Rafael Carmona Davila
Based in: Mexico
Expertise: Development Impact Focus
Rafael has a mechanical engineering background, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Master’s in Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia, with more than 25 years of experience in the Cleantech sector, working as consultant for international development organizations such as USAID, WWF, Zennström Philanthropies, ADF, GIZ, Breakthrough Energy, amongst others.
Rafael is the cofounder of GreenMomentum Inc., a market intelligence and innovation company, focused on the Latin American market, and co-founder of Cleantech Challenge Mexico, Latin America’s top green business acceleration program, supporting almost 1,400 Cleantech start-ups since 2010. Rafael is also the Secretary of Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Solar Energy National Association (ANES).
Debby Stone
Based in: USA
Expertise: Hydro, Development Impact Focus
Debby has been a key force in creating the Dl Infra-Invest program and is a Women in DLZ mentor, and she is also an equity partner in several projects under development in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Debby previously led the International Clean Energy Alliance and was White House Liaison to the Bush and Obama Administrations, representing solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and nuclear energy issues. Debby also led US Hydropower industry trade association efforts in project partnering, policy, social and environmental areas, and project finance for more than 14 years in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. She possesses unique experience in policy and legal framework, innovation, intellectual property, project finance, investment, government affairs and licensing related to the infrastructure projects business.
Jorge Manrique
Based in: USA
Expertise: Energy policy, Utility Resource Planning, Evaluation and Development of Renewable Energy Projects
Jorge holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in economics from the San Francisco State university. He has more than 40 years of experience in working with public and private entities in the USA, Canada, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Peru, Dominican and Republic Puerto Rico in the areas of public policy, resource planning for electric utilities and in the development of privately owned renewable energy projects.
Jorge led a team of experts in the installation of resource planning methodologies in Guatemala, which have now become standard methodologies used by countries in Central America and the Caribbean. He also has extensive experience in managing companies and leading teams performing feasibility studies, due diligence, engineering and economic analysis, financing, negotiation of PPAs, supervision of construction, operation, etc. for all types of renewable energy projects. Jorge applies, his unique understanding of how electric utilities work and their needs, to the optimization of design and development of renewable energy projects.
Ignacio Smith Salazar
Based in: Trinidad and Tobago
Expertise: Solar, Data Innovation, Development Impact Focus
Ignacio Smith is an expert in data innovation with a focus on solar energy and development impact. He holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami, a Master’s in Finance and Project Management, and a Post MBA.
An active speaker at international renewable energy forums, Ignacio researches financial platforms and stochastic models to enhance photovoltaic availability, grid penetration, integration, equality, and inclusiveness. He has developed initiatives like the Grid Tied Government Assisted Model and Carbon Credit Community Based Financing to make renewable energy accessible across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Ignacio also serves as the Coordinating Management Entity for the Clean Development Mechanisms Program of Activities for the Caribbean and Central America and is the regional contact for the International Solar Energy Society.
Walter Vargas
Based in: Costa Rica
Expertise: Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction, Wind
Walter has 24 years of experience in providing technical and managerial leadership in accounting, auditing, finance, and investing. Walter has worked in several industries over the years, such as in hardware stores, private hospitals, private corporations, tourism companies, auditing firms, and NGOs. Walter also has experience in environmental and social risk assessment and monitoring, as well as evaluation of projects and companies (Based on IFC performance standards, equator principles, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
David Orantes
Based in: Guatemala
Expertise: Hydro, Solar
David has worked as the executive director of an operating 60MWp photovoltaic plant in Honduras and on an “under-development” Hydroelectric project in Guatemala, with board experience in a geothermal plant in Nicaragua. David closed 3 financing stages for a PV plant in Honduras, with “bridge financing” of US$ 5 MM, “first-phase financing” of US$ 32 MM, and ‘’second phase financing” of US$ 60 MM.
Alaide González
Based in: Guatemala
Expertise: Distributed & Off-Grid Generation, Rural Electrification & Energy Access
Alaide is a Guatemalan expert in the integral, sustainable, and inclusive development of energy projects. Alaide is working in innovative business models to develop renewable energy projects under a sustainable and inclusive approach.
In the last two decades, Alaide has been involved in the different stages of several energy projects in Guatemala, including resource identification, management of environmental and social aspects of the projects, business plan development, electricity commercialization and efficient use of electricity. She has advised several companies in Central America in the management of GHG mitigation activities that includes the development of CDM projects, monitoring of emissions reductions, generation of green certificates and identification of carbon finance opportunities.
Ernesto Hanhausen
Based in: Mexico
Expertise: Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction, Waste to Energy
Ernesto is Circulate Capital’s Managing Partner for Latin America and the Caribbean coordinating and managing the CC Ocean Fund LAC investments and business activities in the region.
Ernesto has nearly 25 years of experience in originating, analyzing, structuring, implementing, and managing climate change, environmental, sustainability and impact capital investments related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, water and waste sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Prior to joining Circulate Capital, he was Managing Partner at Becquerel Capital, a financial boutique specializing in structuring, funding and operating investment platforms for renewable energy and energy efficiency businesses. Previously he served as manager, chief investment officer and investment committee member in four Latin American regional private equity funds specializing in sustainability investments, including the Emerging Energy Latin America Fund II, LP, the H-REFF/CABEF Parallel Funds, the CleanTech Fund, and the FondElec LatAm Clean Energy Services Fund, with over $200 million in aggregate capital. He has also been advisor to impact investment funds in the region, such as Adobe Capital, Deetken Impact, and Heifer Impact Capital.
He holds a B.S. in Engineering from the Anahuac University and a postgraduate Diploma in Finance from ITAM University in Mexico.
Hugo Arriaza
Based in: Guatemala
Expertise: Rural Electrification & Energy Access, Investor Network
Hugo is a founding partner of the Guatemala-based Fundación Solar since 1994, and currently is the Coordinator of energy and environment initiatives in the organization. Hugo has been promoting the electric cooperatives model in different countries. Since 2017, he has been the country-contact for cooperation agencies working in rural electrification, investments in isolated systems and with Electric Cooperatives.
As a climate change related investments and clean energy consultant, Hugo has worked for multiple programs dealing with electricity business and rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa. He has participated in the creation of a credit program to encourage small and medium farming, industry and tourism enterprises for efficient, productive and safe use of electricity.
By education, Hugo is an agricultural engineer and holds an MSc in Project Formulation and evaluation as well as in Financial Administration. Furthermore, he holds a diploma in Risk Assessment and Management and is a postgraduate in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change.
Alejandro Lucio Chaustre
Based in: Colombia
Expertise: Biomass, Distributed & Off-Grid Generation
Alejandro provides PFAN coaching services on behalf of the organization Óptima Consultores, which is an advisory and consultancy firm for large electrical energy consumers and stakeholders in the Wholesale Energy Market (WEM) in Colombia. He has experience in corporate energy planning, formation and operation of energy retailer companies and regulations.
Óptima Consultores has a multidisciplinary team and wide knowledge of the particularities regarding the contracting of electrical energy for non-regulated consumers, energy marketing among stakeholders in the wholesale energy market, regulatory aspects, protection of public service consumers, financial evaluation of electrical generating projects, as well as a network of strategic allies that provide permanent support in technical and regulatory aspects, etc.
Eduardo Reyes
Based in: Panama
Expertise: Environmental Regulation of Developing Nations
Eduardo Reyes has more than 20 years of experience in the field of renewable energy, primarily in the area of environmental regulation of developing nations, and also has more than 21 years of experience in the field of climate change, particularly in the forest, energy, and financial sectors, dealing with and adhering to UNFCCC agreements.
Since May 2010, he has been serving as a Senior Advisor for the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) as an independent climate change consultant and has been providing advice to numerous private sector businesses to deal with carbon credits and low carbon development schemes.
Eduardo has been a UNFCCC negotiator since 2002, first for the Panamanian government (2002–2009), as a country’s public servant and later as a Vice Minister of Environment (2004–2009). Eduardo is currently dealing with the Paris Agreement (PA) Articles 4 (mitigation/NDC), 5 (REDD+), 6 (Carbon Markets and ITMOs), and 13 (Transparency), which are crucial Articles for the mitigation sectors (LEDs).
Eduardo’s experience has allowed him to support and to structure projects for the PFAN programme for many years, mainly in the energy sector.
Gustavo Marquez
Based in: Colombia
Expertise: Financial Modelling, Development Impact Focus
Gustavo Marquez provides advising services on behalf of the company Athena Impacto, which has experience in structuring and financing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, rural agro-industry projects, climate and conservancy and productive projects in Colombia and Chile.
Manuel Alejandro Fuentes
Based in: Nicaragua
Expertise: Clean Transport
Manuel Alejandro Fuentes holds extensive knowledge of and experience in Latin America and has a profound understanding of the political, cultural, climate change energy-related issues gained through 25 years of field experience. Manuel has 20+ years’ experience providing technical assistance, advisory services, recommendations, and best practices to public sector bodies (governments), international donors and private clients for climate change-related issues including policy, energy access, RE, EE, rural electrification, etc. Manuel also holds extensive experience in mobilizing public and private investments for energy-focused projects: developing business and investment plans for launching and implementing sustainable projects.
Alden Jiron
Based in: Nicaragua
Expertise: Distributed & Off-Grid Generation, Rural Electrification & Energy Access
Alden Jiron holds professional experience working with NGOs, Private Companies, Academies, International Development Agencies, Multilateral Financial Institutions, and Governments. Alden has worked with them as a Consultant, Researcher, Project Manager, Deputy Director, and Executive positions for more than twenty years, touching on several aspects regarding social and economic development, including land tenure, electricity access, and renewable energies, among others.
Kirkland Brathwaite
Based in: Trinidad and Tobago
Expertise: Development Impact Focus
Kirkland Brathwaite has successfully completed a variety of complex and challenging assignments that required specialist environmental and project consulting services and has provided corporate advisory services to government, private sector and international donor clients regionally. Kirkland has worked in a number of regional territories including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, & French Guinea and completed projects in such varied areas as hotel and resort development, infrastructure planning (water, sewerage, roads, airports and ports), solid waste management, petrochemical and industrial process operations, agriculture and tourism sector studies, quarrying and land development. Through these experiences, Kirkland has gained a detailed understanding of the environmental legislative framework (both current and proposed) in a number of territories, technical constraints and general business principles in these territories.
Fernando Revuelta
Based in: Panama
Expertise: Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction, Renewable Energy
Fernando Revuelta is deeply involved in the renewable energy sector, particularly in (hydro, solar, wind), energy efficiency, environment and climate change. He has experience in the areas of development, equity and debt structuring, operations and related areas as a development and project manager, administrative manager, legal advisor, senior consultant, coach and mentor. During these years, he worked on many projects such as the Paso Ancho hydro plant, Bajo de Mina hydro plant and Baitun hydro plant in Panama. From 2012 to 2013, he was the Panama National Coordinator for the LaGuardia Foundation (USA). From 2014 to 2015, he had the responsibility of Regional Co-coordinator of the Regional Clean Energy Investment Initiative (RCEII) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Central American Forum for Clean Energy Financing (CAFCEF) competition (Guatemala).
As a consultant member of the PFAN network since 2012, he provided mentoring and coaching services to several projects in Central America.
Rodrigo Garcia
Based in: Chile
Expertise: Solar
Jose Blanco
Based in: Costa Rica
Expertise: Biomass, Distributed & Off-Grid Generation, Solar
Jose Blanco is the Regional Executive Director of BUN-CA, a regional NGO working on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Central America, Jose has been in charge of managing non-reimbursable funds for bilateral and multilateral development organizations committed to move forward their sustainable energy agenda in Central America.
Paula Brufman
Based in: Argentina
Expertise: Distributed & Off-Grid Generation, Rural Electrification & Energy Access
Paula Brufman is experienced in climate change, adaptation, community energy access projects using renewable energy, and in sustainability. Paula also has experience in initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean, in planning, coordinating and implementing fundraising strategies. Paula has also worked on sustainability footprints, climate change, resilience and adaptation with a focus on the impact and implementation of international climate finance and policies, including at sub-national and local levels.
Talya Mohammed
Based in: Trinidad and Tobago
Expertise: Biomass, Development Impact
Talya has over 17 years of experience performing in environmental compliance, monitoring and analysis, H.S.E. system approaches, capacity building and training, as well as project design and management to promote sustainable climate-smart action.
Talya is currently the Director of Ideas I Foundation, a local social enterprise focused on youth and community development and empowerment; as well as technical consulting on sustainable waste management and operationalization to support the sustained recovery of recyclables. Her work in recent years includes project coordination and facilitation and supporting grant funding applications for NGOs and CBOs.
She has also contributed to local NGO consortium projects with CANARI and the Cropper Foundation, as well as supporting the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance and working with the Bridge Foundation as project lead with an umbrella of environmental CSOs and experts in Trinidad and Tobago.
Patrick Longmire
Based in: Miami, USA
Expertise: Financial Modelling, Development Impact, Wind, Solar
Patrick is an independent consultant, advising energy project developers on raising financing from international institutions. Patrick holds a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University, a Masters in Social Change and Development from the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies and an MBA in International Finance from the Wharton School of Business, with over 30 years of experience in finance in the United States, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Patrick has experience working with SEAF, Castalia’s Clean Energy Transaction Advisory practice, Chase Manhattan Bank, Lehman Brothers, IFC Power Department, and as a Managing Director for power sector investments with a $1 billion private equity fund.
Loreto Duffy-Mayers
Based in: Barbados
Expertise: Sustainable Tourism
Loreto is a tourism, environment, and energy specialist with 30 years’ of experience throughout the Caribbean, with a major focus on emission reduction and climate change. Loreto has worked with many donor organizations, climate-focused agencies and government agencies to develop tourism-energy-environmental projects in the private sector and has overseen two energy efficiency projects for the Caribbean Hotel sector as Programme Manager (CHENACT and CHENACT Advanced Programme) and UN Caribbean Cooling Initiative (CCOOL) as the Project Lead.
She is also the Tourism Consultant for the EU COSME Programme and Barbados Offshore Renewable Energy Consultancy and managed environment programmes in seven award-winning green hotels in Barbados and St. Lucia.
Jorge Barrigh
Based in: Argentina
Expertise: Sustainable Finance and Transaction Management
Jorge has over twenty-five years of experience in field and leadership positions in impact investing, renewable & traditional energy, climate, conservation, and agriculture finance. He has worked with national governments, international development finance institutions as well as private equity investors, impact funds, startups, developers of new ventures and established corporates in the design, development, measuring, and efficient implementation of opportunities in sustainability as applied to finance, operations, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Jorge is currently Regional Director Impact Investment Americas for a rural development Impact capital fund focused on entrepreneurs and SMEs scaling up productive value chains in the agri-food production & exports sectors in the region. He is a Board member and former Chair of the Latin America and Caribbean Council On Renewable Energy (LAC-CORE) and the Transaction Manager for PFAN-LAC. He was Team Leader for the $12 M US government CEFF-CCA project preparation grant facility, administered by USAID.
He has a BS in Economics, an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a follow-on certificate in Advanced Innovation Management from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkely.
Rohan Ford
Based in: Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados
Expertise: Community building, Business Development, Renewable Energy
Over the last decade Rohan has founded, co-founded, and developed numerous sustainability focused projects. These include: a renewable energy powered, sports and entertainment facility (FindTheOasis); an online, community solar investment platform (Cloudsolar); the first electric vehicle dealership in Barbados; NGO work on Caribbean National Energy Transitions, and more.
His focus for pushing projects from ideas to implementation has resulted in many successful ventures. He is now eager to share his expertise with other passionate sustainability focused businesses.