Ryan Waddington
Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO
Ryan has over 20 years of experience in investing, operating and consulting roles in the energy, mobility, manufacturing and agriculture sectors. Ryan has founded, financed and led more than 40 companies at seed, venture and growth equity stages, totaling over $200 million of invested and committed capital.
Ryan is the founder and General Partner at Huron River Ventures, an early-stage clean energy-focused investment firm. Huron River Ventures’ Principals are co-founding members of Cowboy Clean Fuels.
Prior to establishing HRV in 2010, Ryan helped build an energy-focused private equity group within New York-based Ziff Brothers Investments, one of the largest and most successful family office investment firms in the country. There he became part of the core team of investment managers and worked on multiple transactions in sectors including renewables, biofuels, power transmission and advanced materials.
Ryan began his career in venture capital working inside DTE Energy’s corporate venture group, where he led investments in advanced energy technologies. He also established and executed a seed stage funding program at NextEnergy, where he funded several Michigan-based alternative energy companies, and co-founded a “dot com” web portal for outdoor enthusiasts while in business school. Ryan has also worked as a mentor-in-residence at the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer; as a venture partner with Arsenal, a Florida-based growth equity firm; and as a venture advisor to Aclaria Partners, a mid-market private equity firm.
Ryan holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and an MBA with Distinction from the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, where participated in the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. Ryan currently sits on the advisory board or investment committee of the Wolverine Venture Fund, the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund, the Erb Institute and Invest Detroit Ventures, and previously served on the board of directors of the Michigan Venture Capital Association.