Today G2VP, a venture capital firm dedicated to building and supporting technology companies digitizing traditional industries, announced the hiring of Ryan Popple and Francesca Whitehead.
After seven years as CEO of Proterra, Ryan Popple is joining the G2VP team as a Partner. Ryan’s tenure at Proterra (a G2VP portfolio company) saw the company transformed from an early-stage electric bus start-up to an industry leader in commercial vehicle electrification, culminating in a recent announcement to become publicly listed via a merger with ArcLight Clean Transition Corp. Prior to leading Proterra, Ryan worked with the G2VP team at the Kleiner Perkins Green Growth Fund from 2010 to 2014. Before that he was Senior Director of Finance at Tesla, and an officer in the US Army. At G2VP, Ryan will initially be primarily focused on using his learnings and experiences from Proterra to mentor & support portfolio companies.
Francesca Whitehead joins the G2VP team as an Investor. Prior to joining G2VP, Francesca was part of the inaugural team of the KKR Global Impact Fund where she led coverage efforts and investments across transportation, energy transition, climate resiliency, advanced materials, and food & agriculture. She continues to leverage her knowledge and network in these sectors at G2VP. Before KKR, Francesca began her journey of understanding the needs and complexities of traditional industries working at Goldman Sachs in natural resources investment banking, and studied at Brown University and the University of Oxford.
“A decade after our initial involvement, I am happy that Proterra is in a strong industry-leading position,” said Popple. “When considering my next steps, returning to work with the G2VP team felt like an obvious answer, given their leadership in the ESG investment field, and my professional and personal commitment to fostering sustainability.”
“My passion for investing is informed by having experienced the acute effects of climate change as a child in Vietnam and Hong Kong, animating my work with a commitment to sustainability,” said Whitehead. “I am thrilled to join a team who has been at the forefront of transforming the traditional industries that, if modernized, have the potential to disrupt large markets, create outsized value, and generate lasting impact. There are massive and growing investable opportunities in driving sustainability for these sectors, and G2VP’s philosophy, expertise, and network will help innovators and incumbents alike move us towards a more sustainable future.”
“We are thrilled to see G2VP grow as a firm, especially given recent progress with several of our portfolio companies,” said Valerie Shen, G2VP’s Chief Operating Officer. “We know that hiring talented team members is crucial to our continued success, and are already pleased with Ryan and Francesca’s contributions, as well as the access and ideas their networks and experiences add to our team.”
About G2VP
At G2VP, we invest in emerging technology companies that digitize traditional industries and drive market transformations. Tapping into global industries from transportation, energy and agriculture to manufacturing and logistics, G2VP was founded around a multi-trillion dollar trend: the digitization of industry. As this trend takes root, and industries worldwide transition from traditional analog to digital processes, G2VP sees tremendous opportunity for value creation, economic growth, and sector disruption. By aligning companies, purpose and profit, we aim to unlock previously unidentified paths to sustainability and resource efficiency.
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