Scott Rehmus

COO, 5TH ELEMENT GROUP

Scott is a strategic activator of capital for cause who has a unique breadth and depth of hands-on experience in making lasting change. A passion for the oceans led him in to international conservation before he dedicated himself to supporting coastal indigenous communities working to develop economies that maintain their culture and the environment. Most notably, he spent 13 years building a sustainable future for the 19-million-acre Great Bear Rainforest, first with the Packard Foundation and then co-leading two foundations that partnered with 27 First Nations to use $120M to create thriving communities and a thriving environment. The project won the 2016 Fuller Challenge and was cited as “one of the most extraordinary conservation, social justice, and indigenous rights victories in recent memory”.

In 2014, Scott shifted to apply his diverse knowledge and skills to unlock capital for cause, focusing on making it easy for individuals and families to maximize their positive impact by integrating ALL their financial and human capital. To this end, Scott participates each yera in dozen+ convenings as he researches the state of the impact ecosystem, authentically engaging as a sustainable development / collective impact expert, philanthropist, impact investor, and a member of two HNW families. He takes a learn-by-doing approach, engaging in a diversity of projects including: launching a peer learning community and a social enterprise startup; helping high-impact nonprofits pivot to more diversified funding streams; transforming the finance and governance of his church; and engaging with his Atlanta- and San Francisco-based families on their individual and collective impact journey.

Scott's degrees in science and policy focus on coastal systems, esp. in N. America and Honduras. He has served on numerous non-profit, religious, and corporate boards that work towards a more just and sustainable world.