RAFFI FREEMAN

Raffi Freeman is managing partner and co-founder at Izuba Energy. He is also an active investor and advisor to technology startups focused on climate change mitigation. He previously was VP Business at Ouster (NYSE:OUST), a technology company developing lidar sensors and related robotics technology. At Ouster, he served as the first commercial hire as an early employee, growing to run a 30+ person global team and grow the business, culminating in a $1.9B SPAC exit in Dec 2020. Prior to Ouster, Raffi was VP, Business Development at MODO Fuels, pioneering the production of ultra low carbon fuels (conversion of woody biomass residues into jet fuel, diesel, and naphtha), Principal at Flagship Ventures, where he focused on launching and investing in companies in climate change mitigation, and President at Midori, a technology startup pioneering a breakthrough carbohydrate catalysis platform. Prior to Midori, Raffi developed renewable power projects in Africa, including creating the first utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant in East Africa which currently contributes to over 6% of Rwanda's power and broke the record for fastest African energy project finance deal to reach financial close and interconnect. He also formerly was a business analyst at McKinsey and Company, where he specialized in corporate healthcare, national competitiveness, sustainability and resource productivity, and global public health. He has also held roles at BNP Paribas in Latin American project finance, the 2Seeds Network on agricultural value chain development in East Africa, and the Reserve Bank of India in central banking policy.

Raffi serves as adviser to a range of organizations including Ashoka, where he works with social entrepreneurs on business model scaling strategy, and Peace First, a Boston-based non-profit dedicated to creating the next generation of peacemakers. He is a member of the Board of Directors of eKutir, a social enterprise using a train-the-trainer model and mobile technology to transform agriculture in India. He previously was curator of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community in Boston, and spoke at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.

Raffi holds bachelor's degrees from Stanford University in Economics and Public Policy, with honors in International Security and Cooperation, and conducted graduate work in International Policy Studies.