SOURCE: CMEA Capital
Jul 19, 2010 08:00 ETCMEA Capital Founder Named to National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Alternative Energy Investment Pioneer Tom Baruch Joins Council to Accelerate Small Business Innovation and Boost U.S. Job Growth
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - July 19, 2010) - CMEA Capital today announced that founder and alternative energy investor Tom Baruch has been appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Council will drive policies that help entrepreneurs translate new ideas, products and services into economic growth. Baruch, a 30-year veteran in energy and materials investment and one of the most influential energy investors in Silicon Valley, was chosen for his longstanding leadership and commitment to innovation.
"Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship has never been more crucial to the American economy. Start-ups accounted for nearly all new jobs in the private sector in the last 25 years, according to a recent Kauffman Foundation Study," said Tom Baruch, founder and managing director, CMEA Capital. "Senator Locke's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship is creating a powerful collaboration among policy-makers, investors, entrepreneurs and academic leaders that will help the U.S. maintain its leadership in innovation."
Baruch's 30 years of experience investing in alternative energy companies will serve the council well. The alternative energy sector presents a unique opportunity for job growth but is still in need of further policy support if the U.S. is to keep pace globally. Some of Baruch's recent energy success stories include Foro Energy, one of the first energy companies to receive a significant ARPA-E grant from the Department of Energy, A123 Systems, one of only a few IPOs in 2009, and Codexis, which is one of the few IPOs so far in 2010.
Tom Baruch founded CMEA Capital in 1989. Under his direction it has grown into an investment firm that is at the forefront of science and technology. The knowledge and experience he has gained through decades of work investing in entrepreneurs and building companies have equipped him to give back to the community in unique ways. Whether it's through investments, mentoring, fundraising, or sharing his expertise in building successful companies, Baruch's experience will serve the Council well:
- Baruch serves on the Executive Committee of the Council on Competitiveness, designed to enhance U.S. competitiveness by fostering relationships between businesses, universities and the government. He is also a member of the COC's Energy Security, Innovation and Sustainability (ESIS) Initiative, as well as the COC's U.S. Manufacturing Competitive Initiative.
- He is a founding member of the Kauffman Foundation's mentor program.
- He is a board member for That Man May See, an organization dedicated to seed funding for research at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Ophthalmology.
- Baruch and his wife established the Baruch Center for Solar Biochemical Energy Research at his alma mater, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In his role as trustee at RPI, he co-chaired a capital campaign that raised $1.4 billion.
About CMEA Capital
CMEA Capital provides capital to entrepreneurs and investors in the energy & materials, information technology, and life sciences sectors. Through its combination of solid scientific credentials and seasoned management expertise, CMEA identifies, funds and manages new businesses based on the emerging, interdisciplinary science required to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing global economy. The firm currently manages seven funds representing investments in excess of $1 billion. CMEA has been an early stage investor in many leading companies, including A123 Systems, Codexis, Entropic (ENTR), Flextronics (FLEX), Magma (LAVA), Maxygen (MAXY), Silicon Spice (BRCM), Solyndra, and Symyx (SMMX).About the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The mission of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is to unleash and maximize the economic potential of new ideas by removing barriers to entrepreneurship and the development of high-growth and innovation-based businesses. The office will report directly to Locke and focus specifically on identifying issues and programs most important to entrepreneurs. Working closely with the White House and other federal agencies, this new office will drive policies that help entrepreneurs translate new ideas, products and services into economic growth.About the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will advise Locke and the administration on key issues relating to innovation and entrepreneurship. The council will include successful entrepreneurs, innovators, angel investors, venture capitalists, non-profit leaders and other experts who will identify and recommend solutions to issues critical to the creation and development of entrepreneurship ecosystems that will generate new businesses and jobs. It will also serve as a vehicle for ongoing dialogue with the entrepreneurship community and other stakeholders.
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7/19/2010
CMEA Capital Founder Named to National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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