Tom is CEO of Sustainability Partners LLC, a sustainable products finance company and Managing Partner of EFW Partners, a multi-strategy investment firm focused on energy, food and water.
From 2002 to 2014, Tom Cain was Founder and Managing Partner of two CleanTech venture capital firms (SAIL Ventures and EFW Partners) with over $200M in discretionary funds. Besides acting as Managing Partner, Cain sourced and was the board member for most of the energy storage, renewable energy, motor, media, transportation and energy efficiency investments.
Prior to his venture capital period, Cain did a successful acquisition & turnaround of failing Evans Systems (NASDAQ: EVSI), a Texas based distressed oil and gas business. This uncovered mothballed fuel terminals on the gulf intracoastal, from which he founded Starco Energy to restore them. Upon completing the first major terminal, Quintana Corp purchased Starco in 2006.
Cain started his career as a technologist and at 22, he founded Distribution Architects International, a supply chain and enterprise resources planning (ERP) software firm. The firm was acquired by Frontstep Corp (NASDAQ:FSTP) in 1999, with Cain becoming Executive Chairman of the acquisition corp. Frontstep was acquired by Mapics (NASDAQ:MAPX) in 2003 with Infor acquiring Mapics in 2005 at which time Cain retired from his chairman role. During Cain’s tenure, the firm he stewarded had grown to 4,500 customers in 70 countries with a staff of 1,200 and $172M in revenues. Over the years Cain received many awards for innovative software breakthroughs and spoke globally as notable entrepreneur.
Cain holds patents in advanced ECM motor design and music tablature in commercial use today. As a young mathematician, Cain worked on the mathematics behind the theta-pinch toroidal plasma stabilization effort to control thermonuclear fusion for direct generation of electricity under the polymath, James Tuck, at Los Alamos Labs. While no solution was found, nor has been, the experience did seed Cain’s lifetime passion for energy, water and the global ecosystem.
Cain, a member of WPO/YPO, founded the YPO Global Supply Chain Conference, was chairman of the MIT Presidents Education, and group led the HBS Presidents Education. He has served as a board of director on over 30 public and private businesses. In 2008, Cain authored Best Practices for Energy Venture Capital with Innovation: Finding New Frontiers in Energy Investing. Cain is an alumnus of ASU with undergraduate and graduate studies in mathematics.
Jay joined SP to attract and serve MUSH clients focused on meeting sustainability goals while also reducing operating costs, capital investment, deferred maintenance and risk.
Prior to joining SP Jay spent 17 years on Wall Street launching and growing three premier boutique investment banks as a Founding Partner, Head of Sales and Capital Markets for Wessels, Arnold and Henderson, DRW (now Royal Bank of Canada) and Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel Financial). He then spent the next 15 years launching and building alternative investment platforms such as Thomas Weisel Partners Asset Management and Crossover Venture Partners in various leadership positions including CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager. Throughout his Wall Street career Jay worked with many of the world’s most important investment managers, investors and growth companies.
Jay attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business. He also served as a Board Member for UW’s Graduate School of Business and is a member of UW’s Beacon Hill Society. Jay is also an alumnus of the Applied Security Analysis Program.
Jay spent much of his childhood fishing, sport diving and surfing. Today, his passion for sustainability and conservation is driven by his love of the ocean and nature. Jay is also drawn to SP’s business model which helps employers, employees and communities succeed. This convergence of sustainability, plus a uniquely inclusive business model, drives Jay to build important long-term customer relationships.[/expand]
Translating SP’s vision into practice, Robin supports prospects, customers, and business partners with sales and marketing assistance from opportunity origination through customer acquisition and ongoing support.
Robin has held executive-level sales and marketing management positions over a 25+ year career spanning the HVAC, building automation, wireless, power monitoring, distributed generation, energy storage and renewables industries with notable companies such as Trane, Johnson Controls, NK Technologies, SunLink and Clearedge Power.
Robin holds a degree in Environmental Engineering with concentration in Solar/HVAC system design from California Polytechnic State University and has an MBA from Marquette University.
Daniel leads SP’s global installation operations. His current focus is on the development of installation partnerships and delivering on the SP’s strategy to revolutionize sustainable infrastructure.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps infantry, Daniel worked in the construction industry as a journeyman electrician. His career in sustainability began with PowerLight Corporation, where he led solar installations throughout California. After SunPower’s acquisition of Powerlight, Daniel became a Project Manager, where he managed projects throughout the U.S.
Daniel holds a B.S. in Management from Arizona State University and is credentialed as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute.
Rick joined SP as a Venture Partner and one of its original Business Partners. His focus is to find, qualify and close new business. Currently Rick manages the sales team, nurtures key customers and creates marketing multipliers to grow the business.
Rick’s been a key player in several “mentor-driven accelerators” including Idealab, world’s leading tech incubator in the 1990’s. Rick was an early shareholder in Bill Gross’ Idealab, founded one of its first companies and participated in strategic planning with its ten original CEOs. For UA, Rick was Mentor-Emeritus for UA’s AZCI incubator, Adjunct Instructor for Eller School Entrepreneurship Program, on MBA Advisory Council, Director Emeritus for NACET incubator since 2008. For ASU, was Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Instructor for LaunchPad/LaunchPrep entrepreneurship programs.
Since 2000, he’s been on Selection Panel for Invest Southwest Capital Conference’s Venture Madness. Rick is a judge for AZ Commerce Authority’s ‘Innovation Challenge’. Rick is a judge for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and is often a Mentor and Panelist for FundingPost.
Rick started GNP Development Corp with Bill Gross which they sold to Lotus Development Corp. They co-founded Knowledge Adventure Inc which became the world’s largest children’s CD-ROM edutainment software company as part of Universal Studios.
Bob has recently joined SP as Director of Investments. He is in charge of leading the expansion into the Northeast. His focus is to find, qualify and close new business primarily focused on the municipal, utility, school and hospital markets.
Michael DeFelice is SP’s Senior Investment Development Officer responsible for developing new investment opportunities in the Northeastern US. Tapping into his decades long experience working in the municipal, utility, school and hospital sectors, he will provide invaluable perspective and experience to help SP execute transactions while providing essential core competency.
Prior to joining SP, Michael spent 10 years as the founder and CEO of Stonegate Energy, a renewable and thermal power generation project developer, including the recent 564MW Middlesex Energy Center project in Sayreville, NJ. Prior to Stonegate, Michael spent 17 years on Wall Street as an M&A investment banker and a securities attorney, first with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, followed by Merrill Lynch & Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. During his Wall Street career, Michael advised on over 100 M&A transactions and strategic capital raises with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $100 billion. His clients included a wide array of publicly-traded and privately-owned corporations, private equity firms and institutional investors. His primary industries of focus included real estate, hospitality, transportation, information technology and telecommunications. Before Wall Street, Michael was a Subcontracts Manager for Westinghouse Electric Corporation on numerous U.S. Navy Propulsion and Weapons Systems programs.
Michael earned his degree in Engineering Sciences from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College where he later served for more than a decade as an Overseer advising the Dean on strategic initiatives. Michael received his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School where he served on the student council and later served on the Alumni Visiting Committee, advising the Dean on a broad array of strategic matters impacting the school. Michael has served on numerous corporate charitable boards and continues his commitment to community service through his involvement in numerous community organizations.