David Allen

About David Allen

I\'ve spent 20-plus years at the intersection of innovation and impact, building SaaS products, launching startups, and now directing HR and operations at a conservation finance nonprofit. The throughline is the same: find the hard problem, build the team and systems to solve it, and leave things better than I found them.Today, I serve as Director of HR and Operations at Blue Forest Finance, where I lead the people and operational infrastructure that support conservation finance solutions such as the Forest Resilience Bond, a pioneering financing model designed to fund wildfire risk reduction and ecological restoration at scale. It\'s meaningful, challenging work, and it draws on every generalist muscle I\'ve built over a career spanning startups, product strategy, program management, and organizational leadership.Before Blue Forest, my most recent venture was co-founding Trusst Health, a mental health services platform built on the belief that therapy should be accessible, affordable, and stigma-free. We developed a text-based therapy app to meet people where they were, and in 2021 were acquired by telehealth unicorn K Health. After the acquisition, I helped stand up the K Therapy product and worked across the Mental Health division to advance their mission of transforming healthcare delivery.I enjoy consulting with and advising early-stage startups on product strategy, organizational design, and operational foundations — especially at the traction stage where getting the fundamentals right matters most.Outside of work, I double as an adventure travel guide and can usually be found backpacking, biking, or somewhere with a poor Wi-Fi signal and a great view. At home in New Hampshire, I\'m kept honest by my wife, son, and golden retriever Daisy. And yes, I do spend a respectable amount of time on geeky pursuits, D&D, Magic: The Gathering, fantasy novels, video games, and the occasional lightsaber duel.For thought-sharing, networking, mentoring, or simply getting in touch, LinkedIn Messenger works well. Feel free to send an invite to stay connected.Core Skills: Conservation Finance Operations · HR Leadership & Compliance · Early-Stage Startup Strategy · SaaS Product Development & Management · Organizational Design · Program Management · Process Improvement · People Operations · Coaching & Mentorship · Fundraising & Investor Relations · Diversity, Equity & Inclusion · P&L Management

Experience

1. Director of Human Resources and Operations

   Blue Forest

   Dec 2024 — Present · Hanover, NH, US

   Blue Forest is a conservation finance non-profit whose mission is to accelerate the pace and scale of ecological restoration. Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects on private and public lands to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More recently, Blue Forest has also established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform connecting investors to compelling, mission-aligned opportunities in a broader set of asset classes beyond FRB projects, such as private equity and private credit investments.

Education

• Hawaii Pacific University

  MBA, Finance, General

• Marlboro College

  BA, Psychology / Education