Nicholas Parker serves as our Executive Chairman. Since 2002, Mr. Parker has served as Chairman of Toronto-based Parker Venture Management Inc., a private company through which he controls investments in, and advises on, clean and smart technology businesses and platforms globally, including previously serving as chairman of UGE International LTD (TSX:UGE), a public solar renewable energy development company. From January 2014 to September 2019, Mr. Parker served as Managing Partner of Global Acceleration Partners Inc., an Asia-focused technology cooperation platform in the energy, environment and water sectors.

From 2002 to 2013, Mr. Parker was Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Cleantech Group LLC, a San Francisco-based research and consulting and convening firm that created and served the worldwide cleantech innovation community, which he successfully sold in 2009, with partial turnout through 2011. During his tenure at Cleantech Group, its startup clients raised over $6 billion from investors. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Parker was Co-founder and Principal of Emerald Technology Ventures, a leading trans-Atlantic venture manager focused on energy and resource productivity. During this period, Mr. Parker led an investment in Evergreen Solar, which in 2000 became the second solar initial public offering to be listed on Nasdaq. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Parker was Senior Vice President of Environmental Capital Corporation, a Boston-based investment company majority-owned by Maurice Strong and his family.

Mr. Parker started his business career in 1988 as Co-founder and President of The Delphi Group, one of Canada’s leading environmental strategy firms, through which he built and sold its London-based corporate finance arm. Mr. Parker holds a B.A. Hons in Technology Studies from Carleton University and a Master’s in Business Administration in International Business from the CASS Business School, London.