Alex G. McIntosh, Founder & General Partner
Summary: Alex's primary area of expertise and focus is water. His specific interest in tackling the toughest water challenges of the 21st century by creating innovative funds and partnerships to catalyze entrepreneurs and their transformative business models.
Water is a cross-cutting resource; solutions to difficult water problems such as scarcity, sanitation, access, and infrastructure require unique skill sets. Alex brings twenty years of successful sustainability, fundraising, partner development, and management leadership in all three sectors (private, public, nonprofit) to the equation.
Specialties: Water; Sustainability; Social entrepreneurship to benefit BoP communities; Environmental strategy; Impact Investing; Clean technology & investment; New business models & innovation
Professional Background:
Alex formed Ecomundi Ventures to accelerate our transition to a more sustainable society via two focus areas: an innovative impact investment fund focused on water and the world's most promising entrepreneurs, and development of a new sustainability framework.
Prior to Ecomundi Ventures, Alex was the founding Director of Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship at Nestlé Waters North America, the $4B division of the world's largest consumer water company. At Nestlé Waters, Alex developed the vision and strategic plan, and provided hands-on leadership to build the corporation's first sustainability program from the ground up during a time of intense social scrutiny. He created a broad network of partnerships with corporate, policy, regulatory, and nonprofit water organizations to advance sustainability & innovation. His success in aligning financial, environmental, and social strategies within the 8,500-person corporation played a key role in expanding Nestlé Waters' reputation for excellence in the beverage industry.
Prior to Nestlé, Alex was Director of Philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy, where he helped raise a record $75MM in private capital for two of the largest watershed conservation projects in the organization's history. Alex developed the vision, strategic plan and provided leadership for the 9-person fundraising team that increased annual giving revenue 1,250% over four years and completed the most successful corporate conservation campaign in state history.
Alex's other environmental contributions include co-development of an ecotourism business/funding model for Gabon's president and leading conservation group, creation of a five-year business plan for Big Bend National Park, and publication of a field guide to birds.
Alex earned his B.A. with academic honors at Duke University, and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University.
Alex serves as a Judge or mentor for Cleantech Group's Global 100, Global Social Venture Competition, the Global Cleantech Cluster Association, and Net Impact.
Water, cleantech, and sustainability speaking engagements have included: Water 2.0 Investment Summit, Mission Critical Water, Watertech Week 2011, Cleantech Group, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Yale Environmental School, Bluetech Valley Water Conference, Water Innovations Alliance, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Global Cleantech Cluster Assn, Agrion/Water, CERES
More biographical information can be found at Alex’s LinkedIn site.