Thomas R. Smith

Background

About Thomas R. Smith

Sustainable growth along with profitable returns—the aim of every investor. My career has centered around this endeavor, during which, I have built great leadership teams, transformed company cultures, and orchestrated over $8 billion in investment and M&A activity—secured through almost every type of funding, including venture capital, private equity, and non-recourse debt, among others. Over the years, I have gained expertise working in a variety of large and small, public, and private companies, honing my skills in business, project development and leadership. A defining early accomplishment came with MASSPOWER, a $300M, gas-fired, combined cycle cogeneration plant. I led the partnership comprised of General Electric, the Bechtel Corporation, Tennessee Gas Pipeline and Bay State Gas. This alliance was industry-defining, helped usher in deregulation and creation of the independent power industry (IPP). PSEG Global was another internal startup power development subsidiary within the Fortune 100 Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE: PEG). Over my 4-year tenure, I led the growth of company assets from $250M to $2.5B. Watching PSEG become a leader in independent power was exciting and important to the country. We wouldn’t have renewable energy today if it wasn’t for the success of these independents! Currently, I am the owner of Grateful Greens Vermont LLC and Boston Microgreens LLC. We are embarking on the first round of a capital raise, seeking to attract early-stage investor angels and VC firms. Microgreens are 40 times more nutritious than their adult plant forms and are power packed with taste. There are first-mover advantages to be realized in this budding industry, and importantly, we are differentiating ourselves from other producers by addressing the product’s short shelf-life. The theme of my career is building companies from the ground up—organizations that have become very powerful contributors to American industry. While tapping into market trends has been essential, my success has been all about trust. I believe that smart leaders build trust not by talking, but by acting. They recruit talented people, challenge them with straight talk, praise them when they exert influence—that’s how trust begins to permeate throughout an organization. If you are interested in learning more about me or the investment opportunity with Grateful Greens, LLC, check out our websites: and invite me to connect here on LinkedIn, email me at tsmith@gratefulgreensvt.com or call me at 973-768-7562.