Robert Epstein

Bob Epstein is an entrepreneur and engineer with a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a co-founder of five companies: Sybase, New Resource Bank, GetActive Software, Colorado Microdisplay, and Britton-Lee. Bob is an elected Director of the Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District, a co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), serves on the advisory board of the Goldman School of Public Policy and UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies, and on the Executive Committee of the Berkeley Food Institute. Bob led the E2 team that helped to pass California’s major global warming bills – the “Clean Cars Bill” and the “Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006”. In 2020, Bob co-founded Project 2030 which is focused on California policies to manage carbon, decarbonize industrial sources and expand the use of re-generative agriculture practices. Bob’s community activities are focused on the environment, public education, sustainable food systems and music. Bob is a classical pianist and performs four-hand and solo piano.

Bob holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science, specializing in distributed database systems (with a minor in music). His early career was focused on the commercialization of databases and networking. From 1976 – 1979 he was the manager of the INGRES project at the University of California at Berkeley. From 1979 – 1984 Bob was vice president of development and principal architect for Britton-Lee, a developer of database machines. In 1984 he was a leading architect and proponent for client/server computing with the creation of Sybase and the development of SQL Server which eventually grew into a billion dollar business with the inclusion of middleware and development tools.

In 1996, he co-founded Colorado Microdisplay that produced industry-leading micro-displays for entertainment and mobile computing. In 2000, Bob co-founded GetActive Software and served as the Chairman of the Board. Convio purchased GetActive software creating the industry leader serving non-profits and other organizations. Bob was one of the organizers of New Resource Bank – a California chartered bank specializing in financial products for green businesses and consumers (now part of Amalgamated Bank).

In June of 2000, Bob co-founded Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) with Nicole Lederer. E2 is a national community of professionals and business people who believe in protecting the environment while building economic prosperity. E2 works to influence state and national environmental policy. In 2013, Bob was part of the team that created the Berkeley Food Institute at U.C. Berkeley. In 2020, Bob was a co-founder of Project2030 focused on carbon management and decarbonizing industry.