Earned knowledge. Transformative practice
We partner with great people, on work that inspires us, to generate positive impact.
Our vision is to harness the power of investment capital to accelerate the global transition to a sustainable and equitable future.
At Ecotone Partners we strive to be a trusted partner for others that share this vision.
Ecotone Partners was founded on a belief: that the capital structures of conventional finance are not purpose built for impact.
“We don’t just understand impact finance. We can design, mobilise and manage it over time.”
We are practitioners first. People who have spent careers at the intersection of capital markets, public policy and measurable impact.
We work with governments designing the next generation of blended finance instruments, with philanthropic foundations seeking to sharpen and evidence their impact, and with investors who want exposure to the capital structures that matter most. Our approach is the same in every case: rigorous, honest, and built around what actually works.
We are not an investment or advisory firm. We operate, manage and have skin in the game - which means our advice is always grounded in the reality of execution.
An ecotone is the boundary zone between two distinct ecosystems where different worlds meet, and where the most diverse and dynamic conditions exist. Ecotones are messy, generative, and full of possibility. They’re where change happens.
We work in the ecotones of capital: between public and private, between philanthropy and investment, between policy intent and market reality. It is precisely in these complex, contested and often overlooked boundary zones that we find the greatest opportunity to create structures that endure and impact that scales.
The people behind the practice.
Jeremy Burke
Partner
Jeremy is committed to working at the forefront of how we create, and transition to, a greener economy. He has financial services experience in Melbourne, London and New York including extensive experience in developing solutions to deliver responsible and green investments. Most notably Jeremy was part of the establishment and operations of the UK Green Investment Bank as the inaugural Finance Director and then Director, Strategy. Prior to Ecotone Partners Jeremy was Head of Product & Strategy at Impact Investment Group , where he developed a number of positive investment funds. Jeremy has extensive governance experience within for-profit and not-for-profit organisations and is on the investment committee of Social Enterprise Finance Australia (Sefa) and was previously chair of the Audit & Risk Committee for CDP Worldwide (the leading global environmental reporting platform). Jeremy has run a number of marathons, most noticeably the Medoc wine marathon, and is convinced he has one more just around the corner, ‘to prove to the kids I’ve still got it’.
Cyle Chua
DirectorCyle is an analyst at Ecotone Partners and is currently pursuing a Master of Finance at the University of Melbourne. He has extensive experience in building financial models for capital raises, assisting in M&A transactions, and advising on debt refinancing. Cyle is also a data enthusiast dedicated to extracting actionable insights from complex datasets. He excels in designing and implementing robust databases, developing customised business intelligence solutions, and automating workflows to streamline reporting. Outside of work, Cyle enjoys hiking with his 10-year-old orange mini Pomeranian, Casper, and trying unique cuisines with his partner.
Sabina Curatolo
PartnerSabina believes that every decision to allocate capital or resources is an opportunity to contribute to social impact. Sabina started her career as a computer programmer but quickly found her way to international development where she worked with international institutions, government, civil society and the private sector. Since 2016, Sabina has helped shape Australia’s impact investing market, in and from Australia. This has included leading Impact Investing Australia’s award-winning policy development and influencing strategy, evaluating the Department of Social Services impact investing trials, co-authoring an Australian roadmap on gender equity, racial equity, diversity and inclusion, reviewing the impact investment practices of a large foundation, and developing the impact management framework for the Breakthrough Victoria AU$2 billion fund. Sabina loves talking to people, much to the annoyance of her two teenage daughters, whom she shares with her partner, Julian. Sabina is a practitioner of aikido, these days, mostly off the mat.
Amanda Goodman
PartnerAmanda has been at the forefront of impact investing in Australia for much of the past decade, and is passionate about how finance can fuel positive change in the world. Most recently, Amanda was Head of Capital Raising and Investor Relations at Impact Investment Group. She has deep relationships with private clients, family offices and wealth advisory groups across Australia. Amanda helped raise over $700m of investor capital during her time at IIG and helped develop a number of industry-first impact funds in Australia, including Australia’s first 100% impact-focused VC fund. Amanda started her career at Goldman Sachs in the US and UK, after which she became a Principal in a UK-based VC firm. After arriving in Australia in 2001, Amanda worked with LJCB Investment group, a diversified private investment group, and JCA, a non-profit fundraising and planning organisation for the Jewish community. Amanda has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University. Outside of work, Amanda and her husband juggle volunteer boards, raising two teenagers and ensuring someone remembers to feed the dog (a very lovable schnoodle).
Jake Griffiths
Investment DirectorJake has spent more than a decade structuring capital for scale-up businesses and emerging infrastructure projects that do not fit a standard debt or equity box. He is driven to mobilise investment for climate solutions in Australia and in developing markets. Most recently, Jake founded Ridgematter Advisory, advising climate and energy infrastructure businesses on capital strategy, financing structure and M&A. Jake started his career at Challenger, spending seven years in the Specialised Finance team structuring non-vanilla transactions across more than A$1bn, with a heavy focus on asset-backed lending and growth capital. He went on to join C-Quest Capital as Investment Manager, where he raised and deployed approximately US$250m into many energy-efficiency and nature-based infrastructure projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia, and scaled the investment team from three to thirteen. Jake has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, where his thesis examined results-based financing mechanisms for climate investments in developing markets. Outside of work, Jake can be found rock climbing in the Blue Mountains and abroad, or being walked by his dog.
Helani Jayawardhana
AnalystHelani is an analyst at Ecotone Partners, driven by a deep passion for sustainable food systems and the potential of regenerative agriculture to combat climate change. This dedication aligns seamlessly with Ecotone’s mission to champion positive investing, collaborating with companies that offer climate solutions, and leveraging capital to foster a sustainable future. Helani holds a Master of Agricultural Sciences from the University of Melbourne, specialising in food sustainability. Her professional journey began with an internship at SproutX, an agtech accelerator supported by Agriculture Victoria and LaunchVic. Following the internship, Helani was offered a permanent role as SproutX’s Program Officer, where she provided support in program operations and facilitated relationship building with farmers, founders and investors. Helani is a qualified yoga teacher, enjoys hiking and loves making coffee as a casual barista in her spare time.
Nicole Kleid Small
PartnerNicole believes that new funding models hold the key to unlocking both scalable climate action and significant financial returns. Existing funding models are often not fit for purpose for climate solutions. At Ecotone Partners we are working to solve for this. Drawing on 20 years of diverse experience across venture capital, investment banking, and strategy consulting, Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. As Investment Director at Rampersand VC, she played a pivotal role in shaping the fund's investment thesis, leading the team, and holding directorships in portfolio companies. Prior experience at Rothschild, ANZ Bank, and SEEK further refined her financial acumen and strategic thinking. Nicole has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering for The University of Melbourne, and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. Outside of work, Nicole tries to find time to play tennis or go for walks in between juggling her three children.
Dan Madhavan
PartnerDan is passionately curious about how business and finance can be utilised as tools for building a sustainable and equitable future. Before Ecotone Partners, Dan was CEO of Impact Investment Group (IIG), one of Australia’s largest impact fund managers. Dan joined IIG following three years as the inaugural CEO of Impact Investing Australia. In addition to conducting research, education and convening activities, Impact Investing Australia is the primary support organisation for the Australian Advisory Board that leads Australia’s contribution to the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing (formerly the G8 Taskforce). Dan began his career in finance with 13 years at JBWere and Goldman Sachs JBWere across roles as an Investment Advisor, Executive Director Investment Services, Head of Advice - New South Wales, COO and Acting CEO. Outside of work Dan and his wife Laurence have three football (soccer) mad boys who play at his local club in Berwick where Dan is a coach. Dan is a keen gardener and bee keeper.
Hamza Qureshi
Technical LeadHamza is a problem solver at heart, with a love for turning complex problems into simple, dependable solutions. As Technical Lead at Ecotone Partners, he oversees the software and data infrastructure the firm and its funds run on, from the systems that support the team day to day to the reporting and data that underpin decision-making across the business. Before Ecotone he consulted independently, building data and software capability for businesses in industries ranging from digital health to sports technology, and before that his research at La Trobe University applied machine learning to transport safety. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Computer Science from the University of Melbourne. Outside work, he is a regular at his local chess club, an avid golfer, and housemate to Oreo, a cat with a sweet name and a reputation as the meanest kid on the block.
Acknowledgment of Country
We wish to acknowledge that prior to Europeans arriving this was a land cared for by Aboriginal people for thousands of generations. Every Australian story begins with their story. We acknowledge their care and love of this land and the wisdom of their elders both past and present.
Diversity and Inclusion
We want Ecotone Partners to be an inclusive place to work and to contribute to an inclusive society where every person is treated with respect and dignity regardless of their skin colour, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity or physical ability. Living up to this commitment requires us to think carefully about how we work, how we hire, who we take on as a client, who we partner with and many other actions we take. Placing this statement here serves to provide our investors, founders and other stakeholders with a clear sense of our values.