Van Pittman

October 24, 2023

Van, a seventh-generation Floridian from Tampa, grew up spending his weekends hunting on his family’s ranch just outside of Brooksville, Florida. His early fascination with the outdoors ignited a passion for ecology and a determination to enhance the wildlife habitat on their property. This commitment has driven him for over a decade, striving to restore the land to a more native and wildlife-friendly state, but with a mandate to do so in a financially rewarding way. Van recognizes the immense potential for landscape-level ecological improvement at the convergence of conservation and finance, commonly known as “Ecosystem Services.” He pursues this objective through various avenues including converting improved pastures into longleaf plantations, wetland mitigation banking, and carbon sequestration. As an advocate for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, Van champions the preservation of interconnected natural landscapes throughout the state. He firmly believes in the importance of conserving privately owned native landscapes, which are rapidly vanishing due to widespread development. Having previously worked in both private equity and private credit funds, Van now serves as an Associate at Bourne Partners, managing investments for the founder’s family office in Charlotte, NC.