Open to opportunities

Leo Chandler

@leochandler

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Impact investor and venture partner driving climate and social returns.

United Kingdom

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What I'm looking for

I seek senior roles in impact investing or venture that combine fundraising, strategy and ESG to scale climate and social-focused portfolios.

I am an impact investor and innovation strategist with 10+ years' experience across venture capital, impact investing, start-up operations, consulting and international development. I have led 20+ early-stage investments, contributed at board level, and built origination, ESG and climate investment strategies for institutional endowments and funds.

My strengths include fundraising, business development, operations and scaling assets under management, with sector expertise in climate tech, health, education and the future of work. I combine rigorous impact measurement and responsible investment practices with hands-on support for founders and programme implementation.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Strategy and Operations

Current

Sporting Assets

May 2025 - Present (5 months)

Supporting the CEO to scale AUM from £10m to £50m by leading fundraising, commercial strategy, and AI-driven process optimisation to increase operational scalability.

Fundraising & Strategy AUM Growth Process Optimization Commercial Strategy Operations Investor Relations

Associate Investment Director

Nesta

Feb 2019 - Apr 2025 (6 years 2 months)

Led 20+ early-stage investments (£500k–£2m) across climate tech, health, edtech and future of work, built Nesta’s origination and diligence processes, and supported ESG analysis of a £450m endowment.

Originations Due Diligence ESG Portfolio Management Fundraising Board Governance

Venture Fellow

SOSV / IndieBio

May 2023 - Aug 2023 (3 months)

Supported fundraising and market research for SOSV's $300m fund, advised biotech startups on scale-up strategy, and sourced and diligenced prospective portfolio companies.

Fundraising Market Research Startup Advising Sourcing Investment Analysis Life Sciences

Senior Associate

PwC / British International Investment / FCDO

Dec 2016 - Jan 2019 (2 years 1 month)

Oversaw a multi-million-pound grant programme, supported PE and Fund-of-Funds investing in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and led impact measurement and capital mobilisation strategies.

Grant Management Impact Measurement Stakeholder Engagement Development Finance

Intern

Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Oct 2016 - Nov 2016 (1 month)

Shadowed UK equity, bond and responsible investment desks and conducted ESG and SDG diligence for public market equities, supporting key stakeholder engagements.

Equity Research Fixed Income Exposure Stakeholder Engagement Financial Analysis

Policy Analyst

Inter-American Development Bank

Oct 2015 - May 2016 (7 months)

Led evaluation of science and technology policy interventions across South America and authored a 10,000-word impact report with policy recommendations to support innovation.

Research Report Writing

People Lead

K-10 Social Enterprise

Jan 2014 - Jan 2015 (1 year)

Developed youth outreach, recruitment and apprenticeship strategy and drove business development partnerships with councils, developers and training providers.

Recruitment Strategy Apprenticeship Outreach Partnerships Business Development Stakeholder Management

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

London School of Economics and Political Science

Master of Science, Development Management

2015 - 2016

Grade: High Merit

Completed an MSc in Development Management with High Merit, focusing on development economics, technological innovation, and regional development.

University of Manchester

Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Politics & Modern History

2010 - 2013

Grade: First Class

Graduated with first-class honours in Politics and Modern History with focus on international policy, political science, and African history; awarded the Manchester World History Award for Academic Achievement.