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Investor Advisory Board

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The Investor Advisory Board is made up of representatives from US based Venture Capital Firms, Cleantech Corporations and Entrepreneurs, Technology/Management Consultants, Law Firms, and State and Federal Governments.

INVESTORS

Jeffrey Andrews, Atlas Venture
Jeffrey Andrews joined Atlas Venture in 2001 and is a Partner in the technology group. He invests in hardware and software companies serving large and growing markets such as energy, mobile electronics and media. Jeffrey currently sits on the boards of Atlas portfolio companies Gotuit, Lilliputian and Pixtronix, and also works closely with Miasole. He also served as an advisor to Secretary of Sate Condoleeza Rice in the area of clean energy policy and has been appointed to the advisory board of the Technology Innovation Program at NIST. Before joining Atlas, Jeffrey made venture capital investments for Intel Capital and spent 10 years in operating roles at Becton Dickinson and Lockheed Martin. Jeffrey holds a BS in Physics from Binghamton University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Neil Cameron, Emerald Technology Ventures
Based in our Montreal office, Neil Cameron is a Technology Specialist responsible for the advanced materials sector within Emerald Technology Ventures. He is involved in all phases of the investment process: from preliminary evaluation to assisting management during the investment period. Prior to joining Emerald, he was a project leader and staff scientist with the National Research Council of Canada (Industrial Materials Institute), was a Research Associate at McGill University and has consulted on technical and IP issues. Recent projects have included work in nanotechnology, high-fidelity micro- & nanofabrication, polymer synthesis & applications, interfacial interactions and he is the co-inventor of a patented water-purification resin. Neil holds a Doctorate in Chemistry from McGill University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of King’s College (Dalhousie University). Neil is fluent in English and French.

Staffan Ericsson, Vesbridge Partners
Dr. Staffan Ericsson has been a venture partner with Vesbridge Partners since the spin-out from St. Paul Venture Capital, where he had been a venture partner since 2000. Prior to joining SPVC, Staffan was a special consultant to the CEO of RealNetworks, where he spearheaded RealNetworks’ entry into the mobile market. Staffan founded Vivo Software in 1992 and served as its first CEO and later as chairman until the company was acquired by RealNetworks in 1998. Before founding Vivo, Staffan spent seven years at PictureTel, where his roles included Director of Research and Director of International Sales. Staffan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

Andrew Friendly, ATV
Andrew joined ATV in 2007 and focuses on investments in clean technology companies in the firm’s Waltham, MA office. He represents the firm on the boards of AltaRock Energy and Solar Junction, and is an observer on the boards of Rive Technology and Wakonda Technologies. Andrew co-leads the Renewable Energy Business Network, and also co-leads the New England Clean Energy Council’s Clean Energy Fellowship Program. Previously, Andrew was a Director at Idealab in Pasadena, CA, where he evaluated energy and clean technologies for possible investment and company creation. He focused on various areas including solar PV and thermal, fuel cells, hydrogen generation, flywheels, small-scale wind, advanced batteries, and new transportation concepts. He played an active role with Idealab companies, serving on Boards, assisting with strategy, developing partner and customer relationships, and securing venture capital. Andrew holds an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.A. from Middlebury College.

Pierre Jean, TechPoint Ventures
Pierre Jean is a partner at TechPoint Ventures, a Boston business development and incubator company in information technology and energy related markets. Pierre has worked at TRW, a provider of equipment and information systems in the energy and transportation sector, and at Analogic implementing geophysical exploration and electrical power grid simulation systems. He has also been involved with startups in the Internet field and has significant experience in global high technology markets. Pierre has an MA from Ibero University in Mexico and an MBA from Anderson School at UCLA.

Jean-Yves Lagarde, Eurica Ventures
Jean-Yves is a co-founder and Managing Director of Eurica Ventures, a next generation capital development fund for the accelerated growth of French technology companies on the North American market. Before this activity, he lead the technology practice at Boston Millennia Partners, an institutional fund with 45% of European Limited Partners and over $400MM under management. He led and structured investments in eleven companies and has worked as a co-investor with more than 25 US top tier venture capital firms and leading European funds. Jean-Yves is a regular speaker at VC conferences both in France and the US, and is actively involved with the French technical and scientific community in Boston. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics, an M.S. in Engineering from ENSEEIHT in Toulouse, France, and an MBA from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

Jiong MA, Braemer Energy Ventures
Jiong Ma has more than 10 years of research, operating and venture capital experience in the technology industry. Prior to joining Braemar, she was with 3i, a global private equity firm with $11B in assets. At 3i, Jiong was responsible for investment in the information technology and cleantech sectors. Prior to 3i, Jiong held several senior positions at Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs. Her responsibilities included lead roles in product portfolio strategy, new product launches for Optical and Data Networking, and research and product development, where she led projects in defining product features, system architecture, network design and operations. Jiong was also a founding team member of Onetta, a fiber networks start-up company which was backed by venture capital firms Sequoia and Matrix. Earlier, Jiong worked as a member of Nortel Networks' technical staff.   Jiong received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and a BS in Physics from Lanzhou University, China. She is a graduate of the Kauffman Fellows Program. Jiong has published or co-authored 15 technical papers, and holds one U.S. patent.

Dhiraj Malkani, RockPort Capital Partners
Mr. Malkani is actively engaged in all aspects of RockPort's diligence process including research, financial and technical analysis, intellectual property evaluation, and structuring. Mr. Malkani is also a member of the Screening Committee and assists in portfolio company monitoring activities which include work with: Advanced Electron Beams, Deerpath Energy, Think Global and TH!NK North America, among others. Mr. Malkani holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, an MS, with honors, in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and a BS, with Distinction, in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mumbai.

Lucian Wagner, EuroUS Ventures
Lucian has a truly global outlook with an extensive set of contacts in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Oxxius SA in France and is a Managing Director of MentoNet, responsible for the Eastern portion of the US. Before joining EuroUS Ventures, he co-founded and became CEO of FabCentric, a Yield Management software company, where he raised several million dollars in VC funding and which he grew to more than 25 employees before it was sold to another publicly traded software company. Lucian was born in Germany, educated in the French school system, and went on to earn a B.Sc. in International Economics from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (with a minor in Russian) and an MBA from INSEAD in 1981. He lives in Wellesley, MA and Herrliberg, Switzerland.

Bilal Zuberi, General Catalyst
Bilal's focus at General Catalyst is on investments in both new and existing technology businesses in the areas of advanced materials, clean energy and environment related technologies. Bilal has been a mentor and advisor to investors and entrepreneurs. He serves on the steering committee for the University Research and Entrepreneurship Symposium (URES) and on the Entrepreneurship Taskforce of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a non-profit organization focused on helping entrepreneurs. He is a Board member of The Boston Group, a policy think tank, and is a member of the core founding team of the first science and engineering research university in Pakistan (LUMS School of Science and Engineering). Bilal earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT where he worked with Prof. Mario Molina (Chemistry Nobel Laureate, 1995). Bilal was also a visiting researcher at the Pacific Northwest national Labs (DoE). Bilal’s technical work has been published in several patents and peer-reviewed journal publications.   

CORPORATE

Keith Day, Huntsman Polyurethanes
Keith is Vice President – Global Business Development with Huntsman Polyurethanes, a materials provider to the construction, energy, consumer durables, and transportation sectors. Keith has lived and worked in each major region of the world, and brings extensive experience in global business management, strategic planning, marketing, sales and M&A. Keith’s current focus is on evaluating new technologies and businesses to extend Huntsman’s capabilities and operating scope, including energy efficiency in construction and transportation, novel lightweight / high strength materials for wind turbines and PV solar power, bio renewables to displace oil based chemicals and nanotechnology. Before joining Huntsman Keith spent 20 years with ICI plc in a variety of International assignments. Keith holds a BSc in Marine Biology from the University of Guelph and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD.

Eric Emmons, Siemens Venture Capital
Eric Emmons is an Investment Partner based in Boston, MA. He focuses on investments in energy, materials, and industrial technologies. His current and past board involvement includes Managesoft, Powerit, Porogen, Bandgap Engineering, and Protonex (PTX.L). Before joining Siemens Venture Capital, Eric was a partner at the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund, where he led many of its investments in power generation, energy efficiency, and new materials. He also worked with Commons Capital, a venture capital firm in the Boston area which invests in energy, medical, and technology companies. Previously, Eric was on the founding team of Enmed, Inc., which developed clinical trial management software for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. He also managed strategic planning for EPIX Medical, Inc., (Nasdaq: EPIX) a public biotechnology firm in Cambridge, MA. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelors degree cum laude from Princeton University.

Isabelle Estebe, Dassault Systèmes
Isabelle is the Business Development Director for Dassault Systèmes (DS), responsible for expanding DS solutions penetration in new markets. She joined DS in 1990 and has held various roles in Research and Development, Marketing and Communications. She relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2000. Isabelle holds an engineering degree from ENSMA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et Aérotechnique), France and a Masters Degree in Robotic Engineering from ENSTA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées) in Paris. Isabelle Estebe serves as the President of the French-American Chamber of Commerce of North Carolina (FACCNC) and is a Trade Commissioner of France (CCE), Vice President of the Southeast Chapter of the United States.

Jean-Michel R. Gauthier, DuPont
Mr Jean-Michel (JM) R. Gauthier is the Managing Director of the Electrical Insulation Systems division of the DuPont company.  JM joined the DuPont company in the Netherlands in 1990 and has held various research and business assignments in connector systems, ceramic micro-circuits and semiconductor fabrication materials across Europe before moving into management consulting and corporate planning. In 1996, he transferred to the DuPont Electronic Materials headquarter in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to drive a mergers and acquisitions effort in semiconductor materials. In 1999, he became the technology and business development vice president of DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials LLC, a joint venture with the Air Products and Chemicals company and was then named managing director of DuPont Polymer Powders, a global business in thermoplastic micro-powders. JM's interests are centered on advanced polymers, renewable energy and sustainable business ventures.  Mr Gauthier holds a MSc in mechanical engineering from ENSAM (Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Arts et Metiers) in Paris,  with post-grad in aerospace engineering from the University of Hertfordshire, UK. and completed an advanced management program at IMD Lausanne. He currently resides in Switzerland.

Vincent Martin, Chief Technical Officer, Veolia Energy North America
Vincent Martin is Chief Technical Officer of Veolia Energy North America. Mr. Martin holds a degree from SUPELEC (Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité) in Paris, France. Mr. Martin has been employed by Veolia Energy since September 1995. Since June 2001, he has been the Corporate Technical Director for Dalkia. In this position he specified and implemented Dalkia’s technical policy. Mr. Martin has contributed to Business Development by participating in major projects and acquisitions. During this period, Mr. Martin also contributed to the definition of Veolia Energy’s Research and Development programs. Before joining Veolia Energy, Mr. Martin worked for GEC ALSTOM, where he took part in the design and commissioning of coal fired power plants in France and China.

Jason Schmitt, Clean Technology Fund Manager, ArcelorMittal
Jason Schmitt is the Fund Manager for the Clean Technology Fund of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company (2008 revenues: $125 billion). Jason manages deal sourcing, investment evaluation, and portfolio company management related to the Fund’s venture capital investments in alternative energy and represents the company as an Observer on the Board of Directors for Miasole and Power-It Solutions. In addition, Jason is actively involved with ArcelorMittal’s government relations efforts related to environmental matters on both the federal and state level. Prior to his current role, Jason was Director of Strategy and Integration for ArcelorMittal’s North and South American operations. Previously, Jason was a consultant at McKinsey & Company focused on consumer products and held management positions at Mattel. Jason received an A.B. magna cum laude in Social Studies from Harvard College and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Richard Sells, Chief Innovation Officer, Electrolux
Richard is Chief Innovation Offcier at AB Electrolux, a global market leader in home appliances and appliances for professional use. Electrolux sells more than 40 million products to customers in 150 countries every year. Their focus is on innovations that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, and that meet the real needs of consumers and professionals around the world. The product portfolio includes refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cookers sold under brands such as Electrolux, AEG-Electrolux, Zanussi, Eureka and Frigidaire. In 2007, Electrolux had sales of SEK 105 billion and over 50,000 employees. Electrolux is the only company in its sector listed on the Global Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has had a long term commitment to improving the environmental performance of its portfolio; in Europe over 20% of unit sales now come from the company's green range. Richard's responsibilities include developing new business areas, facilitating technologies into the business, and optimising the global product offer, his previous experience includes heading Electrolux refrigeration business in Europe, being Managing Director of their UK organisation and prior to joining Electrolux he had a number of senior managment positions in consumer electronics and FMCG, including serving as a Main Board Director of a fully listed plc.

Steve Taub, GE Energy Financial Services, General Electric
Steven Taub is Senior Vice President, Investment Strategy for renewable energy and venture capital at GE Energy Financial Services of Stamford, CT. In this role he analyzes the global renewable energy and energy technology industries to guide GE’s investment activities. He also works closely with GE Energy Financial Services’ investment professionals to evaluate specific opportunities and to help create new ones. Prior to joining GE, Steve was with Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), where he was engaged in research and strategic consulting on energy technology and electric power for a wide range of clients worldwide. Prior to CERA, Mr. Taub was employed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Environmental Management in Washington, D.C. Steve earned master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.

SERVICES

Paul Afonso, Brown Rudnick LLP
Mr. Afonso is Co-Practice Leader of Brown Rudnick’s Boston Government Law & Strategies Group. With 20 years of energy, legislative and regulatory experience and a strong background in international trade law, Mr. Afonso is noted for his expertise in regulatory policies and legislation related to electricity, gas, water, cable television, telecommunications, and pipeline engineering / safety. Before joining Brown Rudnick, Mr. Afonso served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE) from 2003 to 2005, and is also the former General Counsel for the Massachusetts DTE, where he acted as chief legal and policy advisor to the chairman and commissioners. In this role, he helped oversee state regulatory policies, governing rates and quality of service for electric generation, gas supply, telecommunications, cable television and transportation. Paul holds a BS in Finance from Boston College and a JD from Georgetown University.

Gregg Griner, Gunderson Dettmer LLP
Gregg Griner is a partner in the Corporate and Securities Group of Gunderson Dettmer LLP. Gregg's practice encompasses all areas of general corporate and securities law, with extensive experience in corporate finance, including public offerings (representing issuers, selling stockholders and underwriters) and private placements of equity and debt (representing issuers, investors and lenders); mergers and acquisitions; and venture capital fund formation. Gregg received his A.B. from Stanford University and his J.D. from the University of Chicago. Gregg is a member of the State Bars of Massachusetts and Colorado.

Raymond F. Skoglund, McNamee Lawrence & Co.
Ray is one of the original members of the McNamee Lawrence & Co. (“MLC”) team and has been instrumental in growing MLC from its early entrepreneurial beginnings to its present international reach. MLC delivers investment banking services to a global client base of corporations, entrepreneurs and investors.       Ray draws on an extensive background in both investment banking and corporate law, and has a broad range of experience in the technology sector. Ray also plays a significant role in MLC’s international investment banking efforts with a particular focus on Scandinavia. Ray received a B.A. from Connecticut College and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and is a member of the state bars of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, D.C. Ray holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses and relevant licenses under the UK’s FSA.

Albert L. Sokol, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP
Al is a partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, and his cleantech work includes venture capital financings, PIPEs, registered direct offerings, venture loans, an IPO, and state and federal government loan programs, licensing, executive compensation, strategic alliances, M&A, litigation, intellectual property issues, and project finance. With 32 years of experience, his legal work has involved inbound and outbound matters relating to approximately 30 countries. Al frequently speaks/publishes on various legal topics, and has been recognized in several editions of the Practical Law Counsel's Global Counsel 3000 as a Recommended practitioner in Boston in M&A and Company/Corporate Transactions, and by Law & Politics and Boston Magazine as a Securities & Venture Finance Super Lawyer.