David Sturmes-Verbeek

Co-founder and Director Business Innovation & Fundraising The Impact Facility (TIF)

David Sturmes applies his background in value chain development and responsible resource governance to mobilise investment into the professionalisation of the artisanal and small-scale gold and cobalt mining sector across East and Central Africa.

David has been involved in the development and launch of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), a multi-stakeholder action platform dedicated to uplifting artisanal mining communities in DR Congo. Focussing his efforts on member recruitment and fundraising, David has helped build a thriving multi-stakeholder initiative counting 21 organisations across the global battery supply chain, pooling resources and expertise to meaningfully engage with the artisanal miners.

Based in Nairobi, Kenya, David has built a team of mining and finance experts that launched an equipment leasing offering targeting artisanal gold miners across Kenya. Having identified a lack of investment as one of the key reasons for the continued informality of the ASM sector, The Impact Facility looks at equipment leasing to ASM operators as an opportunity to catalyse socio-economic development across rural communities, while creating a responsible source of minerals needed for a just and inclusive green energy transition.