Mark is one of 3 co-founders of Verdigris and its CEO. He was recognized as one the 40 under 40 in 2017 by Silicon Valley Business Journal. In addition to advising several prominent robotics startups, Mark currently leads the core business strategy and development of Verdigris. Mark was a principal engineer for a number of famed Silicon Valley technology start-ups. These include NexGen (now AMD), Pasemi (now Apple), and RMI and NetLogic (now Broadcom). He and his cofounders met at previous startups where they co-architected several products that now powers most of the worlds 4G/LTE mobile infrastructure. Their last company was acquired by Broadcom for $3.7B in 2011. Mark completed undergrad and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Ken Hayes helps start-ups grow, get financed and build value. He joined Cleantech Open in 2017 as Executive Director with US National and Global responsibilities for this established startup accelerator. Concurrently, he is Venture Partner and Co-founder of Canyon Creek Capital's Fund II, a VC fund focused on SoCal tech companies from Seed to Series A, with 40+ investments since late 2014. He is also a Director Emeritus of the Pasadena Angels, where he continues to focus on deal sourcing, mentoring entrepreneurs, and performing due diligence. Finally, Ken is a "recovering entrepreneur" who has built and sold several companies in Europe and the USA, in the ed-tech and ad-tech sectors. He earned an MBA at INSEAD, France, and a BA Economics at Pomona College.

Follow Ken on Twitter: @KenHayesLA or LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbhayes