Impact + Financial Return

Aravaipa combines the values of Impact Investing with the excitement, financial potential, and global impact of technology. Aravaipa Investors can expect both the high financial returns of technology investments and the high social and environmental impact of impact investing.

Team

Robert Fenwick-Smith

Founder & Managing Partner
Fund I & Fund II

Robert Fenwick-smith

Founder, Senior Managing Director

Robert founded Aravaipa in early 2008 with 20 years of global experience managing, acquiring, founding, building, merging, and selling companies. Robert’s previous fund managing experience was at Robannic n.v., a Private Equity Fund, from 1988 to 2002. As co-founder and CEO of Robannic’s ROMACO Group for 12 years, Robert lead the growth of this roll-up in the pharmaceutical packaging and processing machinery sector from its inception to $200 million in sales and a successful exit. He currently serves as Chairman of AXIT AG (Germany), a leading Cloud Supply Chain Management company, where he led a turnaround to current high profitability. From 2002 to 2006, he led the successful globalization of Tattile (Italy), an imaging technology innovator. He has a BA in Economics from HEC Lausanne (Switzerland) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Robert is frequently invited to speak and serve on Cleantech and Impact Investing panels. Robert serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association and has built a LEED Platinum home in Boulder, CO.

In 2012, Robert received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Cleantech Leadership

Brief Bio

Timothy Reeser

Managing Partner
Fund I

Timothy Reeser

Managing Director

In addition to his role at Aravaipa, Tim serves as the president and co-founder of one of Aravaipa’s portfolio companies, Lightning Hybrids. Tim previously served as Vice President of Colorado State University Ventures, where he helped build the framework to support accelerated growth of spin-outs and spin-ins at CSU. Tim co-founded and served in executive roles at 8 companies, including Prieto Battery, OptiEnz Sensors, and Caros Consulting. Tim has considerable experience with venture, angel and grant fund raising, having raised over $15 million in early-stage money over the last 5 years. In addition, Tim has been fostering successful executive management teams for the last 20 years, and has strong expertise building sales channels and marketing and sales plans, based on a critical ability to understand the markets and customers and how they make their buying decisions. Tim is a frequent industry speaker and panelist, with over 20 public speaking appearances each year. In addition, Tim has co-authored 4 technical books published by McGraw Hill.

In 2013, the CCIA named Tim the Cleantech Entrepreneur of the Year

Brief Bio

Ray Johnson

Managing Partner
Fund II

Ray Johnson

Managing Director

Ray Johnson is a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in launching, funding, and scaling technology companies through to a total of 15 successful exits.

Ray is the managing director of Exit Experts, which he found to help business owners raise growth capital, sell their companies, and achieve financial freedom. He also is the acting CFO, advisor to, and investor in a number of “high growth” companies in the healthcare, biotech, transportation, and clean technology industries.

As a Managing Partner of AVF2, Ray supports the selection, development, and funding of our portfolio companies. He has been a member of the Aravaipa Investment Committee since 2016 and has raised over $10M in capital for AVF1 and its portfolio companies. Ray has been an investor in Aravaipa since its inception in 2008 and has made multiple follow on and side car investments since then.

Ray holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is currently a doctoral candidate in business at the University of Florida.

Brief Bio