About Us
High Quality Tidal Solutions
Verdant Power is Dedicated to Advancing Tidal Energy
Verdant Power is at the forefront of advancing the global tidal energy industry to make tidal energy technology available worldwide. We focus on validating the unique benefits of clean, renewable, and reliable tidal energy and creating lasting partnerships to expand the marine energy industry.
Experts in Marine Renewable Energy
Verdant Power adapts innovative tidal turbine system technology to develop marine power projects with partners to generate clean energy
With over 20 years of experience, Verdant Power has developed industry-leading capabilities in tidal power generation:
- Marine Renewable Energy Systems Design, installation and operations
- Compliance with and setting the bar for International Electrical Commission (IEC) Marine Energy standards for Power Performance from tidal energy turbines
- Verdant Power Resource Assessment and site evaluation
- Project Licensing and compliance through adaptive management and environmental monitoring
Verdant Power conducted in-water testing of its turbine system, successfully demonstrating the technology as an efficient source of clean energy achieving a 98% availability.
Our Leadership
President, chair, Board of Directors
Joseph Klein
Joseph Klein has over 20 years’ experience in investment banking, with a concentration on providing capital raising and capital structure advice to public companies. Mr. Klein most recently served as Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets for Leerink Partners, a privately held investment bank. Prior to that, he was a Partner and Co-Founder of KKS Securities. Mr. Klein holds an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Yale University.
Chief financial officer, Board of Directors
Mark Gelnaw
Mr. Gelnaw has significant experience in the financial services industry having held senior positions at Lehman Brothers, Salomon Brothers and Arthur Andersen as well as Global Head of Business Development and Head of Strategic Funds for the Asset Management division of Deutsche Bank. Mr. Gelnaw also served as COO for Deutsche Bank’s Equity and Asset Management divisions, Global Head of Equity Finance and the Global Head of Proprietary Trading and Portfolio Manager of the Deutsche Bank Angel Fund. Mr. Gelnaw currently participates in various developing private equity ventures and is President and CEO of Breakwater Ventures. He is a graduate of Georgetown University where he earned a BSBA in Accounting. Mark is a Certified Public Accountant with Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Joseph Helpern
Dr. Helpern is a physicist involved with the establishment of the field of MRI. Dr. Helpern was a tenured Professor at New York University School of Medicine and served as Vice Chairman for Research in the Department of Radiology and Director of the Center for Biomedical Imaging. He is a Distinguished Investigator of the Academy of Radiology Research and has been conferred numerous awards including the Excellence in Research Award from the State of New York. Dr. Helpern received his PhD from Oakland University, his MA (organic chemistry) from The University of North Carolina, and his BA from Case Western Reserve University.
TECHNICAL & BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD
Glenn Smith
Mr. Smith is a managing partner of Verto Impact Partners, a specialist advisory and management platform focusing on decarbonization and Waste to Value related opportunities. He is the former Acting CEO of Verdant Power and a highly experienced executive with more than three decades of diverse international knowledge of both private and public companies. His senior leadership, operational and investing experience spans numerous aspects of the Energy and Infrastructure asset classes, encompassing institutional fund raising, structured financing, merger, acquisition, and restructuring, with a special focus on renewable energy and sustainable resource development. Mr. Smith holds a BA of Engineering with honors from the University of West England and has the distinctions of Eur.Ing., CEng, MIMechE and MIGasE
TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD
Mary Ann Adonizio
Mary Ann Adonizio is a civil/environmental engineer with over 40 years of experience in renewable electric generation and transmission, including project development, feasibility analysis, capital construction and operating project management. Her early career work focused on hydroelectric project management for various clients. Most recently for the past 15 years, a consultant to Verdant Power, she has provided project development and management of various projects including the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project (East River – New York, NY) and the Morlais West Anglesey Demonstration Zone in Wales. Ms. Adonizio holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Penn State University.
External TECHNICAL advisor
Jonathan A. Colby
As President and Founder of Streamwise Development LLC, a consultancy focused on enabling innovation and commercialization in the renewable energy and aerospace industries, Mr. Colby is also actively involved in Standards and Conformity Assessment through the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). He currently serves as the Chair to IEC/TC 114 (Marine Energy) and as the Convener of the Marine Energy Sector Working Group under the IECRE, among other international and national roles. He is the recipient of the IEC 1906 Award in 2015 for his work with the IECRE. Mr. Colby was previously with Verdant Power for 15+ years, most recently as the Director of Technology Performance where he played a lead role at Verdant’s Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project (East River – New York, NY), the first tidal energy project to receive a federal commercial license in the United States. Mr. Colby holds a BA in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a MA from the College of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology