiaries located in several Central American countries, where she focused on a broad business scope, specializing in strategic initiatives, asset management, project financing, and business development.
Regina is a Finance Specialist from INCAE Business School. She holds an MBA from EGADE Business School and Universidad America, and a BA degree with a major in finance from Universidad Americana.
Laura Sanz
Investment Officer
Laura is an Investment Officer at Deetken Impact, where she evaluates investment opportunities and participates in due diligence processes for the Investment, Enterprise and Sustainability (INES) Program.
Prior to joining Deetken Impact, she worked in Costa Rica and was responsible for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; developing, designing, construction, financing, and operating more than 5MW in Distributed Generation, as well as a large portfolio of HVAC Energy Efficiency Projects.
Previously, she also gained project management experience in Spain, working at Cenit Solar, a renewable energy company where she started her career in solar photovoltaic projects.
Laura holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Forestry Engineering with a Specialization in Renewable Energy from the Universidad de Valladolid in Spain.
Heather Van Mil
Marketing & Communications Associate
Heather is a marketing & communications professional with more than a decade of experience, who is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) reach their audience through the power of persuasive storytelling. As the Marketing & Communications Associate, Heather works closely with each of the Deetken Impact team members to develop and share engaging content about the company’s work and its meaningful impact, through social media posts, blogs and articles, interviews, photos and videos.
Heather brings strong experience in multiple communications sectors including social media management, content marketing, SEO best practices, and public relations. Before joining Deetken Impact, Heather worked as a social media & marketing consultant for a variety of SMEs in diverse industries.
Ana Maria Martinez
Environmental & Social Analyst – Sustainable Energy
Ana is an Environmental and Social Analyst with Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy. She is responsible for the technical analysis, due diligence execution for renewable energy generation initiatives in the Central American and Caribbean region, and supervision of E & S performance during the construction and operation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. She is currently responsible for the monitoring, follow-up, and systematizing the E & S impacts of the portfolio investments, within the framework of the SDGs according to the Operating Principles of Impact Management.
Ana has experience in the execution and supervision of Environmental Management Systems in renewable energy projects and infrastructure, under IFC’s Performance Standards for Sustainability, ISO Standards 14001 and 45001, Safety Management Standards and Occupational Health 18001 (OHSAS), and implementation and supervision of Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS) under IFC’s PS for Sustainability and EPs.
Ana has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a Master’s degree in Total Quality Management from the Catholic University of Honduras.
Didier Alpizar
Technical Advisor – Sustainable Energy
Didier is the technical advisor for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments for Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy. Since 2016 he has actively participated in the technical analysis of new projects and potential investments both in the preparation of due diligence, monitoring during construction and asset management. He has more than 16 years in the renewable energy sector, both in the planning, evaluation, design and construction of renewable energy projects in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as in important infrastructure projects in the region. Didier is Costa Rican living in Honduras, with an Engineering degree from the University of Costa Rica.
Our strategic partners
Deetken Impact builds lasting partnerships with aligned organizations
Deetken Impact and ABACO
Abaco, one of the two largest credit unions in Peru, has been dedicated to financing small and medium enterprises for over 40 years. Deetken Impact began co-investing with Abaco Credit Union in 2010 with a focus on microfinance, SME financing and social enterprises. Abaco was a founding investor in the first fund managed by Deetken Impact and has provided important financial and advisory support as our business has scaled. Abaco has also provided us with pipeline opportunities and access to its unique network of impact related companies.
Deetken Impact and Pro Mujer
Pro Mujer is a leading women’s development organization that empowers underserved women in Latin America in which Deetken first invested in 2012. Since that time, our partnership has deepened to include designing and implementing our gender lens investing approach incorporating gender considerations and metrics at every step of our investment process, as well as the joint execution of the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Program to accelerate gender smart business practices at our portfolio companies and build the gender lens investing (GLI) ecosystem in Latin America.
Deetken Impact and Climate Investment Funds
Deetken Impact and IDB Lab
Technical and Social-Environmental Expertise
Based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, our technical team has over 20 years of experience in various aspects of the development and operation of renewable energy projects in the region. They perform project evaluation through technical, environmental and social sustainability performance standards during the due diligence and investment approval process.
Once an investment is approved, they monitor and supervise the construction and operation of the projects, and support the measurement and reporting of social and environmental impact metrics for the life of the investment.
Where does the “Deetken” Name Come From?
Over 20 years ago, the co-founders of the Deetken Group, inspired by the Deetken family’s entrepreneurship, innovation, and devotion to their community, adopted their name and, with it, a commitment to creative problem-solving and positive impact by investing in social enterprises and renewable energy projects supporting the transition to renewable energy and a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. Read the full story here.
Deetken Impact sees tremendous opportunity for attractive double or triple bottom line investments in the impact space especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, we actively examine North American opportunities that meet our investment criteria.
We believe that impact investing in Latin America should be accessible to anyone who is looking to invest and who cares about a social or environmental issue. It should not be the exclusive preserve of financial institutions, large companies or high net-worth individuals.
Our strong networks, combined with our proprietary financial and social due diligence methodologies, have provided us with an extensive and diverse pipeline of investment opportunities.
Memberships and Affiliations
