About us

Our Team

• 

  Pier LaFarge

  Co-Founder & CEO

  Pier is an experienced entrepreneur and changemaker. At ICF International, he co-founded a new ICF service offering focused on energy efficiency finance strategy. Pier also has experience in financial analysis, working on a major evaluation of loan financing modalities employed by the World Bank under its Climate Investment Fund program. In 2010, he founded Race to Replace, a statewide clean energy focused voter registration campaign in Vermont in partnership with League of Conservation Voters.

• 

  Nikko Patten-Weinstein

  Co-Founder, President, & CTO

  Nikko contributes to corporate governance while overseeing all software development and information technology efforts. He is responsible for ensuring that the business' requirements and opportunities are translated into functional software and systems. Nikko is a talented software developer with specific experience in web development, financial software solutions, functional programming (λ), and the Agile methodology. A graduate of Northeastern University with a wide breadth of experience in the technology field, Nikko was a member of the highly competitive Rotational Development Program (RDP) at Intuit. At the age of 16, Nikko founded Basement 9 Studio, a full-fledged digital recording studio that Nikko built and operated by himself which ran as a profitable business for seven years.

• 

  Leigh-Golding DeSantis

  COO, Founding Team

  Leigh-Golding manages multiple teams responsible for Sparkfund's business operations, legal contract strategy (including development of the Technology Subscription agreement), customer accounting analysis, and technology strategy. As part of the founding team at Sparkfund, Ms. DeSantis established the Operations Team, business processes, and developed Sparkfund's financial products (including the "as a service" offering). Her past experience with ICF International includes consulting with EPA, DOE and a host of other public and private clients in implementing policies and programs for resource efficiency in buildings and increasing the use of distributed generation. Prior to her time as a consultant, Ms. DeSantis helped launch the first Office of Sustainability at Temple University, where she conducted Temple University's first Greenhouse Gas Inventory, drafted plans to move Temple towards carbon neutrality, and served as Adjunct Faculty.

• 

  Angela Ferrante

  CMO, Founding Team

  Angela is responsible for building Sparkfund's brand, gauging market direction, developing sales materials and tooling, creating customer awareness and advocacy, and driving inbound and outbound leads. As part of the founding team at Sparkfund, she brought to market the simplified "as a service" solution that Sparkfund is now known for. Her track record in the energy efficiency and finance space spans marketing, sales, strategic partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. Previously, Angela formed the alternative energy group at an insurance company where she co-developed new warranty products to guarantee performance and savings on energy projects. She launched several initiatives to accelerate and streamline financing for efficient technology and co-authored a white paper with ACEEE on the topic. She received a BS in business from the University of Southern California.

• 

  Asher Burg

  Chief Sales Officer

  Asher is an energy industry leader dedicated to bringing new technology and creative clean energy solutions to market. At Sparkfund, he is responsible for sales channel development and driving customer success. He joins Sparkfund most recently having held leadership positions in both sales and customer success at Opower. In these capacities he was responsible for the delivery, client relationships and business growth of a client portfolio representing over $60M in annual recurring revenue. He also led sales strategy for all of Opower's new products and complex deals. Prior to working at Opower he worked at PG&E, developing the Utility's residential dynamic pricing strategy. Asher's energy industry experience is rooted in the 5 years he spent consulting to a diverse set of clients from American Express to the House of Representatives in ICF International's Energy and Climate practice. Asher holds a BA in Environmental Science and Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA from University of California Berkeley.

• 

  Nathan Sorenson

  
  Founding Team

  Nathan is an experienced software engineer with a strong background in mathematics and artificial intelligence. At Sparkfund, Nathan develops software that supports the efficient and accurate operation of the fund, designing tools for accounting, analytics, and transaction processing. He has authored several publications in the field of computational creativity and brings considerable functional programming expertise as the developer of an alternative Clojure compiler and a frequent speaker at industry events. Nathan has led teams to create a wide array of technically challenging projects, including a web platform which enabled children to design and sell t-shirts to raise money for their schools, an artificially-intelligent "computer artist" that created artwork for hotels and offices, and an award-winning driving simulator used in police youth outreach programs. At the age of 17, Nathan developed the world's first realistic 3d computer curling game: Take-Out Weight Curling. This solo project was a commercial success, selling over 60,000 copies.

• 

  Jeffrey Stanton

  
  Founding Team

  Jeff is a versatile full-stack software engineer with a passion for front-end software development and human-centric design. As part of Sparkfund's small engineering team, Jeff does a bit of everything - web dev, building backends, and keeping the servers running. 80% of his time is spent creating full-stack tools and systems to support Sparkfund, our partners, and their end customers throughout the process of getting projects financed. He joins Sparkfund from Intuit, a financial software company where he applied modern front-end tech and best practices to Intuit QuickBase. Jeff has a breadth of experience in taking new functionality through the whole development lifecycle: initial concept sketches, functional prototypes, user testing, production-ready code, and refinements. He graduated with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Franklin W. Olin College. There, he studied an engineering curriculum that also included emphases on entrepreneurship and on iterative, collaborative design processes. His focus was on software development across a wide range of environments, from tiny embedded microcontrollers to large distributed servers.

• 

  Emma Mourning

  Business Operations Associate

  Emma is a passionate operations specialist with a strong background in climate change, clean energy, and communications management. At Sparkfund, Emma facilitates partnership and project development through management of myriad processes. From navigating regulatory issues to designing web content to analyzing data trends, Emma works across verticals to ensure project success. Prior to graduating from Middlebury College, Emma interned for conservation organizations including the Wildlife Conservation Society and Rainforest Alliance. At RA, she supported the Sustainable Finance Initiative by conducting market studies and communicating directly with farmers and investors. She also co-led a project focused on research, development and implementation of a carbon pricing mechanism for the state of Vermont. Beginning her Sparkfund career as a summer fellow in 2014, Emma has now joined the team full-time. When she isn't working hard in the SparkCave, Emma enjoys camping in the rainforest and interacting with wildlife.

• 

  Sean Willerford

  Business Operations Associate

  Sean is an adept process builder, quantitative analyst, and programmer. He builds and maintains Sparkfund's data infrastructure and pricing system, and helps each team gain insight from sales and performance data. Sean brings diverse process and project management skills from a variety of organizations, including the US Department of Homeland Security and a Buenos Aires-based think-tank. He graduated from Middlebury in 2014, where he studied international development and earned a BA in International Politics and Economics.

• 

  MaryLauran Hall

  Senior Business Operations Manager

  Mary Lauran is a skilled and energetic account manager, project manager, and systems thinker with a knack for navigating obstacles that lie between a smart team and a smart mission. At Sparkfund, Mary Lauran manages financing projects from lead to execution, including partner onboarding, underwriting and risk analysis, pricing, legal documentation, accounting, payment processing, data management, and close-out. She works closely with the COO to manage and scale Sparkfund's operations team to achieve scalable, seamless project execution. Mary Lauran joins Sparkfund from the active transportation space, where she led communications, data collection, special projects, and partnerships for the Alliance for Biking & Walking and America Bikes. She has a track record for elevating organizations' public profiles, fostering corporate partnerships, earning positive media coverage, and leading internal process audits to ensure efficient operations. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University.

• 

  Virginia Hewitt

  Director, Channel Partnerships

  Virginia is an energy policy expert and dedicated builder of partnerships. She finds, develops and integrates new Sparkfund partners including channel partners (including ESCOs, manufacturers, and contractors), referral partners, and strategic partners. Virginia comes to Sparkfund with specific expertise on energy efficiency in the MUSH market. At ACEEE, she coordinated technical assistance on the local level. She authored and published factsheets and memos for local governments to set energy intensity reduction goals, work with local utilities, and expand the role of energy usage data in their communities. Virginia co-authored a white paper at ACEEE on small lender activity in energy efficiency. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in Environmental Science and Policy.

• 

  Claire Alvis

  Software Engineer

  Claire is a proficient software engineer who specializes in functional programming language design and implementation. She draws from her extensive experience in academia, first graduating with a Bachelor's in Mathematics and Computer Science from Indiana University Bloomington, and then finishing her Master's degree in Computer Science at Northeastern University, Boston. During this time, Claire contributed to the open-source development of Racket, a full-spectrum programming language, and the declarative logic programming language miniKanren. Through these experiences, Claire learned to produce maintainable systems by prioritizing careful software design and strenuous testing. She applies that knowledge at Sparkfund by improving the software used to manage the fund's transactions and analytics. She also maintains Spec-Tacular, an open-source library that provides a safe layer for interactions between Clojure and Datomic.

• 

  Kyle Saltsman

  Senior Financial Operations Manager

  Kyle joins Sparkfund from Dartmouth College, where he earned a Masters in Engineering Management. He brings a passion for process efficiency including certification in the Lean Six Sigma method of continual process improvement. Previous employers include Navigant, where Kyle studied federal regulation of energy efficient products, and Global Facility Solutions, an engineering services company.

• 

  Nathan Kowalski

  Operations Manager

  Nathan is a tool builder and data scientist. Nathan draws from his experience solving complex, unfamiliar problems to analyze and improve Sparkfund's strategies and internal systems. Previously, he helped write and negotiate Sparkfund's legal document set. Nathan studied economics and computer science at Middlebury College, where he co-founded a student organization that manages a portion of the college's endowment with a socially responsible investment thesis. Outside of Sparkfund Nathan enjoys whitewater kayaking and pondering riddles.

• 

  Jake Eisenberg

  Marketing Manager

  Jake is a digital marketing and design specialist with a passion for visual strategy and growth hacking at Sparkfund. While assisting in company partnerships, he also works to establish Sparkfund branding and growing market presence. Jake is a graduate from Middlebury College with a degree in Environmental Geography and Chinese Language. While studying at Middlebury, he served as a project lead and coordinator for the 2013 International Solar Decathlon competition. He is passionate about innovative approaches to urban agriculture and energy efficiency.

• 

  Natalie Valentin

  Account Manager

  Natalie is an experienced project manager with an obsession for operational efficiency. She is responsible for managing and training Sparkfund's Channel Partners, converting project pipeline, and fine-tuning sales strategy. She draws from a diverse background in marketing, conservation, local food systems, and youth programs in the U.S. and in South America. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Policy and Economics from Middlebury College.

• 

  Sean Earley

  Business Operations Associate

  Sean is a forward-thinking systems designer, financial modeler, and problem solver. With a BA in applied mathematics from Middlebury College, he practices the application of quantitative methods to understand and manage complexity. Inspired by Sparkfund's dedicated and brilliant team, he looks to find impactful solutions for problems in the clean technology space.

• 

  Annie Hurwitz

  Account Manager

  Annie is a determined and skilled account manager, project manager and natural problem-solver committed to mission-driven organizations. As Operations Account Manager, Annie improves the efficiency of Sparkfund's operations and customer satisfaction. In addition to helping manage the day-to-day execution of projects, Annie coordinates with the Partnerships team to transition partners and projects to internal operations stages. She is responsible for preparing legal documents, conducting pricing analysis, coordinating with the underwriting team for credit risk assessment, managing and tracking transactions, tracking key performance metrics, facilitating tax treatment analysis, and doing light technical equipment review of projects. Annie hails from the land of non-profit international development, where she most recently managed high-level projects and strategic partnerships for Vital Voices, a DC-based women's leadership organization. Prior to that, Annie served as a Senior Consultant at Taurus Education, an education consultancy agency in Shanghai. Annie graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations with a Minor in Asian Studies.

• 

  Alex Dickson

  Sr. Solution Architect

  Alex is a detail-oriented, data-driven project manager and account manager who enjoys applying an engineering mindset to business processes and issues. As Product Manager, Alex manages the entire product line life cycle, from strategic planning to ongoing tactical updates. He works with Sparkfund's partners to identify areas where products can help their business. Alex comes to Sparkfund from Deloitte Consulting where he specialized in growth and product line strategies for companies in the chemicals, manufacturing, and medical device industries. Prior to Deloitte, he worked as a student researcher in the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Brain Injury and Repair, and focused on finding novel methods for healing traumatic neurological injuries. Alex is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science with a degree in Applied Science in Biomedical Science.

• 

  Donald Ball

  Software Engineer

  Donald is a software engineer with extensive experience developing, operationalizing, and maintaining production software systems. Donald develops Sparkfund's information systems by designing, developing, and installing software solutions. Having been fortunate enough to be introduced to the World Wide Web in its infancy, he has devoted his career to deep mastery of the protocols, languages, tools, and challenges peculiar to developing software systems deployed on the Internet. He's deployed production systems with a variety of languages, including perl, c++, javascript, java, python, php, ruby, and clojure. He is especially skilled at developing robust systems that work reliably with little maintenance. He's contributed to a variety of open source projects in the past, and served on the Apache Software Foundation's board. He has a BS in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

• 

  Michael McLenahan

  Portfolio Manager

  Michael is a seasoned specialty finance professional with expertise in portfolio analysis, credit operations and asset management. At Sparkfund, he works to deliver maximum shareholder value through risk management and portfolio optimization. In addition to managing the daily collateral reporting, he coordinates with the Underwriting and Operations teams to transition partners and projects into Portfolio Management. He comes to Sparkfund after working in Government Contract Finance at Federal National Commercial Credit and in Healthcare Finance at CapitalSource. Michael is a graduate of Miami University with a BA in Management Information Systems and a BS in Philosophy. He enjoys travel, sports and spending time with his family.

• 

  Cassandra John

  Director of Financial Infrastructure

  Cassandra works closely with the Financial Operations and Engineering teams to help us better articulate, coordinate, and prioritize our build efforts. She joins us from JPMorgan with a background in finance and technology. Cassandra has spent the past 12 years working at variety of global banks and financial technology vendors, including Omgeo, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Moody's, Barclays, and eFront. She has been focused on strategy, process engineering, and regulatory projects in the capital markets and investment management areas, and has specific expertise in product and project management.

• 

  Michael Wurzbacher

  Account Manager

  Michael is a driven account manager and project manager who focuses on removing impediments to achieve project success. As an Operations Account Manager, he shepherds projects from lead to completion. His responsibilities at Sparkfund include coordinating with the risk analysis teams, pricing projects, generating legal documents, processing payments, assessing tax treatment, and conducting project closeout activities. Michael joins Sparkfund from Grant Thornton where, as a Senior Associate, he worked with a federal agency to develop a new application using Agile management practices. Prior to Grant Thornton, he had a two-year fellowship with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation where he supported efforts for multiple business relocation projects. Michael has a MPA from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Kentucky.

• 

  Paul Roberts

  Director of Finance

  Paul is a seasoned financial professional with expertise in accounting, tax and financial reporting. At Sparkfund Paul is responsible for all aspects of the company's financial management, including corporate accounting, fund accounting, transaction management and financial reporting. Paul brings over 20 years of experience in the lease industry to Sparkfund from Saab Aircraft Leasing, where he led the accounting and reporting operations for the portfolio of over 175 aircraft. Paul is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS in Accounting. When he is not at Sparkfund, you will find Paul travelling with his family, coaching little league, or playing in the yard with his kids.

• 

  Stephanie Suarez-Villamil

  Executive Assistant

  Stephanie is a vivacious and charismatic administrative professional with a passion for helping others. She joined Sparkfund in February of 2017, to provide administrative support to both the CEO and President of Sparkfund. Stephanie is a seasoned Executive Assistant with a strong background in finance, previously having her 10-year career span Investment Banking, Private Equity, Wealth Management and Real Estate Investments. Originally from New York City, Stephanie holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Montclair State University with a concentration in writing and recently relocated to Washington DC.

• 

  Samara Gomez

  Counsel

  Samara Gomez serves as Counsel to Sparkfund. She is a proud graduate of Howard University. Samara received her juris doctor from The Pennsylvania State University's Dickinson School of Law. Samara has broad experience in affordable housing and community development. She began her career as an attorney with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Samara also worked for Wells Fargo Bank in its New Markets Tax Credit group. Prior to joining Sparkfund, she served as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

• 

  Tanner Smith

  
  & Strategic Partnerships

  Tanner is a passionate energy tactician responsible for Sparkfund's strategic partners, fulfillment network, and National Account customers. Tanner comes to Sparkfund with an array of expertise on large scale implementations in the commercial lighting market. As V.P. of National Accounts at Maxlite, he leveraged product expertise and specialized in growth within ESCOs and National Account Distributors. Prior to Maxlite, Tanner designed and executed hundreds of lighting projects for various Fortune customers at Pinnacle Solutions. Tanner is a graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Sustainability and Urban Planning.

• 

  Matt Bosch

  Director, Utility Sales

  Matt is responsible for strategy, execution, and growth for the Utility vertical of Sparkfund's business. His background is hyper-focused on energy software, spanning the Wholesale Energy Market to the Utility-Customer relationship. Prior to Sparkfund, Matt led a segment of Client Success Managers at Opower covering $20M+ in annual recurring revenue. With a primary focus on building enduring client partnerships, Matt was responsible for strategic account management and technical delivery of SaaS products at 30+ US Utilities. Additionally, Matt spent nearly 5 years in Accenture's Utility Management Consulting practice. During that time he worked with Regulated Utilities, Regional Transmission Organizations, and Energy Traders on the business implications of a rapidly advancing software landscape. Matt holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering (Energy Focus) from the University of Michigan.

• 

  Lee McElroy

  Account Associate

  Lee is a dedicated member of the Partnerships Team, where he works closely with Sparkfund Account Managers to support partners and improve the onboarding and project processes. Prior to joining Sparkfund, he was an intern for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Sewanee Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability. In his spare time, he serves on the Associate Board of the City Kids Wilderness Project. Lee graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2016 where he studied Environmental Policy and Economics.

• 

  John Lee

  Graphic Designer

  John is a visual designer for Sparkfund. He is responsible for maintaining and growing the visual strategy and brand for Sparkfund. John's passions lie in art and design. He aims for a world where creativity and innovation are used as means for achieving any solution. John graduated from the University of Maryland where he found the power of Social Design, designing for change. After graduating, John pursued a career in Social Design by joining a software company called Opower, a company that drives utility customers to save energy by utilizing behavioral science. A few years later and many lessons learned, John joined the Sparkfund team and brings a wealth of design knowledge from the utility and energy industry. A few of his other interests include: illustrating, exploring the American Southwest, talking armchair-philosophy, playing time-consuming RPGs on his PS4, and listening to obscure punk-rock music.

• 

  Patch Ronald

  Senior Accountant

  As the Senior Accountant at Sparkfund, Patch assists the Director of Finance with the fund accounting, financial reporting, treasury management, accounts payable, and accounting policy functions. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Patch was a Senior Associate in the Assurance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he planned and executed financial statement and internal controls audits of various financial institutions in the Washington, DC metro area, including a Fortune 100 mortgage banking entity, a national credit union, and various real estate entities. Patch is a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

• 

  Phil Croker

  Operations Associate

  Phil is a driven problem solver on the Operations Team. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Phil managed the operational activities for the bilateral utility demand response programs at EnerNOC. His past experience also includes researching energy efficiency solutions at Boss Controls, an energy management start up, and working with the Energy Innovation Center of Pittsburgh, a non-profit that fosters green workforce development. Phil graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in Environmental Economics.

• 

  Maggie Litton

  Director of Engineering

  Maggie is a seasoned technical leader who consistently aligns software deliverables, engineering practices, and business strategy. She learned to speak enterprise while managing people and projects at IBM, then spent several years as a consultant working with a wide variety of clients and industries. She specializes in building teams and systems that scale smoothly.

• 

  Ben Hill

  Operations Associate

  Ben is an engineer and scientist by training, with a background in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research. At Sparkfund, Ben supports project development with process engineering and technology diligence. His past experience at ICF includes supporting EPA, DOE and Natural Resources Canada in the development, analysis, and implementation of energy efficiency programs. Prior to his time as a consultant, Ben worked as a metal materials engineer at Apple, developed Solarize programs throughout Virginia with the Local Energy Alliance Program, and researched semiconductors at the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and at the University of Virginia. When he isn't working, Ben enjoys playing and listening to bluegrass music.

• 

  Emily Rottman

  Marketing Coordinator

  Emily is a member of the Sparkfund marketing team where she largely focuses on Direct to Customer marketing strategy through her support with lead qualification, content creation, and email marketing campaigns. She previously spent time with one of DC's fastest growing Software-as-a-Service companies where she specialized in implementing growth opportunities and developing customer relationships on the business development team. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Emily played a season of professional volleyball in Sweden.

• 

  David Hoedeman

  Director of Direct Sales

  David is responsible for the strategy, execution, and growth of Sparkfund's Direct to Customer business development team. He comes to Spark with an extensive background in delivering a breadth of innovative energy solutions to commercial customers, having previously served first as the Sales Director and then as the General Manager of Nextility's solar division, developing over $50 million of rooftop commercial solar projects across the country. Additionally, David served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Nextility's energy procurement division, working with a range of energy services providers to develop a robust channel sales team dedicated to demystifying the deregulated retail energy supply market for commercial energy users.

• 

  Mike Kohn

  Director of People Operations

  Mike is passionate about the world of people and human systems, sustainability and the environment, and enabling others to save the planet. As the Director of People Operations, he gets to work across Sparkfund to help set his colleagues up for success. Most recently, Mike spent time with Deloitte Consulting, advising the federal government on building out their human capital function. Prior to that, he worked in higher education, leading a team of HR professionals to enable the growth and development of student services, while earning his MA in Organizational Leadership from the George Washington University. When not at work, he's spending time with his partner, Tony, and their dog, Spot, practicing yoga, playing board games, or trying a new restaurant around DC.

• 

  Russell Kellogg

  Credit Analyst

  Russell is a results driven professional with experience in financial analysis and portfolio analytics. At Sparkfund, Russell assists the portfolio management and underwriting teams as a credit analyst. His responsibilities include creating and reviewing financial models in addition to driving sustainable, risk-adjusted growth for Sparkfund's portfolio. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Russell worked as a due diligence analyst at an independent broker-dealer. He also worked at Fidelity Investments supporting trade operations for the High-Yield Trading Desk. Russell graduated from Boston College with a degree in Economics. Outside of the office, he enjoys surfing and skiing.

• 

  Xuefei Zhao

  Credit Analyst

  Xuefei joined the finance team as a credit analyst in 2017. She holds a Masters Degree in International economics and Latin American Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Before Sparkfund, Xuefei worked for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as a credit risk analyst in Lima, Peru in 2016, evaluating the credit lines and facility applications of companies and projects in Peru, including some renewable energy project financing. The experience helped her realize that energy efficiency is the quickest and least costly way of addressing energy security, environmental, and economic challenges, which inspired her to further contribute to the financial service for energy efficiency projects. Personally, Xuefei is a big fan of life. She loves pets, sports and outdoor activities.

Board of Directors

• 

  Reuben Munger

  Reuben Munger is currently Founder and Managing Partner of Vision Ridge Partners, LLC, a clean energy oriented investment firm. Previously he was Managing Director with The Baupost Group, LLC, a leading investment firm with over $25 billion in assets. He has also been a consultant to Texas Pacific Group and an investment banker with James D. Wolfensoln, Inc. Reuben is Chairman of Securing America's Future Energy, a trustee of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a founding member of the Executive Committee of the Electrification Coalition, and a member of the League of Conservation Voters board of directors in addition to serving on the boards of a number of private companies. Reuben graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a B.A. in Politics and Economics and a B.S. in Business Administration.

• 

  DR Richardson

  DR is responsible for deal sourcing, deal structuring and negotiation, and portfolio management, including corporate governance, financial analysis and strategy, people development and acquisition, and corporate strategy at Vision Ridge. Prior to Vision Ridge Partners, DR worked with Altman Vilandrie & Company, a strategy-consulting firm focused on tech, telecom, and energy. DR Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brown University.

• 

  Lindsay Luger

  Ms. Luger has more than a decade of successful experience as an investor in energy technology companies. As a Vice President of Digital Power Capital and Wexford Capital, Ms. Luger worked on dozens of venture capital and growth equity transactions and has expertise in all key areas necessary for successful technology investing, ranging from deal sourcing, analyzing, due diligence and transaction structuring to portfolio oversight and exits. In addition, Ms. Luger gained operating experience by serving as Vice President of Finance at two portfolio companies. She holds a BA in Psychology from Columbia University (Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa).

• 

  Brandon Hurlbut

  Brandon Hurlbut is a co-founder and partner of Boundary Stone Partners. He previously served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Steven Chu at the U.S. DOE, where he managed the Department's principal initiatives and oversaw day-to-day operations of a federal agency with a $29 billion budget and a 115,000-person workforce. Brandon provided leadership and counsel to the White House and Cabinet Secretaries during high-profile challenges including the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the Gulf oil spill, and Hurricane Sandy. He served on the board for DOE's $38 billion investment fund in clean energy, which is the largest of its kind in the world. He began working in the Obama Administration by serving in the White House as the Deputy Director of Cabinet Affairs, serving as the President's liaison to the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. He previously served in senior positions on Barack Obama's first presidential campaign and practiced law at Baker & Daniels.

• 

  Pier LaFarge

  Pier is an experienced entrepreneur and changemaker. At ICF International, he co-founded a new ICF service offering focused on energy efficiency finance strategy. Pier also has experience in financial analysis, working on a major evaluation of loan financing modalities employed by the World Bank under its Climate Investment Fund program. In 2010, he founded Race to Replace, a statewide clean energy focused voter registration campaign in Vermont in partnership with League of Conservation Voters.

• 

  Joe Indvik

  Joe Indvik is an entrepreneur and consultant focused on clean energy finance, sustainability, and business operations. Joe co-founded Sparkfund and served as its President & COO for two years from 2013 through 2015. He remains an active consultant and advisor to Sparkfund. Joe is currently Founder & Principal of Rock Creek Consulting LLC, a boutique consultancy that helps clean energy companies transform the market. Prior to that, Joe was a consultant in the Climate Change and Sustainability practice at ICF International, where he led the creation of a new energy efficiency finance advisory service. Joe holds a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, where he founded a $1M green revolving fund as a student. Joe speaks and publishes regularly on energy policy, finance, and economics.

Consultants & Advisors