JIM TIETZ brings technical insight, marketing perception, and decades of experience to his role as advisor & coach at both ITL and to Cool Earth Solar. During his 20-year career in semiconductor engineering, Jim provided technical leadership to small teams and large organizations.

He began as the lead technologist of a Dow Corning team that introduced a new class of spin-on dielectric materials for low dielectric constant applications. Upon joining Applied Materials, Jim led a group of engineers who designed and shipped the world’s first semiconductor production equipment for 300-mm wafer processing. Later, his organization at Lam Research revitalized the dielectric etch product line, leading to breakthrough technical advances that regained market share supremacy against two entrenched competitors.

As a startup advisor in the cleantech marketplace, Jim has led multiple due diligence teams for an angel investment community, invested privately in pre-valuation ventures, and held advisory roles to the executive teams of several pre- and post-money companies.

Jim holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Kansas and a BS in both Chemistry and Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Besides working with, advising, and encouraging the cleantech community, Jim is a serious at-home composter.