Team
Chairman of the Board
Chuck McDermott
Since 1998, Charles J. “Chuck” McDermott has been a General Partner at Rockport Capital. He began his cleantech career over 20 years ago helping to launch in 1984 the nation’s first independent bulk electric power trading company, the predecessor to Citizens Power. In 1986, having directed the successful campaign of Congressman Joseph Kennedy II, Chuck served two terms as his Chief of Staff. He then joined Waste Management, the world’s largest environmental services company, as Vice President for Government Affairs. During his 12 years of senior level energy and environmental policy work in Washington, DC Chuck established strong administrative and strategic relationships that have put him at the forefront of cleantech policy deliberations today. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Advanced Electron Beams, Project Frog, Recurve, Renaissance Lighting, Soliant Energy, and Tioga Energy. He serves as President of the Smart Grid Policy Center, director and executive committee member of the GridWise Alliance, a member of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Venture Capital Advisory Committee, and a member of the Energy Future Coalition Advisory Council.
Director
Gabriel Kra
Gabriel Kra is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for Elan Management, overseeing Elan’s investments in alternative energy and cleantech companies. Gabriel is a board participant or observer on all of Elan’s investments. Prior to joining Elan, Gabriel was an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in its Solar and cleantech group in San Francisco. Previously, Gabriel held management positions in 3 venture-backed telecommunications and semiconductor startups. Gabriel holds an MBA in finance from the Columbia Business School, a finance degree from Haas, a Master’s degree in atmospheric chemistry from SUNY Stony Brook, and a BA in Philosophy from Columbia College.
Director
Paul Straub
Paul Straub is a Partner at Claremont Creek Ventures where he focuses on energy and IT investments. Prior to joining Claremont Creek in 2005, Paul’s experience included working for and investing in technology companies through roles at Information Technology Ventures, Infinity Capital, VERITAS Software, and Red Hat Software. Paul began his career in investment banking at Montgomery Securities and subsequently joined Thomas Weisel Partners at the firm’s inception. Paul serves on the board or as a board observer at Alphabet Energy, Project Frog, EcoFactor and Adura Technologies and previously at Property Bridge (acquired) and Lefora (acquired). Paul has an MBA from Duke University and a BS from the University of Virginia.
Director
Ann Hand
Ann Hand is one of a handful of women who have risen to the top ranks of the energy industry. She most recently served as SVP of Global Brand Marketing and Innovation at BP, where she played a key role in making things “a little better” by developing new and compelling ways for consumers to engage with the BP brand, overseeing $300 million annually in marketing initiatives worldwide. Ann previously held the position of chief executive officer of the company’s Global Liquefied Petroleum Gas Business Unit where she had full P&L accountability across 15 countries, oversaw 3,000 employees and increased operating profit by 250-percent. As CEO of Project Frog, she is leveraging the company’s game-changing innovation to grow markets, develop new products and increase brand awareness for its industry-leading smart buildings. Ann is on a mission to revolutionize how buildings are built and redefine standards for how they perform…she intends to make the construction industry a lot better.