Funding is key for clean energy development and will be instrumental in achieving the energy transition. Thank you for Joining REAL Houston on February 15, 2024 at the Briar Club as we dove into the subject of clean energy financing.
Our expert panel of capital providers shared their perspectives on providing capital solutions to businesses and projects.
Happy hour was enjoyed from 5:00-5:45 p.m. with complimentary light bites and beverages, followed by our panel discussion. The discussion was followed by additional networking, concluding at 7 p.m.
Thanks to the support of our sponsors, this event was free to attend.
Speaker bios:
Shawn Cumberland, Managing Partner – Energy Transition, EnCap Investments L.P.
Michael S. Cumberland (“Shawn”) is a Managing Partner of EETF and has over 30 of years of experience in power and gas infrastructure. Just prior to forming EETF, Shawn was with Prisma Energy II, a private entity focused on investments in energy storage. Previously, from 2016 to 2018, Shawn was Head of North America for Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners and established the U.S. office. During his tenure at Quinbrook, the U.S. team originated three major portfolio companies: Scout Clean Energy (a wind development company), GlidePath Power Solutions (a battery and distributed power developer), and Arevia Power (developer of the Gemini Solar Project in Nevada, approximately 1GW). He originated and managed the investment in Scout, which represents one of Quinbrook’s largest investments.
From 2002 to 2016, Shawn was with Arctas Capital Group, a company he co-founded that was an investor and advisor on several renewables and other energy infrastructure projects, both domestically and internationally. Previously, Shawn was with Enron, where he held senior executive roles, including President of Enron Caribbean, a role that was responsible for 15 energy businesses in eight countries (including power generation and distribution, gas pipelines, gas processing, LNG, and LPG) and served on the boards of two regionally listed companies. Shawn was also previously a Senior Managing Director at El Paso Merchant Energy, and was a co-founder of both The Wing Group and Power Pacific Company — firms that developed power infrastructure investments in emerging markets. Shawn started his career in 1986 as a corporate securities and finance attorney in the Houston and London offices of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
Fred Day, Managing Director – Investments, Brookfield Asset Management
Frederick Day is a Managing Director in Brookfield’s Infrastructure Group. In this role, Fred leads the legal activities of the Infrastructure Group in the U.S. and has legal oversight over Brookfield’s infrastructure credit investments and capital markets activities. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2015, Fred was an associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Fred holds a Juris Doctor degree from the SMU Dedman School of Law, a Master of Business Administration degree from IE Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston.
Juliana Garaizar, General Partner; Malaika Ventures, Portfolia and 4WomanVC
Juliana Garaizar is a General Partner at Malaika Ventures, Portfolia and 4WomanVC. Previously Juliana was the Chief Development and Investment Officer at Greentown Labs. A Board Member of the Angel Capital Association, Juliana is a Lead Investor of the Portfolia Rising America Fund that invests in BIPOC and LGTBQ founders, as well as the Portfolia Consumer and Rising Tide Funds. She is also an Advisory Board Member of the French Tech Houston, the LatinX Startup Alliance and Impulse4women. A Kauffman and VC Include Fellow experienced in Bridging the Gender Gap in investing, she is part of the City of Houston’s Women Commission.
Juliana was the Texas Medical Center Venture Fund Director and the Managing Director of the Houston Angel Network. She was the Manager of the French Riviera’s European Business Innovation Center and of Sophia Business Angels. Juliana started her career in Singapore: first as an International Trade Consultant for the Trade Commission of Spain, then as a Project Manager for the Asia Technology Office of Citigroup, leading their International Credit Cards team globally. She obtained an MBA at the London Business School and Haas School of Business in Berkeley, specializing in Entrepreneurship.
Troy Thacker, Managing Partner, Ara Partners
Troy Thacker co-founded Ara in 2017, co-heads the firm alongside Charles Cherington and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Troy has been investing in or serving as Chief Executive Officer of sustainable, impact-oriented businesses for over 25 years. He has led over 30 private equity transactions spanning the 1990’s to today in the environmental, industrial, software, renewable and conventional energy and insurance industries. In addition, Troy spent eight years leading, growing and building businesses in the recycling, environmental services and safety industries, generating exceptional returns for investors.
Prior to co-founding Ara, Troy served as the Chief Executive Officer of Total Safety, Inc., an international worker safety solutions company, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Total Safety has approximately 4,000 employees, over 150 locations and serves multinational industrial, energy and process industry customers in more than 26 countries. From 2010 until 2013, Troy served as President and Chief Executive Officer of R360 Environmental Solutions, Inc., a leading recycling and environmental services business, which he sold for $1.4 billion to Waste Connections, Inc. in 2012. He was also a founding partner of Paine & Partners, LLC, (now known as Paine Schwartz Partners), a generalist private equity firm that together with its predecessors, managed in excess of $3 billion in equity capital across three institutional funds and based in San Francisco, CA.
Troy holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and attended Harvard Business School to play rugby and get an MBA. Troy sits on the Council of Overseers of Jones Business School at Rice University and serves as a director of the Hermann Park Conservancy.
