We're builders who are passionate about resilience
We've built and scaled companies, navigated regulated industries, and operated through crises. We understand what it takes to build in high-stakes, complex markets, and invest with patience and conviction.
We're builders who are passionate about resilience
We've built and scaled companies, navigated regulated industries, and operated through crises. We understand what it takes to build in high-stakes, complex markets, and invest with patience and conviction.
The Team
Bill Clerico
Founder & Managing Partner
Based in San Francisco, Bill loves both the forests of Northern California and the creativity and pace of San Francisco. He started Convective because he believes resilience is the defining challenge of the next few decades — and that startups can build the tools that we need to thrive in an increasingly volatile world. Prior to Convective, Bill was co-founder & CEO of WePay, a fintech company that was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase in 2017, an angel investor in over 60 startups and a part-time partner at Y Combinator.
Kat Mañalac
Partner
Kat leads platform & community at Convective. She builds resources and programs that connect founders, investors, the fire service, utilities, and governments around a shared mission of using technology to solve urgent challenges. She also drives Convective’s storytelling, highlighting how tech is helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Previously, Kat spent more than a decade as a partner at Y Combinator, where she built programs and communities that helped thousands of founders scale their startups into companies worth billions.
Mike Trapanese
Partner
Mike is a partner at Convective Capital focused on operations and strategic capital.
Previously, Mike held diverse private equity and operating roles. He helped break an entrenched monopoly in credit scoring, turn around a storied paper mill, navigate a big bank out of the ‘08 crisis, and lead a startup through wars in two countries.
Mike is excited to back new technologies and approaches that will help people and companies thrive through a more volatile chapter.
Jay Ribakove
Principal
Jay joined the Convective Capital team as a Principal in 2024. He’s focused on partnering with founders who are relentless about achieving their goals and protecting our environment from natural disasters.
Prior to Convective, Jay was an investor at Munich Re Ventures, backing companies reducing risk in climate and the built environment. He is also a girl dad, recovering software engineer, and aspiring ski instructor.
Amy Brown
Director of Operations
Amy is thrilled to manage all things operations in support of Convective Capital's mission. Before joining the team, Amy spent a decade in nonprofit fundraising and development as well as executive recruiting.
In her free time, you'll find Amy on a travel adventure, cheering on her favorite sports teams (Go Seahawks!), or volunteering in the community.
The Team
Bill Clerico
Founder & Managing Partner
Based in San Francisco, Bill loves both the forests of Northern California and the creativity and pace of San Francisco. He started Convective because he believes resilience is the defining challenge of the next few decades — and that startups can build the tools that we need to thrive in an increasingly volatile world. Prior to Convective, Bill was co-founder & CEO of WePay, a fintech company that was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase in 2017, an angel investor in over 60 startups and a part-time partner at Y Combinator.
Kat Mañalac
Partner
Kat leads platform & community at Convective. She builds resources and programs that connect founders, investors, the fire service, utilities, and governments around a shared mission of using technology to solve urgent challenges. She also drives Convective’s storytelling, highlighting how tech is helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Previously, Kat spent more than a decade as a partner at Y Combinator, where she built programs and communities that helped thousands of founders scale their startups into companies worth billions.
Mike Trapanese
Partner
Mike is a partner at Convective Capital focused on operations and strategic capital.
Previously, Mike held diverse private equity and operating roles. He helped break an entrenched monopoly in credit scoring, turn around a storied paper mill, navigate a big bank out of the ‘08 crisis, and lead a startup through wars in two countries.
Mike is excited to back new technologies and approaches that will help people and companies thrive through a more volatile chapter.
Jay Ribakove
Principal
Jay joined the Convective Capital team as a Principal in 2024. He’s focused on partnering with founders who are relentless about achieving their goals and protecting our environment from natural disasters.
Prior to Convective, Jay was an investor at Munich Re Ventures, backing companies reducing risk in climate and the built environment. He is also a girl dad, recovering software engineer, and aspiring ski instructor.
Amy Brown
Director of Operations
Amy is thrilled to manage all things operations in support of Convective Capital's mission. Before joining the team, Amy spent a decade in nonprofit fundraising and development as well as executive recruiting.
In her free time, you'll find Amy on a travel adventure, cheering on her favorite sports teams (Go Seahawks!), or volunteering in the community.
The Team
Bill Clerico
Founder & Managing Partner
Based in San Francisco, Bill loves both the forests of Northern California and the creativity and pace of San Francisco. He started Convective because he believes resilience is the defining challenge of the next few decades — and that startups can build the tools that we need to thrive in an increasingly volatile world. Prior to Convective, Bill was co-founder & CEO of WePay, a fintech company that was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase in 2017, an angel investor in over 60 startups and a part-time partner at Y Combinator.
Kat Mañalac
Partner
Kat leads platform & community at Convective. She builds resources and programs that connect founders, investors, the fire service, utilities, and governments around a shared mission of using technology to solve urgent challenges. She also drives Convective’s storytelling, highlighting how tech is helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Previously, Kat spent more than a decade as a partner at Y Combinator, where she built programs and communities that helped thousands of founders scale their startups into companies worth billions.
Mike Trapanese
Partner
Mike is a partner at Convective Capital focused on operations and strategic capital.
Previously, Mike held diverse private equity and operating roles. He helped break an entrenched monopoly in credit scoring, turn around a storied paper mill, navigate a big bank out of the ‘08 crisis, and lead a startup through wars in two countries.
Mike is excited to back new technologies and approaches that will help people and companies thrive through a more volatile chapter.
Jay Ribakove
Principal
Jay joined the Convective Capital team as a Principal in 2024. He’s focused on partnering with founders who are relentless about achieving their goals and protecting our environment from natural disasters.
Prior to Convective, Jay was an investor at Munich Re Ventures, backing companies reducing risk in climate and the built environment. He is also a girl dad, recovering software engineer, and aspiring ski instructor.
Amy Brown
Director of Operations
Amy is thrilled to manage all things operations in support of Convective Capital's mission. Before joining the team, Amy spent a decade in nonprofit fundraising and development as well as executive recruiting.
In her free time, you'll find Amy on a travel adventure, cheering on her favorite sports teams (Go Seahawks!), or volunteering in the community.
Our Values
We invest in relationships
Venture capital is a relationship business measured in years, often decades. We take the time to build real trust with founders, LPs, and the broader resilience community.
We have deep respect
As former CEOs and operators, we understand the challenges entrepreneurs face. We also respect the firefighters, public officials, nonprofits, and other stakeholders working every day to manage risk on the ground.
We get our hands dirty (literally)
We make the effort to get into the field and see the work up close. Spending time with products, systems, and fire itself keeps our investing grounded in real-world conditions.
Purpose drives excellence
Whether we are measuring returns or supporting founders, we hold ourselves to high standards. We aim to provide thoughtful, direct feedback and continuously seek it from others.
Faster is better
The risks facing communities and infrastructure are accelerating. Our mission is time-critical, and we support founders who move quickly to build solutions.
Our Values
We invest in relationships
Venture capital is a relationship business measured in years, often decades. We take the time to build real trust with founders, LPs, and the broader resilience community.
We have deep respect
As former CEOs and operators, we understand the challenges entrepreneurs face. We also respect the firefighters, public officials, nonprofits, and other stakeholders working every day to manage risk on the ground.
We get our hands dirty (literally)
We make the effort to get into the field and see the work up close. Spending time with products, systems, and fire itself keeps our investing grounded in real-world conditions.
Purpose drives excellence
Whether we are measuring returns or supporting founders, we hold ourselves to high standards. We aim to provide thoughtful, direct feedback and continuously seek it from others.
Faster is better
The risks facing communities and infrastructure are accelerating. Our mission is time-critical, and we support founders who move quickly to build solutions.
The future of resilience is being built now
Across utilities, forests, grids, buildings, and communities, a new generation of founders is building the systems that will make the physical world safer and more reliable. We are proud to partner with the people doing that work. Explore the companies building the infrastructure of a resilient world.
The future of resilience is being built now
Across utilities, forests, grids, buildings, and communities, a new generation of founders is building the systems that will make the physical world safer and more reliable. We are proud to partner with the people doing that work. Explore the companies building the infrastructure of a resilient world.
The future of resilience is being built now
Across utilities, forests, grids, buildings, and communities, a new generation of founders is building the systems that will make the physical world safer and more reliable. We are proud to partner with the people doing that work. Explore the companies building the infrastructure of a resilient world.
