Annie Forrest - REDF

Our Vision
- Our VisionAn economy that works. for everyone.
- Who We BackWe partner with social entrepreneurs to amplify the success of their businesses and the people they employ.
- How We Do ItWe help our enterprises grow further, faster through a combination of capital, capacity building, and community support.
- ImpactOur partnership accelerates the growth and impact of the enterprises we back.
- InsightsWe evaluate what works and share our learnings to spark action for policy and systems change.
Our Work
- Our WorkWe invest in businesses that reveal and reinforce the talent of people breaking through barriers to employment.
- AcceleratorA six-month cohort-based learning experience for leaders of early-stage enterprises to springboard growth.
- Growth PortfolioA multi-year investment in growth-stage employment social enterprises to help them scale sustainably.
- Impact InvestingFlexible loan capital for employment social entrepreneurs whose lived expertise is their collateral.
- Gov. Partnerships & PolicyAdvocacy and public sector partnerships to advance the field.
- CommunityCurated space and resources to help our social enterprise partners connect, grow, and lead.
- WorkshopREDFworkshop is an open, free virtual capacity building toolbox to help you build, grow, and sustain high-impact employment social enterprises.
Investments
About
- AboutWe envision a thriving and inclusive society where all people have the jobs and the support they need to realize their full potential.
- Mission & CultureIt’s not just what we do, it’s how we do it that matters.
- Our PeopleWe’re a motley crew of leaders and learners dedicated to building an economy that works. For everyone.
- CareersKnowing your work is improving lives is not the only benefit of the job. View opportunities to join our team.
- Farber FellowshipGrad students bring cutting-edge skills and passion to help employment social enterprises reach their full potential.
- SupportersOur generous funders and individual donors make this work possible.
- HistorySince 1997, REDF has been using business as a force for good.
- FinancialsREDF achieves the highest levels of accountability and transparency.
News

As manager of the Appalachian Growth Fund at the REDF Impact Investing Fund (RIIF), Annie is responsible for sourcing opportunities and managing investee relationships to generate a diverse portfolio of enterprises creating and sustaining quality jobs across the Appalachian region. She serves as the primary contact for all aspects of the Fund, including deal sourcing and structuring, partnership-building, and fund resource optimization.

Annie is a proud 8th generation Appalachian from Southwest Virginia. She is passionate about creating opportunities and economic prosperity for Appalachians and rural communities broadly. She holds a B.A. in psychology and women, gender, & sexuality from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business with concentrations in corporate finance and social entrepreneurship. Annie was the co-chair of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship’s Initiative on Impact Investing (CASE i3) at Fuqua and has experience working with CDFIs, such as Appalachian Community Capital and Self-Help Credit Union. Annie previously served as Director, Program Growth at the One Love Foundation, overseeing business development, national program expansion, and policy efforts around relationship health education to prevent abusive relationships.

Annie joined REDF as a Farber Fellow in 2023, working with Coalfield Development Corporation in Huntington, West Virgina on building capital stacks for their large-scale community revitalization projects. Outside of work, you can find Annie going on long road trips, hiking, biking, and camping anywhere (especially in the Appalachian mountains!), or fanatically thrift shopping.