William D. Lese
Managing Partner
William D. Lese has more than 27 years of research, operating and venture capital experience in the energy and environmental businesses. Prior to co-founding Braemar, Mr. Lese was a partner with Mantis Holdings, Inc., a venture capital firm focused on investing in environmental and energy-efficiency companies, where he concentrated on emerging technologies for converting industrial waste streams into value-added products. Prior to Mantis Holdings, he was the director of business development for NPS Industries, Inc., an international manufacturer of engineered equipment for the power industry. Mr. Lese’s business development activities included managing a joint venture with Consolidated Edison Co., and managing other key customer relationships. Prior to joining NPS Industries, he was one of the original employees of Sithe Energies, Inc. (an affiliate of Vivendi, SA), which became one of the world's largest independent power producers. At Sithe Energies, Mr. Lese had project and technical oversight responsibilities, including managing several power projects.
Mr. Lese serves on the Advisory Committee of the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and renewable Economy (NYC ACRE). He currently serves on the board of directors of Coaltek, Utility Associates, CIRIS Energy, OPX Biotechnologies, Solazyme, Ioxus, CRB, General Fusion and is chairman of the board of Solicore. He serves as a board observer for Stion, Enerkem and Proterro. Mr. Lese has both a B.A. in physics and an M.S. in energy science from New York University.
“As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, venture-backed companies developing next-generation energy technologies will play an increasingly critical role in the economic, environmental and social well-being of the global community. Industrialized and developing nations alike recognize the importance of developing cost-competitive, sustainable and environmentally responsible energy technologies; and venture-backed companies, working in partnership with large corporations and governments, will be at the epicenter of worldwide energy technology innovation. If this collaboration is well-executed, both prosperity and global energy stability will likely follow.”
— William D. Lese
