Chair

Mark Austin

Venture Partner

Bright Capital

Mark Austin is a Venture Partner with Bright Capital, a global venture capital firm focused on investments in clean and alternative energy, energy and resource efficiency, advanced materials, energy storage, agtech, water, and green chemistry. In addition to the full cycle of the investment process, he also serves as a Director on the boards QM Power, Agrivida, and Ener-G-Rotors. As Managing Director of Chandler Reed LLC, Mr. Austin provided strategy and advisory services to funds, corporates, as well as entrepreneurs and CEOs of public and private technology-based companies. A former serial tech entrepreneur in electro-optics, medical lab devices, and advanced materials, Mr. Austin also served as a consultant to UNDP’s Sustainable Energy & Environment Division (SEED) for sustainable technologies globally. He is an Entrepreneur-in- Resident with NYSERDA, has mentored entrepreneurs in Africa, and spoken at conferences in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America on venture investing, energy, strategy and entrepreneurship. Mr. Austin has multiple patents issued internationally, has won international product design awards, and is a graduate of Williams College.