The Team

Built by people who've already changed things.

Leadership

Built an undervalued climate sector into a $68 billion asset class.

Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq.

Co-Founder · Chief Executive Officer

25 years commercializing novel climate technologies across environmental law, policy, carbon markets, and entrepreneurship. Environmental attorney at Arnold & Porter (New York) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London). Founder & Board Chair, U.S. Biochar Coalition — grew the industry from 20 companies in 2010 to 300+ representing $68B in economic value.

Pioneered the silicon-carbon anode at the core of Group14 — a new global benchmark for energy storage.

Chad Goodwin

Co-Founder · Chief Technology & Innovation Officer

12 patents in carbon nanostructures and advanced energy storage. Pioneered the silicon anode technology now shipping in EVs, aviation, and consumer electronics. Current focus: biomass-derived nanosilicon for battery decarbonization, low-pressure hydrogen storage, and next-generation direct air capture.

Led a $300M utility turnaround. Increased national electrification rates 20%.

Joel Nana Kontchou

Chief Operating Officer

Former CEO, Eneo Cameroon — led the $300M+ financial turnaround and privatization of a 3,700-employee national utility. Grew the customer base from 858,000 to 1.3 million; raised national electrification 20%. Former Managing Director, Schlumberger West & Central Africa. Founder, Makoe Ventures.

Advisor

Built the world's leading silicon anode materials company.
$1 billion raised.

Rick Luebbe

CEO & Co-Founder · Group14 Technologies

CEO of the world's breakthrough silicon battery anode technology company — deploying in EVs, aviation, and consumer electronics. Previously co-founded EnerG2 (acquired by BASF). U.S. Army aviation officer, Desert Storm — Bronze Star and two Air Medals.

Local Partners

40% income growth for partner-farmers. Obama Foundation Africa Leader.

Kofi Debrah

Co-Founder & MD · Facet Oko · Ghana

Twenty years building sustainable agroforestry and conservation enterprises across West Africa. Former USAID, UN FAO, and Forestry Commission of Ghana.

Sustainable Young 100 of the Netherlands.

Tim Smits Van Oyen

Co-Founder & MD · Facet Oko

Sustainable cocoa trader, impact investor, and sustainability leader. Sustainable Young 100 of the Netherlands (2021).

Imperial Decoration — Order of the Rising Sun, Japan.

Radboud Molijn

Co-Founder & MD · Facet Oko

Twenty-plus years in cross-border M&A and joint ventures building the Japan–Sub-Saharan Africa investment nexus. Imperial Decoration, Order of the Rising Sun, Japan (2016).

Guinea's largest agro-industrial — 200,000 hectares of sweet sorghum.

Mamadi Koumba Diawara

Director · Alliance Ingénierie · Facet Guinea

Chemical engineer and biofuels pioneer leading Guinea's largest agro-industrial initiative — 200,000 hectares of sweet sorghum for sugar and bioethanol production.

Thirty years of landscape restoration across Africa.

Peter Mbile, PhD

VP Biodiversity & Natural Capital Restoration

Thirty years of landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation leadership across Africa and internationally. Former WWF, World Resources Institute, IUCN, and USAID.

Turning waste into green jobs for women and youth in Burundi.

Jean Marie Nizigiyimana

Co-Founder & CEO · Facet Jeni-Eco · Burundi

Social entrepreneur turning waste into green jobs, circular economy solutions, and climate resilience for women and youth in Burundi.

Niarchos Prize. Among 100 most influential voices against armed violence worldwide.

Eric Niragira

CEO · Esmond Group · Burundi

International peacebuilding and community development leader. Niarchos Prize recipient. Named among 100 most influential voices against armed violence worldwide.

Three million trees planted across Tanzania.

Chris Simwinga

Co-Founder & Director · Facet Tanzania

Three million trees planted. Conservation leader uniting smallholder farmers, communities, and global institutions across Tanzania's Mara and Songwe regions.

Building the diaspora bridge for a prosperous Burundi.

Alphonsine Niyonkuru

CEO · Burundian Diaspora USA–VS

Bridging the Burundian diaspora in the United States to build a prosperous, culturally rooted future for Burundi — including the Bujumbura Green City vision.

Climate communications for 50+ African startups.

Dadson Kinyua

Communications · Kenya

Africa agribusiness and climate communications specialist with seven-plus years writing for global development organizations and 50+ startups across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Pioneering the world's most ethically sourced biomass.

Tom Elliott

Co-Founder & CEO · Facet Kalulu · Namibia

Pioneering the most ethically sourced biomass in the world — invasive species harvesting, habitat restoration, and Southern African engineered biocarbons. 15+ years in mining and commodity trading across Asia and Africa.

Fifty years in international finance — from LSE to Global Head of Structured Trade Finance.

Peter Elliott

Co-Founder & Chairman · Facet Kalulu

Fifty years in international finance — from the London Stock Exchange to Global Head of Structured Trade Finance. Deep personal connection to Africa: lived in Kenya, family in Namibia.

Eighteen years of large-scale civil engineering across Southern Africa.

Clinton Payne

Co-Founder & VP Operations · Facet Kalulu

Eighteen years of civil engineering on large-scale infrastructure across South Africa and Namibia. Specialist in project engineering, construction, and road and civil engineering.

Replacing industrial chemicals with biodegradable alternatives — at scale.

Ryal de Waal

Director SADC · Co-Founder & CEO, Facet Reinpower

Serial entrepreneur scaling sustainable agriculture and green chemistry across Southern Africa since 2010. Mission: replacing harsh industrial chemicals with biodegradable, sustainable alternatives.

Global project design leadership for major energy projects across Africa and the Middle East.

Ken Gafner

Chairman · SDE Energy

Award-winning energy engineer with global project design leadership across Africa and the Middle East. Leads overall conceptual design and optimization for major energy projects.

Thirty years engineering complex global power projects.

Mark Baillie

Managing Director · SDE Energy

Thirty years in ICT, electronics, and control systems engineering for complex global power projects. Specialist in data center infrastructure and C&I power automation.

Anchoring climate-smart agriculture in Nagaland, India.

Albrecht van Waldeau

CEO · Climes Agri · Nagaland, India

Climate-smart agriculture leader in Nagaland, India. EcoSystem partner anchoring Facet's South Asia presence.

Bhutan's leading manufacturer of Ferro Silicon.

Ugen Ferro Alloys

JV Partner · Bhutan

Bhutan's leading manufacturer of Ferro Silicon — an FDI company at the forefront of the steel and alloy industries from the Pasakha Industrial Estate.