Speakers
Keynote
Geoffrey Moore
Author, Speaker, Advisor, and Venture Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV)
Geoffrey Moore is a best-selling author, a Managing Director at TCG Advisors, a venture partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures and the founder of The Chasm Group. Recognized as a leading business consultant to large companies facing formidable strategic challenges, Moore is the Chairman, Founder and Managing Partner of TCG Advisors, a consulting practice that provides marketing strategy and organizational services to many leading high-technology companies as well as to those in other sectors. In this role, he divides his time between consulting on strategy and transformation challenges with senior executives and developing mental models to support the practice. With this focus in mind he has written Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution. Moore is also a Venture Partner with Mohr, Davidow Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm specializing in specific technology markets, including e-commerce, internet, enterprise software, networking and semiconductors. In this latter role, as a venture partner at a leading “VC” firm, he provides market strategy advice to their high-tech portfolio companies. Moore has made the understanding and effective exploitation of disruptive technologies the core of his life’s work. His books, Crossing the Chasm, Inside the Tornado, The Gorilla Game, Living on the Fault Line and Dealing with Darwin are best sellers and required reading at leading business schools. In his most influential work, Crossing the Chasm, Moore examines the gap or “chasm” which innovative companies and their products must cross in order to reach the lucrative mainstream market. As a follow-up, Moore’s second book, Inside the Tornado, provides readers with insight into how to capitalize on the potential for hypergrowth beyond the chasm, detailing the need for radical shifts in market strategy and prescribing appropriate tactics for succeeding in each stage of the cycle. Geoffrey is the founder of The Chasm Group, a consulting practice based in California that provides market development and business strategy services to many leading high-technology companies. Earlier in his career, he was a principal and partner at Regis McKenna, Inc., a leading high tech marketing strategy and communications company, and for the decade prior, a sales and marketing executive in the software industry.
Rami Branitzky
Senior Vice President, Sustainability Management & Strategy, SAP AG
Rami Branitzky is the Senior Vice President of Sustainability Management & Strategy for SAP worldwide. Earlier, from 2007, he was the Managing Director of SAP Labs North America of SAP AG, where he lead strategy and operations, tapping Silicon Valley’s rich culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to deliver increasing value to its worldwide development organization and to its partners and customers in the United States and Canada. He joined SAP in 2001.He was an early member of the TopTier Software team, holding field and product leadership positions. Mr. Branitzky began his tenure at SAP as vice president of business development, in the global ecosystem and partner group. Since 2006, Mr. Branitzky served as senior vice president in charge of SAP global software solution partnerships. In these positions, he was instrumental in driving SAP ecosystem strategy and partnering practices. His many achievements include launching the “Powered by SAP NetWeaver” partner program, as well as the SAP Endorsed Business Solutions program. Mr. Branitzky holds an MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business.
Panelists
Ricardo Angel
Senior Vice President, GE Energy Financial Services
Ricardo Angel is Senior Vice President for GE Energy Financial Services’ venture capital team, focusing on investment opportunities in the western United States. GE Energy Financial Services focuses on equity investments in companies that pursue game-changing technologies and services throughout the energy and water value chain, from natural resources to clean tech. The GE unit’s venture capital group is one of the most active investors in energy technology markets, with a presence in San Francisco, Munich, Boston and Stamford, CT. Based in San Francisco, Mr. Angel joined GE Energy Financial Services from ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures, where he originated and executed Energy and Cleantech venture capital investments. He previously worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and as a technology consultant with CNA Corporation. Mr. Angel holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in Engineering from the University of Illinois.
Andrew Beebe
Chief Commercialization Officer, Suntech
Andrew Beebe oversees a global sales and marketing organization at Suntech, one of the largest solar companies in the world. Andrew was previously Vice President of Global Product Strategy at Suntech, where he drove the global product roadmap. Andrew joined Suntech in 2008 when his company, EI Solutions was acquired by Suntech Power Holdings. Andrew grew EI Solutions from a 3-person installer to a major regional player supporting customers such as Google, Disney, Sony Pictures, and British Telecom. The 2MW installation at Google’s world headquarters is the largest corporate installation in the US. Andrew has been honored for his work by groups like Global Green and the California League of Conservation Voters with its “Environmental Leadership” Award. Before leading EI Solutions, Andrew helped found the high-concentration PV company, Energy Innovations with Bill Gross at Idealab in 2002. Andrew has also been a partner with the clean-tech consulting firm Clean Edge, where he served as an advisor to investors and early-stage companies working on a range of renewable technologies including solar, wind power, hydrogen and biomass. In 1998, Andrew co-founded Bigstep, one of the world’s first small business e-commerce solutions available online. After achieving profitability with over 9,000 paying customers, Bigstep was acquired by Affinity Internet, Inc. Andrew has served on the boards of the Clean Economy Network, Global Green and The Apollo Alliance, and is one of the founders of the CEO Council for the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE). He is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a BA in Government.
Peter Belisle
President, Energy and Sustainability Services, Jones Lang LaSalle
As President of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Energy and Sustainability Services (ESS) practice, Peter leads a team that generates over $130 million in annual energy savings for clients. Under the credo that sustainability must first be good business, this team serves as sustainability consultant for many Fortune 500 companies, and has completed more than 230 LEED certification projects, in addition to building a robust worldwide solar power solutions practice. With 20 years of experience including directing large development projects for the Walt Disney Company, through his role as President of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Project and Development Services group, Peter has proven that with sound planning and execution, sustainable strategies can reduce portfolio costs and improve return on investment. Peter holds a B.S. in civil engineering and an M.B.A. in real estate and finance from UCLA and is a LEED AP. He is active in the Urban Land Institute and CoreNet Global.
William Brent
Executive Vice President, Weber Shandwick
William Brent has been Executive Vice President at Weber Shandwick FCC and Weber Shandwick Worldwide, Inc. since October 2010, where he built the firm’s clean technology and clean energy practice. Weber Shandwick’s cleantech practice, started in 2005, counsels clients in a range of sectors: low-carbon energy such as solar and wind, smart grid, building materials, water, power storage, smart transportation, green IT, alternative fuels and energy management. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, William was a foreign correspondent in China, working for Agence France-Presse and the Asian Wall Street Journal. During his 16 years in China, Mr Brent was also a successful entrepreneur, founding or co-founding three media and marketing companies. Mr. Brent serves as a member of the Advisory Board, North America for Cleantech Network LLC. He served as a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and still writes about issues in sustainability and technology through his blog – www.mrcleantech.com. He is a founder of the Clean Economy Network, an active member of the US-China Clean Energy Forum and a regular expert contributor to various industry publications. William studied history, Chinese, and science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Beijing Normal University.
Andrew Chung
Principal, Lightspeed Venture Partners
At Lightspeed, Andrew has helped lead the firm’s entry into new areas of investment that include cleantech, education, genomics, and healthcare IT. Prior to Lightspeed, Andrew worked at Bain Capital and TL Ventures, where he supported leveraged buyout and venture investments in software, semiconductors and healthcare. Previously, Andrew worked as a strategy consultant with Bain & Company in Greater China; co-founded and led operations for UberWorks (acq. by NWKC), an e-commerce content aggregation software startup incubated at Trilogy; and directed product management at OnStation, a CRM software company. Andrew earned his BA in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Andrew chairs the Cleantech Advisory Board for The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), serves on the Advisory Board for Stanford Energy Crossroads, and is an advisor to the Cleantech Open.
Tim Cox
Founder, ZingPR
Tim Cox formulates and executes strategic public relations campaigns for emerging cleantech startups. He has been closely involved with the Cleantech Open for 4 years, providing business mentoring services to semifinalists and alumni companies, and is also national PR chair for the organization. Prior to founding ZingPR, he ran corporate marketing, marketing communications, promotions and product marketing functions for companies such as Apple, Autodesk and Schlumberger.
Paul Fox
General Partner, CalCEF
Paul is a cleantech veteran, having worked as an engineer, strategy consultant, and CEO of several start-ups. He combines operational experience in seven countries, early-stage technology marketing and finance, and deep networks in the clean-tech community. Paul was the founder of tech2mkt, a technology commercialization firm and venture partner to several investors, governments and R&D institutions. Paul was the first “hire” in the US for Xerocoat, a solar start-up backed by Nth Power and SXVP, and delivered their market strategy and first major contracts. He is also the US-based Venture Partner at the University of Queensland. Paul was recently selected to the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program, a network of venture capitalists operating at 160 venture firms and corporate venture groups in 26 countries on 6 continents, collectively deploying $50B in venture capital. Previously, Paul was founding CEO of SC Power Systems, a grid-scale energy technology company now listed on the AIM as Zenergy Power (ZEN). Before that, he was VP, Operations Development at Flextronics, an electronics design, fabrication, assembly, and test company, and the CEO of a fuel cell company backed by Flextronics. In other roles, Paul built the first mobile phones made in Hungary, was a strategy consultant at PA Consulting Group during the de-regulation of the electricity and water markets and was operations manager for one of Australia’s largest construction organizations. Paul began his career building water and power systems in remote localities. He also invented and deployed a hydro-pneumatic pile driving system for use in wetlands. Paul has an MBA from Monash University and a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of New South Wales; both members of Australia’s “Ivy League”.
Keith Gillard
General Partner, Pangaea Ventures, Ltd.
Keith Gillard is the General Partner of Pangaea Ventures Ltd., a Vancouver based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage cleantech companies with advanced materials innovation. Keith has twenty years’ experience as an investor and entrepreneur, the past nine of which have been focused on venture investing in cleantech and advanced materials. Keith was President of BASF Venture Capital America Inc. from 2006 through 2010, during which he established the Silicon Valley VC presence for the company and led investments into SDCmaterials Inc., Luca Technologies LLC and Ultracell Corporation, amongst many others. From 2001-2006, Keith was with Mitsubishi Corporation and responsible for technology-related investment and business development activities in Canada, with a specific focus on cleantech. Keith began his career in investment banking, structuring mergers and acquisitions as well as joint ventures in manufacturing technology in China. In the late 1990′s, Keith had a five-year spell as an entrepreneur in IT, establishing three companies in succession and taking them from business plan through financing to completion of product and exit. Keith sits on the steering committee of the Alberta Ingenuity Fund’s nanoWorks, is the co-author of Inside the Minds: Energy Venture Capital Best Practices and is a founding member of the Californian Consortium on Green Chemistry, the Synthetic Biology Industry Association and the C100.
Steve Hahn
Research Fellow, Ventures and Business Development Group, Dow Chemicals
As Research Fellow, Steve leads Dow’s effort to identify emerging, strategically aligned chemical and material business opportunities. Steve was named a Dow Chemical Company Inventor of the Year in 1990 and 1996, was the Distinguished Alumni Lecturer at Michigan Technological University in 1996 and 2003, and was presented the Dow Chemical Company Michigan Scientists Organization Excellence In Science Award in 1999. He was a Visiting Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 2002. He has represented Dow on the Technical Advisory Board for the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut and the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board at Michigan Technological University. He was a recipient of the American Chemical Society Cooperative Research Award in 2008.
Sheeraz Haji
CEO, Cleantech Group
As CEO of Cleantech Group, Sheeraz Haji is amongst the most influential cleantech thought-leaders and trusted advisors to global companies and executives. The company has played an influential role in the development of the category, fostering growth through critical information products, world class research and the highest caliber industry connections. The Cleantech Group is credited with originating the term Cleantech in 2002. Today, as a global company, the Cleantech Group fills market gaps to accelerate market adoption, stimulate demand and remove barriers. Prior to joining the company, Sheeraz served for eight years as co-founder and CEO of GetActive, a venture-backed software-as-a-service and customer relationship management company providing CRM tools to nonprofits, associations and educational institutions. He led GetActive’s merger with Convio, then as Convio’s President, he built a company with 1,200 clients and 300 employees. Sheeraz has also worked as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company, entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) for El Dorado Ventures, operations executive for GMO, a global management investment firm, and product manager for Digital Impact (acquired by Acxiom). Sheeraz launched his career as an environmental engineer with Environ International. Sheeraz has a BS from Brown University and an MS from Stanford University, both degrees in Environmental Engineering.
Larry Kelly
Managing Partner, Kelly Ventures
Since starting his first company during his college days, Larry has been involved in starting or managing more than 40 businesses. From working at Hewlett Packard, where he was involved in both the marketing and software development of calculators as well as running HP’s personal computer R&D program, to serving as Vice President of R&D at GRiD Systems, developer of the first laptop computer, Larry has worked in almost all aspects of the computer and information industry. Larry is currently a Managing Partner of Kelly Ventures, a private investment company started in 1984, and is a member of both the Band of Angels and the Harvard Angels. He is on the selection committee for both angel groups and co-chairs the Clean Tech/Energy Special Interest Group for the Band of Angels. Cutting edge technology and related development are primary investment interests. With a passion in helping to build portfolio companies, Larry also serves as CEO of Ergodex, which develops innovative computer input technology. Larry holds Mechanical and Nuclear Science Engineering degrees from MIT and a MBA from Harvard. Aside from professional activities, Larry also supports a myriad of educational endeavors. He is a founding member of the Montclaire Education Foundation, which raises money for a public elementary school in Los Altos, serves as a Trustee for Castilleja School in Palo Alto, and serves as a Regent for Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose.
Henrik Skov Laursen
Head of Grundfos Water Technology Center, North America
Henrik Skov Laursen is managing the Grundfos’ new Water Technology Center located in Fresno, CA, a space for research, academic institutions and small start-up companies to gather and share knowledge relating to various water technology topics. The Grundfos Water Technology Center offers space, access to Grundfos research and technology resources and aspires to be the catalyst in creating new sustainable businesses and product solutions to the international community’s challenges regarding water scarcity throughout the supply chain. Grundfos takes a long term perspective in providing sustainable technological solutions and platforms to these challenges and hopes to create the water technology link between research and business development – from academic institutions to the end-user.
At Grundfos, Henrik Skov Laursen has been involved in Grundfos new business creation process which is a major project in the Group, sparking new business opportunities with existing and new technologies. Prior this, Henrik worked as Business Director for the industrial markets in North America and as a Global Product Manager for Grundfos’ new line of Digital Dosing pumps. Furthermore, Henrik was the Integration Manager responsible for the integration activities of Grundfos’ major acquisition in 2005 of the German Dosing and Disinfection company Alldos Dosiertechnik GmbH.
Todd Leonard
Executive Director, Minnesota Angel Network
Todd Leonard has worked on behalf of Ventures Funds and is himself an Angel Investor. Prior to Minnesota Angel Network, he worked with a number of successful companies ranging from startups to multi-million dollar companies. Todd has successfully obtained DOE and SBIR Grants on behalf of corporate clients, raised over $50,000,000 in equity, negotiated over $100,000,000 in licensing fees, and closed over $300,000,000 of construction contracts. Most recently he was the Director of Business Development at Corval Group, a North American industrial construction company focused on industrial power and petrochemical facilities. Prior to Corval Group, he was President of ProUroCare, a publicly traded company that markets prostate elasticity imaging systems and Vice President of Medi-Ject, (now called Antares Pharma), a publicly traded company that develops, manufactures and markets needle-free injection systems for the self- administration of parenteral drugs. Todd has also been an expert consultant in technology transfer with the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington DC., where he worked closely with the NIH, CDC and FDA. Mr. Leonard graduated from the University of St Thomas, St. Paul MN and has completed course work at the Minnesota Executive Program – Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota and a Technology Transfer Internship at Harvard University.
Heather McCormick
Pasadena Angels
Heather McCormick is a Pasadena Angels investor and the founder and Managing Partner of Credo Law Partners, where she provides general business law representation to emerging growth companies, venture capitalists, private equity firms, and other corporate clients. Ms. McCormick represents some of Los Angeles’ preeminent private equity funds, as well as the area’s emergent technology companies. Ms. McCormick is an experienced global mergers & acquisitions attorney and also handles securities offerings, technology transactions, lending, corporate governance and SEC compliance, and general commercial contracts and transactions of all types. Prior to founding CLP, Ms. McCormick was in-house counsel to Platinum Equity, a Los Angeles based private equity firm, where she practiced global M&A and served as outside general counsel to the technology companies in Platinum’s portfolio. Ms. McCormick also practiced law for a number of years with Cooley Godward, LLP, a leading Silicon Valley law firm, where she represented emerging growth companies and the venture capitalists who invest in them. Before she became a lawyer, Ms. McCormick was an investment banker for Merrill Lynch in New York.
Seth Mones
Vice President, Sustainability Policy and Programs, Apollo Group, Inc.
A former cabinet member of Arizona Governor Napolitano, counsel to the U.S. Senate Environment Committee, and graduate of Harvard Law School, Seth Mones has over 20 years of leadership experience in the private and public sectors, including in economic development, public affairs, law, and sustainability. Seth practiced law in Washington, D.C., held counsel positions in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and was a trade association executive. While a majority counsel on the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he helped develop and oversee Federal environmental laws and programs; and interacted frequently with U.S. EPA, Federal and State agencies, the scientific community, environmental groups, industry, and concerned citizens. As Deputy Director of the Arizona Commerce Department, he worked to attract and retain technology and other companies to Arizona; administer State energy programs; and facilitate economic development and sustainability planning. The Governor promoted him to her cabinet to head up the agency overseeing various consumer protection programs and fuel-related air quality regulations. After Governor Napolitano joined President Obama’s cabinet, Seth returned to the private sector as Apollo’s Vice President of Sustainability Policy and Programs. Apollo Group, the parent company of University of Phoenix, has campuses throughout the nation and globally, and Seth works to enhance corporate environmental performance and build environmental philanthropic collaborations.
Rachel Pike
Investment Professional, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Rachel Pike joined Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 2010 and is active in the clean technology, software, and mobility sectors. Prior to joining DFJ, Rachel completed her Ph.D. in atmospheric chemistry at the University of Cambridge. During her time there, Rachel served as President of the Gates Scholars, worked on a field campaign in Malaysia, and gave a short TED University talk on the scale of scientific research behind climate headlines. Previously, Rachel earned a B.A. in chemistry and a minor in African studies at Northwestern University. As an undergraduate, Rachel was a co-founder of Fusion Dance Company. She also spent a year in Tanzania, where she studied at the University of Dar es Salaam and gained experience working on a Bus Rapid Transit planning project as an assistant consultant.
Susan Preston
General Partner, CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund
Susan Preston is General Partner for the CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund. Susan has spent most of her career in senior management positions in public and private companies, from general counsel to CEO. She has also been a partner in two national law-firms and is a patent attorney. Susan is a world-recognized expert in angel financing, and is the author of numerous articles, white papers and books on angel financing. Her most recent book, Angel Financing for Entrepreneurs, was released by Wiley Publishing. She has been and continues to be a national and international speaker on economic development, angel and venture financing. She was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the Kauffman Foundation for six years focusing on initiatives related to angel investing, angel organizations and women entrepreneurs. She is the architect of the Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Act, a bi-partisan federal income tax credit bill for private equity investing, which will be re-introduced in Congress this session. Ms. Preston received her JD, cum laude, from Seattle University and her BS, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in Microbiology and Public Health from WSU.
Bernard Slede
Founder and Managing Director, Breakthrough Venture Partners
Bernard Slede is the Founder and Managing Director of Breakthrough Venture Partners, a firm that specializes in innovation consulting and IT patent acquisitions. Past clients include two laureates of the Clean Tech Open competition, social media startups and a Lockheed Martin-funded startup accelerator. Formerly the Managing Director of HP’s Startup Ecosystem Programs, Bernard Slede orchestrated the interactions of the largest IT company by revenue with emerging high growth companies and their stakeholders. He also represented HP at the White House launch of the Startup America Partnership in January 2011 and architected HP’s $100M commitment to the Partnership. Prior to HP, Bernard held many roles, including entrepreneur, intrapreneur and venture capitalist. An area of strong interest for Breakthrough Venture Partners is to purchase patent portfolios in information technology areas including green IT and smart grid. Bernard is a graduate of Paris’ HEC School of Management and the International Management Program at ESADE (Barcelona) and McGill University (Montreal).
Dave Stone
Senior Vice President, Chevron Energy Solutions
As Senior Vice President at Chevron Energy, David Stone is responsible for managing Chevron Energy Solutions’ business development and operations for the West Region, commercial and industrial business unit, and assisting Chevron facilities with energy efficiency and power reliability. He is also responsible for overseeing mergers and acquisitions and business planning functions. Dave brings more than 20 years of energy industry experience to his current position. He has served in a broad range of leadership functions, including strategic planning, finance, operations, project management and engineering, and was most recently Vice President of Business Development for Chevron Energy Solutions. Prior to joining Chevron Energy Solutions, Dave was Senior Planner in Chevron’s Strategic Planning group. Earlier in his career, Dave worked in engineering, operations, and project management positions at Chevron’s industrial facilities, where he led efforts to reduce energy costs and increase power reliability. Dave holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Paul Straub
Director, Claremont Creek Ventures
Paul Straub joined Claremont Creek Ventures in 2005 where he primarily focuses on the intersection of IT and energy. Paul brings over a decade of experience investing in and working for technology companies, primarily in software and online services. Previously, Paul spent several years as an Associate at Infinity Capital and Information Technology Ventures in Palo Alto where he focused on early-stage investments in software and services companies. He also worked in product management at VERITAS Software (SYMC) and as a consultant to management at Red Hat Software. Paul began his career at Montgomery Securities and subsequently joined Thomas Weisel Partners as a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Investment Banking team. Paul serves on the board or as a board observer at TargetCast Networks, Alphabet Energy, Ecofactor, Adura Technologies, and Lefora. Paul holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.
Eileen Tanghal
Investment Director, Applied Ventures
Eileen Tanghal joined Applied Ventures in July 2008, where she is responsible for identifying, recommending and managing venture capital investments in nanotechnology, display, software automation and materials. Ms. Tanghal is currently board of directors observer at BT Imaging, Liquavista, Plextronics, and Fat Spaniel Technologies. Ms. Tanghal has a diverse background combining 13 years of experience with early stage venture capital-backed companies in the US and Europe, as an engineer, product manager, and venture capitalist. She previously served as an investment director in the London office of Kennet Partners, where she led and co-led the firm’s investment in fabless semiconductor companies Sequans Communications and Wireless Audio IP, aka “STS” (recently acquired by SMSC), for which she served as a board director. Prior to this, Ms. Tanghal was an investment associate with Amadeus Capital Partners Limited from 2002 to 2005, where she worked closely with portfolio companies including Plastic Logic Limited. Prior to entering the venture capital industry, she worked at PDF Solutions, Inc. (Ticker: PDFS), where she was one of the company’s first ten employees, specializing in semiconductor device deisgn and fabrication. Ms. Tanghal holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the London Business School. She currently co-chairs the MIT Club of Northern California’s Cleantech and Energy Committee.
Matt Trevithick
General Partner, Venrock
Matt joined Venrock in 2004 after a 4-year investigation of energy-related applications of nanotechnology. Matt previously co-founded and sold two software companies – LiquidMarket, a product search and comparison shopping service, acquired by NBC Internet in 1999 and Flash Communications, a developer of instant messaging technology, acquired by Microsoft in 1998. In addition to his entrepreneurial efforts, Matt worked in project finance and currency trading in Tokyo, London, Singapore and New York. As a co-founder of two acquired companies, combined with his energy and finance background, Matt has an in-depth understanding of the entrepreneur and what it takes to get across the finish line.
Marianne Wu
Partner, Mohr Davidow
Marianne Wu is a Partner at Mohr Davidow, a California-based venture capital firm specializing in specific technology markets, including e-commerce, internet, enterprise software, networking and semiconductors. Marianne joined Mohr Davidow in 2005 and concentrates on opportunities in the energy landscape, including generating energy, storing energy, or managing and controlling the use of energy. Ms. Wu has spent her entire career straddling the intersection between technology and business and is driven in her pursuit of companies that combine both to drive significant change. There are moments, she says, when technology and the marketplace are changing in just the right way that the entrepreneur who brings them together can have a huge influence over the future of an entire industry. Marianne is a veteran of numerous successful start-ups, ranging from development roles at Creo (acquired by Kodak for $2B), Newbridge Networks (acquired by Alcatel for over $7B) and ONI Systems (public market cap of $15B, later acquired by Ciena). Ms Wu also understands large, established companies, and was a consultant at McKinsey & Co providing strategic and operational counsel to the executives of Fortune 500 clients. In addition, Marianne started her career at Nortel Networks, where she developed their revolutionary WDM products. She is an ardent believer that companies can use culture as a competitive advantage. Marianne currently sits on the on the board of directors of Laurus Energy, a developer of underground coal gasification (UCG) projects in North America using proprietary Exergy UCG™ Technology, and is an observer or the board at Catlin, Genomatics, Xicato and ZeaChem. Marianne earned her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics at the University of British Columbia and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Ms. Wu has been named one of the Top 10 Women in Cleantech and one of Silicon Valley’s Women of Influence.
