John Tough, MBA ’12
Managing Partner, Energize Ventures
As the managing partner of Energize Ventures, John oversees all investment and limited partner responsibilities. He is also a member of the Energize Ventures Investment Committee. John brings nearly 15 years of experience in finance, investing and operational roles. His career and investment interests follow the ongoing integration of new technologies into the critical infrastructure and resource industries. John is integral to all aspects of the fund’s operations, including network engagement, developing investment theses, driving diligence of potential investments, and supporting and monitoring portfolio companies. Most recently, John was one of the first employees and ultimately scaled into the chief revenue officer at Choose Energy, the largest online energy marketplace in North America. At Choose Energy, he led all operations and growth and raised over $30 million in capital. In 2017, John managed the successful sale of the company to Red Ventures. Previously, John was an investor at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, where he focused on platform investments at the intersection of technology and energy. John currently sits on the board of directors for DroneDeploy, Nozomi Networks, Matroid, PVcase and ZEDEDA. John holds a BS from Duke University and an MBA from Chicago Booth.