Chris served as the Director of the Unitus Equity Fund (UEF), a socially responsible investment fund that pioneered equity funding of microfinance institutions and led the establishment of microfinance as a desirable commercial asset class. Based on this success, he co-founded Elevar on the following principle: "We believe in fundamental investing and can think of nothing more essential than helping poor individuals create opportunities for themselves and their communities. Outstanding economic and social returns will naturally follow." At Elevar, Chris is interested in furthering this groundbreaking work to address new sectors that benefit the poor: “Look -- and you will see widespread economic exclusion. Entrepreneurs that have seen microfinance succeed are now building businesses based on the economics of inclusion. These approaches foster individual access to opportunity and will bring prosperity to poor communities."

Chris began his career in 1993 by founding a clean-tech company that created natural solutions to heavy metal contamination. A few years later, he co-founded a wireless development company that was backed by Craig McCaw, George Soros and Charles Schwab. He then became a partner at one of the most active venture capital firms in the Seattle area, where he focused on early stage investments in communications, web based marketing and software for mobile devices. Chris left venture capital behind in 2003 to focus on investments with broader and more beneficial human impact. Along the way, he co-founded Cap & Gown, a youth mentoring program, and served on the Advisory Board of American Rivers, a conservation group.

Chris is a Director of GramaVidiyal and Ujjivan. He has also served as a Director or observer on the boards of several companies, including SKS Microfinance, AdRelevance, NetMotion Wireless and SinglePoint. Chris has a degree in Geology from Williams College in Massachusetts, USA.