Paul Richardson, President & Co-Founder

Paul is the President and CEO of the Renewal2 Social Investment Fund.  Prior to launching Renewal2, Paul co-managed the Renewal Partners’ venture portfolio from 2003-2009. In that time, Renewal was active in over 20 significant transactions with companies in its portfolio.  From 2004 to 2006, Paul also led an international consortium of philanthropic foundations and private investors in successful negotiations with the Federal and Provincial governments and the Coastal First Nations to structure a financing deal that supported the conservation of the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest intact, coastal temperate rainforest left in the world.

Paul brings both legal and business experience to Renewal2. He practiced law at Fasken Martineau in Toronto for four years before leaving to become a senior partner at Strathy & Richardson, a leading Canadian litigation firm in Toronto, where he continued his legal practice for eight years. Paul is a graduate of Queen’s University (Biology) and the University of Toronto (Law) and is active on a variety of Renewal2 investee company boards, including Horizon Distributors, Better Energy Systems, Blue Horizon and Sensible Organics, as well as the boards of the Coast Opportunities Funds (Acting Chair) and Ecojustice Canada (President).

Joel Solomon, Chairman & Co-Founder

Joel is Chairman for Renewal2 and President and CEO of Renewal; he brings a vast network and wealth of deal experience to Renewal2. Joel was instrumental in the development of Renewal Partners and the Endswell Foundation and has led them since their inception in 1994. Renewal Partners has invested in over 75 companies that share its commitment to socially responsible growth.

Prior to founding Renewal, Joel spent ten years building businesses in Nashville’s decayed urban core where he co-founded Village Real Estate, CORE development, the Bongo Java chain of coffee houses and roasters and 32 West Corp. (a chain of three independent restaurants). Joel is a founding member of Social Venture Network (SVN), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and Tides Canada. He is Board Chair of Tides Foundation (US), and Hollyhock Foundation, and sits on numerous other Renewal Partners’ investee boards such as Happy Planet Foods and Strategic Communications and on Renewal2 investee boards of Alter Eco Americas and Spud.

Carol Newell, Co-Founder

Carol Newell, C.M. is the investing founder of the Renewal family of companies, which includes Renewal2 Investment Fund.

Carol’s vision has long been to utilize great wealth boldly to help restore natural balance.  To this end, Renewal’s evolution is a calculated, long-term experiment to deploy her discretionary capital in a specific region. This strategy integrates business, philanthropic, and collaborative-inducing investments to address common purpose. Over the past 20 years she has deliberately activated the vast majority of her wealth – well over $60 million - to help catalyze organizations, individuals and businesses working toward sustainable economic development, social and environmental justice, and local resiliency.
 
Carol is the co-founder and co-host of Play BIG, a series of informal conferences to share insights and encourage other wealth holders to activate their resources for social change. She also speaks publicly across North America to promote whole portfolio activation and innovative approaches to social investing.  Carol has received many honours including a Lifetime Achievement award by Vancouver Women in Finance, the Women in Philanthropy award from Minerva Foundation, and a Doctor of Humane Letters from St. Lawrence University.   In 2007, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

Nicole Bradbury CFA, Vice President

Nicole joined Renewal2 in 2008 as a member of the investment team from Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management Ltd. (PH&N), where she managed private client portfolios and was responsible for building their external distribution channel. To Renewal2, Nicole brings over 15 years experience as a portfolio manager for institutional and private clients with Merrill Lynch in London and Geneva, AllianceBernstein in New York, and PH&N in Vancouver. Nicole is a CFA charterholder, holds an MBA from Columbia Business School (Finance focus on Value Investing), and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours, Co-op) from Memorial University.  Nicole is a Board Observer for Renewal2 investee Rustic Crust.

Mike Cormack, Venture Partner

Mike is a key member of the investment team and brings with him significant U.S. deal experience. Prior to joining Renewal2 in 2008, Mike oversaw planning and acquisitions for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and was a key player in the Matchpoint Trading and Marco Polo Network transactions. He was the President of Archipelago Holdings, an electronic trading company, which in 2006 executed a historic merger enabling the NYSE to become a public company. At Archipelago, Mike was responsible for sales and operations, successfully executed several mergers, and took the firm into the public markets in 2004. He graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and currently sits on the boards of Recovery Point Systems and Ecojustice Canada and on Renewal2 investee boards Aquatic Informatics and Spud.
 

Catherine (Kate) Storey, Senior Associate

Kate joined the Renewal2 investment team from CIBC World Markets where she spent four years as an Associate working in both the equity and debt capital markets. During her time at the investment bank, Kate was involved in over $120B of public and private financings for corporate and government clients. Kate is responsible for assisting with Renewal 2’s investment screening and analysis, deal sourcing, due diligence and deal execution. Kate holds an MBA (Finance) from Dalhousie University, a B.Sc (Honours, Biology) from Mount Allison University and a Certificate in Carbon Finance from the University of Toronto.

Carla Culos, Associate

Carla joined the Renewal2 team in April 2009 as an Associate to the fund. She is responsible for managing deal flow, liaising with investors and communications and marketing activities. Carla is passionate about using the tools of business and finance to create positive social and environmental change. She is an active volunteer with the Vancouver Chapter of Acumen Fund, a non-profit venture fund using entrepreneurial approaches to solve global poverty and founding member of the Vancouver Greentech Exchange and the Young Women in Business (YWiB) association.  Carla holds an Honours in Sustainability certificate and an Undergraduate Business and Communications degree from Simon Fraser University.

Marisa Whitlock, Executive Assistant

Marisa joined Renewal2 in July 2011 as the Office Manager and Executive Assistant to Paul Richardson. Prior to Renewal2, Marisa was an Executive Assistant at Battery Ventures in Menlo Park, California, where she assisted executives specializing in cleantech and renewable energy. She was also an Executive Assistant at Harris & Harris Group in Palo Alto, California, which invested solely in companies utilizing nanotechnology, cleantech and microelectronics. She is active in the Vancouver community and volunteers at the Whitecaps Foundation, the non-profit arm of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Marisa graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations.