Mark Donohue and Cleantech

Prior to his more recent work with Babson College, Sheffield Pharmaceuticals and LifeGuides, in 2001, Mark was a pioneer in the development of the Cleantech sector, reflecting a major tenet of his Impact Entrepreneurship and triple-bottom-line approach. Mark played a major role in the creation and growth of the Cleantech thesis, which astonishingly grew to $100B of new investments annually by 2007.

As the sole Founder of Expansion Capital Partners, LLC, Mark oversaw the operations, fundraising, portfolio, deals sourcing and marketing of the San Francisco-based Cleantech Venture Capital fund during his long history with the firm. As an investment specialist, Mark led the firm’s investing into burgeoning Cleantech enterprises with compelling risk-return profiles.

In June 2008, Mark was appointed Chairman Emeritus of Expansion Capital Partners after he sold his interests and transitioned to teaching entrepreneurship at Babson College.

At Babson, Mark co-founded and is the lead benefactor of the Babson Sustainability & Energy Club, which also organizes the annual Babson Sustainability Forum.

 

“Solar Panels Made in Sweatshops” Keynote Address to the Cleantech Venture Network - March 2006

This keynote was presented to the largest gathering, in history, of venture capitalists that specialize in market-based environmental enterprises. Over 1000 people were in attendance for this landmark conference, which was hosted by the leading organization in the sector – the Cleantech Venture Network. Mark was subsequently interviewed live on BBC global news about this keynote, plus authored several related articles in publications like Environmental Finance. The following keynote presentation was the first-ever regarding "triple bottom line" investing, at this semiannual gathering of mainstream Clean Technology investors, represented by firms like Kleiner Perkins, Foundation Capital and Draper Fisher.

 
 

Mark Donohue Cleantech Education Fund

In 2007, Mark created a scholarship fund for undergraduate and graduate students at Babson who are interested in the Cleantech & Impact space. The Fund provides for all-expenses-paid trips to the country’s leading events. Mark accompanied over 30 student groups to marquee Cleantech and impact entrepreneurship events, as their personal concierge to meeting the greatest sustainability leaders of our era.

  • He has supported Babson students with over $250,000 of grants, including being the benefactor and co-founder of the Babson Energy & Environment Club. For the club, he funded 17 years of events as the lead benefactor (to date), plus sourced over 100 speakers for Babson's annual conference, including Paul Polman (Unilever), Nick Parker (Cleantech Group), Nancy Floyd (Nth Power), Wayne Silby (Calvert Investments) and dozens of his lifelong collaborators in triple-bottom-line investment and entrepreneurship.
    Mark also facilitated, and the Cleantech Education Fund fully funded, 10 years of Impact Career half-day forums at Babson, which brought over 125 leading executives to campus for a "boot camp" mentoring of each student’s dreams of manifesting positive systemic transformation.

 
 

Babson Sustainability & Energy Club

Mark is the Co-Founder and Lead Benefactor of the BSEC. Their mission is to foster an atmosphere that focuses Babson’s energy towards making the world a better place for generations to come. They believe in the power of disruption and innovation powered by a strong community to enact positive social and environmental change.

 

Cleantech Financing Strategies in the Global Economy

This post summarizes a round-table discussion about cleantech financing in the global economy, held at the 5th Annual Babson Energy and Environmental Conference on Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future, and chaired by Mark Donohue. The discussion covered some of the global aspects affecting cleantech financing and looked at various challenges and opportunities lying ahead.