Partners
Travis Putnam
Travis co-founded Navitas Capital in 2008 and is a Managing Partner with the firm. He is focused on green technology solutions for the built environment. Travis currently sits on the board of Integrity Block. His investments include Serious Materials (green drywall & windows), Integrity Block (green concrete block), and PowerMat (efficient wireless power). Travis is a LEED Accredited Professional and is a leading advocate for green building at the policy, construction, and technology levels.
Prior to launching Navitas Capital, Travis founded Genesis Management Group (2005-2007), a business development consulting firm focused on the built environment. Clients included Crest Steel Corporation (Reliance Steel Corp / NYSE: RS), Cal-Star Cement (green cement), and Artisan Precast. Travis also co-founded ValuSteel, Inc. a web-based steel trading platform.
Prior to Genesis, Travis worked for Murphy & Associates Capital (2002-2004), a boutique investment bank, where he advised clients on mergers & acquisitions, private placements, and financial restructurings.
Travis holds a degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance.
Jim Pettit
Jim is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Navitas Capital. Jim's areas of investment interest include green construction materials, as well as cleantech solutions that address the built environment space.
Previously, Jim was a Principal at Bancroft Capital, a real estate investment firm located in California. At Bancroft, Jim spearheaded the launch of Bancroft Opportunity Fund I and played an integral role in sponsoring and funding transactions ranging from the acquisition of commercial real estate to residential development. His real estate development projects include the The Peloton, a $150 Million residential development (Boulder, CO) backed by CalPERS (CityView).
Prior to joining Bancroft, Jim was a Managing Director at JPMorgan. Jim joined JPMorgan's (Hambrecht & Quist) Research Department in 1989 and brings over ten years of experience as an analyst at Hambrecht & Quist and JP Morgan, covering emerging growth companies in the Business Services and Internet Sectors. At JPMorgan H&Q, Jim was the underwriting analyst for companies including: Network Solutions (VeriSign), Barra (Morgan Stanley) and Abacus Direct (DoubleClick). Jim was named one of ten "Home-run hitters of 1998" on Wall Street by Institutional Investor.
Over the last 20 years, Jim has sponsored numerous private equity investments including Serious Materials (green drywall) in 2005 and Integrity Block (green concrete) in 2008. Additional direct investments by Jim in the CleanTech sector include PowerMat (efficient wireless power) and Green Holdings Corporation (Emission Reduction Credits).
Jim received a bachelor's degree from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley with an emphasis on Finance and Real Estate.