Catherine Von Burg

Catherine Von Burg is an entrepreneur, advisor, public speaker, author, impact investor, founder, and former CEO & President of SimpliPhi Power, Inc., a startup she pioneered in 2010, led to exponential growth and a successful acquisition in 2021 by private equity KPS Capital. After facilitating integration with other KPS portfolio companies, Catherine exited in 2023 in pursuit of her next venture, advising and investing in other cleantech companies at the forefront of the energy transition. SimpliPhi, a California mission-based technology company, was the first U.S. based manufacturer to innovate and engineer safe, efficient, non-cobalt lithium-ion energy storage and management solutions to seamlessly optimize solar, wind, generator, and grid power for residential, commercial, military, and emergency response markets – both on and off-grid. Under Catherine's leadership, SimpliPhi executed on an integrated bottom line (people, planet, profit), joined the UN Global Compact, and established a philanthropic division dedicating 1% annual revenue YOY to high impact renewable energy infrastructure projects globally. The company deployed cleantech energy solutions in over 40 countries in partnership with governments, utilities, NGO's, and other equipment manufacturers, providing access to power in some of the harshest, most remote environments and use-cases worldwide.

Catherine's career spans a diverse portfolio of strategic planning, policy development, executive leadership, and multidisciplinary team building in the fields of biomedical engineering & research, health & human services, sustainability, technology, and environmental conservation. Committed to the transformation of the power grid and creating equitable, universal access to clean energy by leveraging distributed energy storage solutions, Catherine has published white papers and spearheaded national program, policy, business-driven, and nonprofit initiatives with organizations such as Pew Charitable Trusts, Rockefeller Institute, Columbia University, NY March of Dimes Foundation, John Hopkins School of Biomedical Engineering, Wilderness Education Association and First 5 Commission of California. Catherine graduated from Columbia University in New York and holds a Master’s degree from The University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy.