Mark Miness, Global Head of the Investor Partnerships Team at Galvanize, brings two decades of investment expertise to the firm’s multi-asset class, climate-focused approach. In this lightly edited conversation, Mark talks about why taking action on climate and finding great market opportunities go hand in hand.
Galvanize is unique in that it’s singularly focused on investing in decarbonization. Why do you think Galvanize is smart to focus exclusively on climate?
Ultimately, if humanity wants to address climate change at scale, we need to do it within the rules of the capitalist system we operate in. Tom Steyer and Katie Hall built Galvanize as a pure-play climate investment firm because they recognized that the energy transition isn’t just a moral or scientific imperative—it’s the largest economic opportunity of our generation. What we’re doing at Galvanize is proof positive that you can do something good for the planet and focus on generating strong returns. The alignment of values and value creation is what makes our focus not just principled, but practical.
Our level of focus makes our offering distinct—not just to our clients, but to the companies we invest in. We’re able to offer strategic partnerships, deep expertise, and insight grounded in our understanding of the businesses, technologies, and policy environments shaping this space. This allows us to truly be a partner to our clients and portfolio companies in a way others can’t be.
How does a company with a global mission navigate an increasingly fragmented landscape of tariffs, trade barriers and shifting policy signals?
One of Galvanize’s unique strengths is the global policy expertise embedded in our leadership team. Having Secretary John Kerry and Tom Steyer with us provides a valuable lens into how policy landscapes are evolving globally.
We also have our Chief Strategy Officer, David Livingston; former Maryland Congressman, John Delaney; as well as Chris Creed and Suresh Vasan, both of whom joined us from the Department of Energy Loan Program Office; and Annie Hills, who served as Senior Advisor on Clean Energy and Innovation to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. With this collective expertise, we gain a better understanding of what’s being communicated publicly, what’s quietly shifting behind the scenes, and where genuine opportunities exist.
This gives us an edge. Galvanize can uniquely identify and pursue compelling investment opportunities in a world increasingly shaped by fragmented trade rules and shifting industrial priorities. We’re not relying on headlines or waiting for consensus—we’re acting fast on expert advice.
Moreover, the technologies and businesses we invest in can typically be used across the globe. We are less vulnerable to the ups and downs of national trade policies. This global applicability gives Galvanize a built-in resilience, regardless of shifting trade relationships between countries.
Taking a look at the team, there’s a lot of people with experiences across policy, international relations, climate work and investment. How does having an interdisciplinary team enhance investment decision-making?
When we look at investments, we’re thinking about a lot of different factors at once: the economic big picture, the most promising technology to solve a climate challenge, and what’s happening in policy.
What makes Galvanize stand out is our ability to look at each problem from different angles: venture and growth investing, real estate and public equities. We share knowledge, ideas, and insights with teammates who have different backgrounds, which improves everyone’s work.
One of the things we’re very focused on right now is the built environment. If we want to achieve net zero, we can’t just build new structures—we’ve got to improve what already exists, and existing buildings account for approximately one-third of global emissions. This is why we’re strategically acquiring existing properties and transforming them.
In places like New Jersey, where energy costs are rising, we’re providing our tenants with behind-the-meter power by adding rooftop solar to properties we’ve purchased. This approach, along with our other decarbonization strategies for our real estate portfolio, saves money and improves energy reliability. Taking a burden off our tenants, with the aim of increasing the value of our properties.
Implementing these strategies is complicated and requires deep expertise. But our team excels at this work because we understand how policy, technology, and markets all connect to create effective solutions.
Knowledge flows through our organization. When our venture/growth team encounters a business that’s not quite the right fit for them, they can connect them with our experts in credit and credit-like solutions, and vice versa. This collaboration ensures we can offer the right financing solution for each business. Once we’re invested in a company, we leverage all these resources to support them. Together, this integrated approach makes us hit above our weight class, a medium-sized firm with a big impact.
What kinds of conversations are you having with your investors these days? What seems to matter most to them right now?
We’re seeing a real shift in how investors want to engage. Whether it’s large institutions or family offices, fewer and fewer are interested in the traditional GP-LP model anymore. Increasingly, they view firms like Galvanize as collaborative partners. Investors today want continuous dialogue and real-time access. They’re seeking solution-oriented firms that can collaborate on complex challenges. They value our perspective in shaping broader capital strategies, not just providing periodic updates or end-of-quarter results.
This new relationship model has prompted us to focus on delivering more than just returns. We provide informed perspectives, open channels for discussion, and work through strategic problems together. One of the ways we do that is by convening roundtables and establishing ongoing conversations where we share what we’re seeing and learning. These convenings are an important part of our effort to be a resource to our clients.
We recently hosted a private dinner in San Francisco with sustainability-focused family offices and high-net-worth advisors. Led by Tom Steyer, the evening focused on how private capital can fill critical funding gaps in the climate sector, especially as public investment and traditional investment firms recede.
We discussed strategies for navigating the challenges of our current policy moment and opportunities it presents, as well as ways for family offices to deploy their capital effectively and with lasting impact. These are the kinds of in-depth, forward-thinking conversations that resonate—conversations built on partnership, collaboration, and shared insight.
What investment strategies will define success over the next several years?
In a time when some are retreating from climate investing, we are taking the opposite approach. For Galvanize, this is a moment to lean in—to help shape the conversation and capitalize on the momentum we see rising up in the market. If you can navigate through the uncertainty, tremendous opportunities await.
Galvanize is in a strong position to do exactly that. We’ve assembled a best-in-class team. We’re well-funded. And being a younger firm gives us an edge. Because we’re not managing old investments, we’re focused entirely on what’s emerging now.
On a more personal note, I’d love to know what drew you to Galvanize. You’ve worked at a variety of investment firms and could have moved anywhere. What about Galvanize, in particular, excited you?
Almost seven years ago, I started to ask myself: What would it look like to let my personal values drive my career? For years, I’d been deeply concerned about the state of our planet and committed to a range of social justice issues, but my career didn’t align with these views. The more I stepped back and considered the challenges facing our world, I came to see climate change and the energy transition as the defining issue of our generation. Once I arrived at this conclusion, it became clear to me that Galvanize was the place where I could merge my career with what I cared about in my personal life.
Katie Hall and Tom Steyer have built something truly special—a high-integrity firm that’s solution-oriented and boldly entrepreneurial. Galvanize has a clear point of view—leveraging capital markets to seek out scalable solutions that can help deliver a low-carbon future at an accelerated pace. Our work on climate isn’t a side project. It’s not some solitary desk in the basement—it’s our entire identity. That focus not only sets us apart—it makes us effective. And it is what drew me to the firm, as I know it did for many others who’ve joined.
Then, of course, there’s the incredible advantage of having Secretary John Kerry on our team. With his insight into the geopolitical landscape, he helps bring strategic clarity and operational context to our work. He helps us see what’s possible from a policy standpoint and align our investment decisions with what’s happening in the world.
All this taken together—the vision, the authenticity, the leadership, the broader team—makes me feel like we’ve assembled the strongest starting lineup in the business, and that, together, we are going to accomplish some truly big things.
And finally, what has surprised or motivated you most since joining Galvanize?
One of the things that’s really struck and inspired me since joining Galvanize is just how fully committed the leadership team is. Tom Steyer, Katie Hall, and Secretary John Kerry have already accomplished so much in their careers. They could easily step back and enjoy a well-earned rest, but instead, they’ve chosen to dive in head-first. Their dedication and drive are hard to miss. They set a tone that lifts everyone around them.
I had hoped to be part of something dynamic when I joined, but I didn’t expect to see this level of passion. Their energy is contagious. It creates a sense of optimism that runs through the whole team. People here are genuinely fired up, working hard, and personally connected to the mission. It’s rare to find a place where that kind of authenticity and excitement feels real every day, and it makes being here something special.