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Patrick Wade
Founding Partner CarboNexus LLC
Professional Background
Patrick Wade is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor, best known as the Co-Founder of CarboNexus, a pioneering decarbonization venture capital platform. Since its inception, CarboNexus has dedicated its efforts to investments in early-stage, high-growth companies focused on innovative solutions for decarbonizing waste streams. This unique investment strategy emphasizes not only financial returns but also sustainable impacts, aligning perfectly with the urgent global need for environmental stewardship. At CarboNexus, Patrick and his team target both controlling and non-controlling equity investments, specifically in companies and projects that manage waste effectively and sequester carbon efficiently. The preference for distributed and scalable business models underlines their commitment to fostering a sustainable future through advanced technology and innovative practices.
Before establishing CarboNexus, Patrick built an impressive 25-year career in the energy sector, demonstrating remarkable expertise and leadership in various roles. From 2008 to 2018, he played a pivotal role as the Managing Director at the Energy & Minerals Group, a prominent private investment firm focused on the energy industry. His primary responsibilities involved direct investments across the natural resources landscape. During his tenure, he contributed significantly to the growth and governance of several noteworthy organizations, serving on the Board of Directors of influential companies such as MarkWest Liberty, NGL Energy Partners, Medallion Midstream, Ferus Inc., Lodestar Energy, and High Sierra Energy.
Patrick’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through earlier in his career when he joined a group of former colleagues to launch Bear Energy, LP. From 2005 to 2008, he held the position of Managing Director, leading initiatives that contributed substantially to the firm’s growth and influence in the energy sector. Prior to Bear Energy, he was instrumental as the co-founder and Managing Partner of Tiger Midstream from 2003 to 2005, where he oversaw the development of natural gas pipelines and evaluated investment opportunities exceeding $1 billion in the energy midstream sector.
Patrick’s journey in the energy industry started with roles at Calpine Corporation where he worked from 2001 to 2002, and at Houston Pipeline Company, from 1995 to 2000. These formative experiences provided him with a robust foundation in energy management and investment strategies that would serve him well throughout his extensive career.
Education and Achievements
Patrick holds an impressive educational background, comprising an M.B.A. from the Rice University Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, where he honed his business acumen and strategic thinking skills. He also earned a B.A. in Letters from The University of Oklahoma, reflecting his early interest in interdisciplinary studies combining the humanities with analytical thought. This diverse educational foundation has equipped Patrick with a unique perspective that he applies effectively across various sectors, from energy to venture capital.
Beyond his extensive professional experience, Patrick is deeply committed to the arts. He is a passionate supporter of contemporary painting, sculpture, and drawing. Patrick and his wife dedicate considerable time to exploring museums, galleries, and artists' studios, spanning both coasts and vibrant cities like Houston and Austin. This appreciation for art not only enriches his personal life but also inspires his professional activities, as he understands the importance of creativity and innovation in all fields.
Additionally, Patrick enjoys engaging in recreational activities such as golf and reading, particularly focusing on 20th-century history. These hobbies reflect his well-rounded personality and exemplify his belief in the value of continuous learning, both personally and professionally.
Achievements
- Co-Founder of CarboNexus: Plays a crucial role in a venture capital firm dedicated to decarbonization initiatives and sustainable investments.
- Managing Director at Energy & Minerals Group (2008-2018): Led numerous successful investments in the energy sector, contributing to the firm’s growth and the strategic direction of several influential companies.
- Board Member of Major Energy Companies: Actively served on boards including MarkWest Liberty, NGL Energy Partners, Medallion Midstream, Ferus Inc., Lodestar Energy, and High Sierra Energy, providing strategic oversight and guidance.
- Entrepreneurial Initiatives: Established Bear Energy and Tiger Midstream, showcasing a strong capacity for navigating the complexities of the energy market while identifying and capitalizing on profitable opportunities.
- Educational Background: Attained an M.B.A. from Rice University and a B.A. in Letters from The University of Oklahoma, reflecting a commitment to both business excellence and a broader understanding of cultural contexts.
- Supporter of the Arts: Engages actively in the arts community, illustrating a dedication to creativity and innovation beyond the confines of the corporate world.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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