Darian Hirst

Darian Hirst, a proud Métis, is an investor with BDC Capital, currently playing a lead role in launch of the organization’s new $100M Indigenous equity fund. His work focuses on advancing economic reconciliation and increasing access to capital for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada.

Darian began his career at RBC Ventures, where he specialized in user-centred research, grounding product and strategy decisions in real human needs. He later transitioned into a strategic role supporting mergers and acquisitions, helping the bank navigate a rapidly evolving innovation landscape. He concluded his time at RBC on the enterprise strategy consulting team, advising senior leadership on growth, transformation, and long-term planning.

Driven by a passion for innovation, climate solutions, and entrepreneurship, Darian joined BDC’s Climate Tech Fund before dedicating the last year to building BDC’s new Indigenous equity platform. His work integrates strategic insight, ecosystem understanding, and a deep commitment to empowering Indigenous communities through entrepreneurship.

Beyond his career in venture capital, Darian is also a lifelong musician and multi-instrumentalist currently working on his first full-length album. He brings the same creativity, discipline, and curiosity to his artistic work as he does to investing, learning, and community building.