Send Trent Molter an email

SKYRE’s founder and CEO, Dr. Trent Molter has developed PEM electrochemical systems for over 30 years, building over 30,000 hydrogen products. SKYRE is Dr. Molter’s second successful startup company. In 1996, he co-founded Proton Energy Systems, a world-class manufacturer of hydrogen systems. Dr. Molter led business development, engineering and stack production to commercialize a successful line of water electrolyzers. He was responsible for the creation of key relationships with Ford, Marconi Communications, and Sumitomo Corp., among others. Dr. Molter was instrumental in capitalization of the Company, including an IPO through Morgan Stanley in 2000, raising over $250M in investment and development funds that yielded a 15:1 return for early investors. Proton was eventually acquired by NEL ASA to form the world’s largest electrolyzer company.

Dr. Molter has been developing advanced products for industry and government use since 1984. Applications have included metals, glass and semiconductor processing, automotive fueling, renewables-based energy storage, space and military life support, space propulsion, and aircraft emergency oxygen. He has spearheaded efforts from proof-of-concept to production. Dr. Molter assisted in the technology transition of GE’s Direct Energy Conversion Operation to United Technologies Corporation.

Dr. Molter holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University, an M.S. in Metallurgy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Certificate in Pollution Prevention in Manufacturing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from The University of Connecticut. He is an inventor on 30+ patents for hydrogen systems.

Dr. Molter serves on the Board of Directors of SKYRE. He has served on the Boards of Proton Energy Systems and Distributed Energy Systems, The National Hydrogen Association, and The CT Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Coalition.He has advised The University of CT, Clarkson University, Ohio University, Advent Technologies, The CT Clean Energy Fund, Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, The National Academies, and The National Science Foundation.

Send Jon C. Melzer an email

Mr. Melzer is a seasoned investment banker with extensive Corporate and Board advisory experience. He has broad experience in Mergers & Acquisitions, having successfully completed more than 150 M&A financing transactions and restructurings.

In 1978 after graduating from Stanford University with honors and then receiving his MBA from New York University, Jon joined Elizabeth Ardon, Inc. where during his 6-year tenure, he worked his way to Director, U.S. Financial & Strategic Planning.

In 1985, Jon went to The First Boston Corporation where he successfully executed numerous middle-market transactions for the Firm’s Exclusive Sales Group. He was promoted to Co-Head of the Corporate Sales & Divestitures – M&A Department, where he spearheaded lucrative new business development initiatives, managing a group of 12 bankers.

After (5) years at First Boston, Jon went to Rodman & Renshaw, Inc. as Managing Director and Group Head of Mergers & Acquisitions. There he successfully built a highly profitable M&A department from start-up in 1990, considerably enhancing pre-existing financing capability.

In 1993 Jon then went to Price Waterhouse as Managing Director and Group Head of Consumer & Industrial Products Group, PWC Securities. Over the next (7) years, Jon managed a group of 30+ investment bankers in NY and (3) additional regional offices, leading the group’s business development efforts in generating significant revenue.

Jon was then hired in 2000, by Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette right before the announcement of their acquisition by Credit Suisse First Boston. He served as Director, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Development Group, responsible for the development of M&A transaction ideas in conjunction with Financial Sponsor Coverage Group.

Send Walter (Chip) Schroeder an email

Mr. Schroeder has spent his entire career in energy and finance. His work has spanned a number of major energy trends; he has had success in understanding energy technology advancements and applying those advancements for practical and commercial outcomes.

In 1975, after graduating from MIT and the Sloan School of Management, Mr. Schroeder joined the staff of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as principal policy analyst. He gained an understanding of oil and natural gas markets, and helped write the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, which deregulated the US Natural Gas industry. He then became head of the Office of Regulatory Analysis at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was responsible for implementing that legislation, and which oversees all interstate sales of electricity and natural gas.

In 1981 he joined Chicago-based MIDCON, a major interstate natural gas pipeline group, serving as its VP- Corporate Development during a period of rapid change (and pipeline consolidation) in the US natural gas landscape. He oversaw roughly $2 Billion of acquisitions before MIDCON itself was acquired by Occidental Petroleum in 1986.

In 1986 he was recruited as Vice President into the Investment Banking group at Goldman Sachs & Co., focusing on regulated energy companies. He was involved in more than two dozen upstream (oil and gas production), pipeline and electric utility financings and acquisition transactions.

In 1991 he was asked by a client—the AES Corporation, a leading global independent power developer—to engineer the company’s transition from coal to natural gas as the primary energy source of new power generating projects. This was during a period of profound advancement in natural gas combustion technologies, making natural gas projects far cheaper and faster to build than coal.

In 1996, with AES’ support, Mr. Schroeder founded Proton Energy Systems, a hydrogen and fuel cell company focused on commercializing proton exchange membrane technology. He led the company through its concept and development stage, and engineered a $150 MM initial public offering in 2000. Even though the fuel cell industry struggled to gain traction, Proton was able to achieve a number of commercially viable applications for its technology. In 2005, Connecticut’s venture investing arm—Connecticut Innovations, Inc. (CII)—honored him as the state’s “Entrepreneur of the Year.” CII had been an early investor in Proton, and achieved a 7x return on its investment.

In 2007, working with Morgan Stanley (lead underwriter in Proton’s IPO), Mr. Schroeder co-founded Green Conversion Systems (GCS) , a developer of advanced waste-to-energy projects. GCS developed and applied new technologies to the challenge of “mining” municipal waste streams for their energy content.

In 2010 Mr. Schroeder co-founded WAVE Equity Partners, a Boston-based Venture and Private Equity firm that provides early growth equity to clean energy, food, water and waste technology platform companies.

Since 2017, Mr. Schroeder has served on the Board of SKYRE, an innovator in advanced application of Proton Exchange Membrane technology. SKYRE is led by one of Mr. Schroeder’s co-founders at Proton. Mr. Schroeder is also a principal at Rowayton Investment Advisors, a money management firm.

Mr. Schroeder lives with his wife Susan in Darien, Connecticut. He has two grown sons. He enjoys golf, skiing, bridge and playing guitar.

Send Charles P. Eaton an email

Mr. Eaton founded Eaton Partners in 1983 and was a pioneer of the "placement agent" concept. He was a founder of the Third-Party Marketing Association (“3PM”) and was among the first to market private equity, hedge funds, and real estate opportunity funds to institutional investors.

Prior to founding Eaton Partners, Charlie was in research and institutional sales at H.C. Wainwright & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Mitchell Hutchins. He was a Partner at Wainwright when the firm was ranked the top institutional research firm in the country.

Charlie began his career after Columbia Business School as an investment research officer at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, now J. P. Morgan. Charlie retired as a Captain in the US Army, having served as a tank platoon leader in the 3rd Armor Division, Crailsheim, Germany and later a commander of a basic training company at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

Charlie graduated from Washington and Jefferson College and received an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He holds Series 7, 63 and 99 licenses with FINRA. He is a former trustee of Washington and Jefferson College. He has also served as Campaign Chair of The Darien Community Fund and is actively involved with Operation Comfort of San Antonio and The Wounded Warrior Project, both for severely wounded vets.