Nicholaus Rohleder is the Co-Founder of Climate Commodities, a climate economy-focused platform company with operating subsidiaries in mineral processing & refining, renewable power, insurance, and commodity/product marketing. In addition to his role at Climate Commodities, Mr. Rohleder serves as the Co-Chief Investment Officer of Mid-America Holdings, a private investment firm focused primarily on the oil, gas, coal, chemicals, and insurance sectors.

 

Nicholaus serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches the Climate Technology: Finance & Policy course, as a Fellow at The Economic Club of New York (ECNY), and as a Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute (NSI).

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Previously, Mr. Rohleder served as the Chief Investment Officer of New American Energy, a global hedge fund focused on the energy transition, as Chief Operating Officer & Portfolio Manager at Merit Holdings Group, a private investment platform focused on global public securities and select private equity investments, and as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University teaching the Theory & Practice of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) course.

 

Nicholaus attended the University of Oxford, reading a Master of Science in Major Programme Management with a concentration in infrastructure finance. Mr. Rohleder received a Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Engineering and Technology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in Sustainability Management with a concentration in Environmental Finance from Columbia University, and is a former Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree in the Energy category.

Liz Priestman, MBA, is an entrepreneurial leader who connects high-growth companies with the strategic capital necessary to fuel their advancement. With a keen focus on sectors pivotal to global progress—ranging from healthcare and climate to technology, resources, and defense—she works at the intersection of innovation and strategic growth.  As the founder and CEO of International Deal Gateway, Liz has built a platform that showcases transformative companies to a global audience. She is a regular contributor to the London Stock Exchange’s institutional and retail international audiences, hosting live webinars that introduce leading innovators to the market.

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Deeply embedded in family office networks, Liz serves on the Advisory Board of Global Partnership Family Offices, a European-based member organization focused on research, forums, and thought leadership. She has built an extensive network, curating and hosting bespoke family office events in major financial hubs, including London, Zurich, Geneva, Milan, and Dubai. Through these highly tailored engagements, she bridges the gap between visionary entrepreneurs and sophisticated capital, fostering partnerships that drive meaningful change.

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With a career marked by founding, scaling, and successfully exiting companies, Liz’s expertise now centers on empowering growth companies by providing access to strategic, intellectual, and financial capital. She has been recognized for her contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including being named Mentor of the Year by the Schulich School of Business in 2021 for her decade-long commitment to the Hall of Legends program. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor to Canaccord Genuity’s Advisory Program for Women Entrepreneurs and remains an active mentor to early-stage founders.