With decades at the forefront of climate-focused investment, Puon Penn knows what it takes to back breakthrough technologies that tackle the world’s most urgent challenges.

As CEO of New Energy Nexus Ventures Partner, a Southeast Asia–based fund investing in clean energy and sustainability, Puon works hands-on with founders driving decarbonisation, energy access, and environmental resilience across emerging markets.

Before that, he spent over 20 years at Wells Fargo in San Francisco, where he led the bank’s venture investing business and founded the Global CleanTech Group. Under his leadership, Wells Fargo deployed over $200 billion in sustainable finance, supporting innovations that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, improve water and food systems, and promote climate resilience at scale.

Puon also brings a global lens to innovation through his ongoing board work with nonprofits like Imagine H2O and We Care Solar.

A refugee from Cambodia who went on to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago, Puon blends deep industry expertise with a personal commitment to technology that drives real-world impact.

At Impactful Innovation, he’ll share insights from a career spent bridging capital and climate solutions, offering a rare perspective on what it really takes to fund the future.