The Founder of One of Tesla's First Institutional Investors Explains Why Social Impact Is So Important to Her Strategy Nancy Pfund and DBL Partners have made big business of the double bottom line.

By Alice

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

People, planet and profit are three words that Nancy Pfund knows well. As the founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, Pfund and her team were one of the first venture capital firms to make social impact a part of their investment thesis. That double bottom line philosophy led DBL to become one of the first institutional investors in Tesla -- and Pfund to cheekily suggest that Elon Musk forego his private plane to reduce his carbon footprint.

Pfund shared another anecdote of writing an investment check after a chance encounter with Farmers Business Network founders Amol Deshpande and Charles Baron. The BIZ Experiencess were prepared to take advantage of the run-in and pitched Pfund on the fly.

To craft the perfect pitch for those five-minute windows of opportunity, check out this Alice resource collection.

Other companies in the DBL portfolio include SolarCity, SpaceX, Off Grid Electric, Andela, The Muse and Pandora.


Alice is a free digital platform that makes smart, instant connections between business owners and the resources they need to accelerate sustainable growth and global impact. Alice is open to all founders and prioritizes access for women and other underrepresented business owners.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

Starting a Business

3 Things I Wish I Knew When I Founded a Company 20 Years Ago

If I could sit down with a new B2B founder today, these are the three conversations I'd make sure we had — the same ones I wish someone had with me early on.