Nicholas Parker

Chairman, Cleantech Group

Nicholas Parker is Chairman of The Cleantech Group, the Blue Economy Initiative, Parker Venture Management Inc., Corporate Knights Media Ltd., and WaterTap corp. Nicholas introduced the cleantech concept to the investment and business community in 2002, and continues to play a major role in establishing the investment tools necessary to make cities prosperous and clean. 

Nick is Chairman of the Cleantech Group and Parker Venture Management, his private investment and advisory business. Previously Nicholas accumulated over 15 years experience starting and investing venture funds worldwide through limited partnerships, family offices, corporate funds and endowments. During this time, he pioneered the first "sustainability" driven private equity funds and participated in one of the first solar IPOs. In the 1990s, he also founded, built and sold an environmental finance firm. He’s advised economic development agencies, major corporations and institutional investors, spoken at most major industry events and been quoted by the leading media publications.

Nicholas has authored or edited more than ten publications related to cleantech, finance and international business, starting with Investing in Emerging Economies in 1993. He’s currently Chairman of Corporate Knights Media, the Blue Economy Initiative, and the WaterTAP Corporation, as well as on several boards, including Government of Singapore Energy and Cleantech Advisory Panel and the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Commercialization of Research. From 2003-08, he was Chairman of E+Co, the award-winning investment company for clean energy enterprises in developing countries.

Nicholas earned a BA Hons. in Technology Studies (Carleton University, Ottawa), an MBA (City University, London), and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). He has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America and currently resides in Toronto.