Expanding Conservation Impact through Enterprise Development (EXCITED)

Professor Bhaskar Vira FAcSS is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability, and Professor of Political Economy at the Department of Geography, a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, and an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College.

Trained as an economist, Professor Vira’s research focuses on the political economy of land-use and landscape level strategies, water use and management, forest management, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and human well-being, with a specific focus on South Asia. He works with a number of PhD students and early-career researchers on his broad interests in the political economy of environment and development, and has collaborations with colleagues in both academic and non-academic institutions in South Asia and around the world. Professor Vira is currently leading a major initiative on Decent Work and Youth Livelihoods. He has led large-scale applied research projects that involve interdisciplinary conversations across the natural and social services, and contributes regularly to policy advisory processes across the science-policy interface.

I have over 20 years’ experience in community-based natural resource management, working with multiple stakeholders in both terrestrial and marine contexts in Africa, Latin America, Australia and South & Southeast Asia. I am particularly interested in promoting participatory and equitable approaches to sustainable livelihoods development and environmental governance through the use of creative action learning processes. In 2009 I moved from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at University of Sussex to Fauna & Flora International (FFI). As Director of Conservation, Livelihoods and Governance, I am responsible for the strategic development of FFI’s livelihoods and governance policy & practice, including providing technical advice and support to staff and partners on a range of issues including ecosystem services and human well-being, Protected Area governance, resource use rights, market system development, socio-economic monitoring & evaluation (M&E), and climate change adaptation and mitigation (REDD+).

Originally trained as a Zoologist but with a keen interest in the interaction between business and biodiversity. I now focus on emerging environmental markets, impact investment and engagement with the broader finance sector leading FFI’s work in these areas.  Before joining FFI in 2006 Paul lived and worked in Ecuador and Indonesia researching and advising on a range of issues including sustainable oil and gas exploration and palm oil development. Recently spent time with F&C asset management and The Body Shop International where he identified and advised on the economic incentives and the supporting structures needed to encourage companies to protect tropical rainforests and analysed company exposure to natural commodities with environmental and/or social risk throughout the supply chain globally, respectively. He also has experience in the UK working with the South Downs National Park Authority and the Environment Agency, analysing and recommending on economic opportunities for rural businesses. He has an MBA from the University of Cambridge, an MSc from King’s College London and a BSc from Cardiff University.

Neil Stott was Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust. Until April 2015. Keystone is one of the largest development trusts in the country delivering, community development, social enterprises and property development.
Previously Neil was Head of Community Development at Canterbury City Council, Principal Officer (Community) at Cambridge City Council and a youth and community worker for a number of children’s charities including Mencap, Elfrida Rathbone and Contact-a-Family in London.

Neil graduated from Bradford University with a BA (Hons) in Peace Studies (1983). More recently Neil completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Sociology at Anglia Ruskin University in 2003, a Masters in Community Enterprise at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School in 2005 and a Doctorate in Professional Studies at Middlesex University (2012).

Neil is a Senior Associate of Locality’s consultancy. Neil is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Senior Fellow of the Institute of Place Management (SFIPM) and Visiting Fellow of Anglia Ruskin University.
Neil has contributed to numerous policy and academic publications as well as mentoring and lecturing at Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge.

Paul Tracey is Professor of Innovation and Organization and Academic Director of the Centre for Social Innovation at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. Between 2011 and 2013 he was an Economic and Social Research Council Mid-career Fellow. His research interests include social innovation, regional innovation, and institutional change. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Stirling.

Luis E. (Lucho) Osorio-Cortes is a senior markets systems specialist at Practical Action Consulting and BEAM Exchange. He has more than 15 years’ experience in international development and specialises in facilitation of market systems development and organisational learning. Lucho also coordinates The Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI), a working group of the SEEP Network helping practitioners to become more effective facilitators of inclusive market development programs. Lucho’s experience in environmental conservation and market development includes lagoon fisheries in Sri Lanka, native potatoes in high Andes in Peru, riverine islands (char lands) in Bangladesh and non-timber forest products in Guyana and Tajikistan, amongst others.