Benoît Fontaine has a Master of Laws from Université de Louvain-la-Neuve (1994, with great distinction), as well as a certificate in Economics.
He began his career as the director of a youth association, and then became President of the Fédération de centres d’information pour jeunes, which encompasses 15 organizations and a total of 75 employees.
Passionate about the philanthropy sector, in 1999 he joined the King Baudouin Foundation, the largest foundation in Belgium and a major foundation on the world stage. He was in charge of various programs at the KBF, namely the entrepreneurship program, the Observatory of Associations and Foundations, which compiles data and trends on the charitable sector, various capacity-building programs for non-profit organizations, the Prince Philippe Fund, etc.
As Head of Venture Philanthropy, he launched the Philanthropy Venture Fund, an investment fund that actively helps organizations to develop and restructure by coaching them on good governance, long-term strategy, business models, and impact assessment. This fund is operated in partnership with private sponsors and companies such as BAIN & Company and Accenture, which are all driven to maximize the impacts of philanthropic actions. He is a regular guest speaker at conferences on venture philanthropy.
He also managed a support program for 300 underprivileged youth to help them do better in school and find jobs.
His driving ambition is to create maximum impact on society.