Rafael Coven

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Mr. Coven is the founder of GreenSpark Energy Solutions, and has deployed PaceControls products nationally for Fortune 500 companies, major colleges and universities, hospitality companies, and across a wide range of facilities. He has 25+ years of experience in clean technology, as a manager, entrepreneur, institutional investor, and management consultant. He has worked with start-ups, the Fortune 500, governments, and investors in strategy, marketing, business development and helped them to evaluate, create and build new markets and businesses. As an investment professional, he has also managed over $700 million in environmental and energy technology company investments.

Mr. Coven has lived in and led projects in Europe, Latin America, and Australasia for companies such as Philips Lighting, Abengoa, and Whirlpool in energy-efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental technology. Before GreenSpark, he ran a cleantech consultancy and had co-founded a developer of enterprise software for energy & environmental management.  Consulting for Deloitte, ITCA, among others, his clients have included institutional, private equity investors, large and small firms, governments, and NGOs.

Mr. Coven earned an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, and holds a B.A. in Economic Development from The University of Michigan. He is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Cleantech Network, the advisory board of NUvention Clean Energy (a Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory joint venture), the Clean Economy Network, and the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance.