David Berge

Biography

David Berge is the CEO and Founder of the Underdog Foundation. The Underdog Foundation and makes grants and impact investments and advises intermediaries, asset owners and entrepreneurs on impact investing and community investing.

David is the CEO and Founder of Underdog Ventures, LLC, which created a fund investing in impact entrepreneurs gifting parts of their equity for charitable ownership. Underdog Ventures was recognized as one of ten U.S. financial institutions providing especially strong benefits to the environment and one of the top five funds supporting social mission. In his previous consulting firm, David advised high net worth individuals and social venture institutions on deal structures, negotiations and strategy while providing one third of his work on a pro bono basis for community development organizations.

He was formerly the Senior Vice President of Community Investment at Vancity, North America’s largest community development credit union with over 500,000 members and $21.7 billion in assets, where he oversaw $3.5 billion in loans and over $750 million in impact deals.

Previously, David was the Director of Vermont National Bank’s Socially Responsible Banking Fund, which he grew from $38 million to $208 million U.S. in targeted deposits and impact loans. David was the Senior Loan Officer at the Institute for Community Economics.

David is a former board member and Chair of the Social Investment Forum, the trade association for institutions and professionals in the $17 trillion sustainable, responsible and impact investing industry in the US. He is a former board member of the Social Venture Circle.

David speaks frequently on issues of social venture investing, unique deal structures, and community investment. His work has been highlighted on NPR’s Marketplace, CBS and NBC news, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, Nations Business, and Fast Company.