07/08/2011 by Gloria de Leon
Forward Thinker Tom Soto dedicates his life to clean tech
California Forward has named Tom Soto a Forward Thinker for his work to make clean technology accessible and governments more responsive to the clean tech revolution.
Long before Tom Soto became a clean technology investor, he was a long-haired passionate activist who began his career on the streets of Los Angeles during the 1980's. He successfully fought to remove diesel from LA’s public transportation system and save Mono Lake, a legal battle that forced LA to restore the lake level.
"At the end of the day, what matters is saving this planet,” said Soto, now managing partner and co-founder of Craton Equity Partners, an innovative clean air technology private equity firm focused on reducing carbon and responding to climate change.
Tom says one of the biggest challenges facing our environmental future is that “our government may not move as fast as the clean air technology revolution.”
"There has not been a point in recent memory where we could rely on our legislative and government process to move us forward, similar to the pace of our economic growth," he added.
To read Tom’s full profile, go to our Forward Thinkers page. You may also tell us about a Forward Thinker you know in your community.