About Us

Who We Are

A team of conservation finance practitioners, committed to supporting Indigenous-led biodiversity credit pilots in British Columbia.

Our Mission

Translating Global Frameworks Into Local, Indigenous-Governed Action

InSight Biodiversity is a BC-based team, currently focused on translating the Savimbo Indicator Species Biodiversity Methodology (ISBM) into locally credible, Indigenous-governed pilot projects in British Columbia.

We are not affiliated with Savimbo financially. Our role is to adapt and test ISBM approaches under Indigenous governance in BC, share learning back into national and global nature finance conversations, and reduce the technical burden and risk for implementing communities. We act as capacity multipliers, not gatekeepers. We are here to build solidarity between the stewards of the land we so respect.

Our Structure

Designed for Social and Environmental Impact, Not Stock Options.

InSight Biodiversity is being structured to reflect our values — not just describe them. Whether as a Benefit Company or non-profit society, our guiding principle is the same: socio-ecological priorities come first. Environmental conservation, Indigenous governance, FPIC, and data sovereignty are not add-ons to our business model, they are the business model. We are currently finalizing the legal structure that best enables us to operate on those terms.

Indigenous Governance & FPIC

All work proceeds only with Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Decision-making authority rests with the Indigenous Communities at every stage.

Data Sovereignty

Biodiversity data, photos, and cultural information remain under Indigenous control. We co-design governance protocols with each partner community.

Open-Access Knowledge

We are interested in building field-wide capacity rather than competitive advantage. All frameworks, templates, and tools are freely shared with other Indigenous Communities and allied organizations.

The Team

Co-Founders

Connor Haynes

Connor Haynes

Co-Founder — Restoration & Land Systems

British-born Canadian with experience conducting salmon habitat restoration with Indigenous Groups in B.C, as well as restoring degraded ecosystems with local communities in Latin America. Holds qualifications pertaining to carbon accounting and MRV, and currently works with the Alliance of Bioversity–CIAT on improving national land-use change emissions reporting for Latin American countries. A Master of International Forestry graduate, with an authentic appreciation for the natural environment and a firm willingness to support and progress its preservation.

connor@insightbiodiversity.ca
Vivekan Jeyagaran

Vivekan Jeyagaran

Co-Founder — Climate Finance & Systems Change

Vivekan is a Sri Lankan-born Tamil Canadian raised with ancestral and cultural knowledge and practices intertwined with the lands that house and nurture us, and all life. He comes to this line of work with a background in designing, implementing, and measuring systems-change programs for poverty reduction, inclusive economics, and nature-positive agri-food and land use systems across Africa and Asia. Now a Masters of International Forestry graduate, his commitments are steadfast towards strengthening sovereignty (land, food, and beyond), land stewardship, and exploring new... all in pursuit of advancing regenerative, just, and inclusive economic systems.

vivekan@insightbiodiversity.ca
Jake Raynard

Jake Raynard

Co-Founder — Community Engagement & MEL

Jake came to conservation finance by way of small business ownership in Canada and more than a decade living in Taiwan and Austria. His Master of International Forestry at UBC included research on emerging voluntary biodiversity credit markets, drawing on carbon market lessons to understand what high-integrity looks like in practice. This, combined with time at the Global Landscapes Forum in Kenya supporting better designed impact reporting systems for grassroots restoration organizations directly informs how InSight approaches everything, from project co-design, community engagement, monitoring and data governance in its BC pilots.

jake@insightbiodiversity.ca