Rick Kjellberg

CFO | Clean Energy & Climate Tech | $330M Raised | USAF Veteran | Wharton MBA · Harvard Kennedy MPA

San Francisco, California, United States

About

I've spent my career in service to missions that matter. As a U.S. Air Force officer and Special Missions Instructor Pilot, that meant operating in environments where judgment, trust, and composure under pressure weren't optional — where holding the line and telling the hard truth were the baseline, not the exception. That instinct didn't retire when I left the military. It followed me into the CFO seat. I approach the CFO role as an operator, not an accountant. I'm a systems-thinker who builds financial infrastructure the same way I built operational infrastructure in uniform: with discipline, clarity about the mission, and the integrity to say what needs to be said when it needs to be said. I've raised $320M+ across the capital stack — equity, project finance, venture debt — from Series Seed through exit. What I bring to the next engagement isn't just experience. It's conviction. That conviction is deliberate. I built my academic foundation with purpose: a Wharton MBA in Entrepreneurial Management and a Harvard Kennedy School MPA in Energy Policy — a financial toolkit and a domain conviction designed together to bridge commercial finance and the energy transition. I didn't arrive at a cleantech career by chance. I forged it with intent and passion. Recent work: — Won 964 MW of offshore wind development rights via a $795M competitive federal auction (one of the largest tranches of U.S. offshore wind leases ever). — Built institutional-grade, audit-ready finance functions from zero at Series A/B companies across EV infrastructure, cleantech, and SaaS. — Led two strategic exits ($32M energy company, $35M SaaS) alongside multiple equity rounds through Series B. — Modeled the financial case for the Engine No. 1 proxy campaign that installed three independent directors on ExxonMobil's board. — Grew a SaaS platform's ARR 10X and led it through successful M&A exit. If you're a cleantech founder or board member who needs a CFO who will fight for your mission as hard as you do — let's talk.

Experience

  • Cleantech & SaaS CFO at Burkland Associates
    Sep 2018 - Present · 7 yrs 11 mos

    • Consulting/Fractional CFO to multiple companies (most often Series Seed to Series B venture capital-backed startups) across a broad range of industries. • Manage clients’ cash flow/burn, synthesize financial and operational metrics for actionable insight, and oversee all financial operations, budgeting, planning, and fundraising activities. • Shape corporate strategy in partnership with executive teams while building scalable systems and processes. • Secured $281M+ in equity and debt financings to bolster clients’ long-term viability and scalability.

  • Founder & Principal Advisor at ATLARMOR
    Jul 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 1 mo

    Independent advisory practice delivering CFO leadership and financial strategy to growth-stage companies. Founded in 2016; operates across clean energy, sustainable technology, and VC-backed ventures. Selected engagements: • Phaxtec (Sustainable Plastics) — CFO & Co-founder. Placed 2nd among 25 startups at the 2025 Harvard Alumni New Venture Competition (western regional finals); led team through first audit, unlocking $3.1M in government grants. • Engine No. 1 (Activist Investment Firm) — Interim CFO. Built financial models supporting the landmark 2021 proxy campaign that installed three independent directors on the ExxonMobil board; led QuickBooks-to-NetSuite ERP transition. • Instant Innovation Prototyping (Drone & CubeSat Design) — CFO. Built Finance and HR foundations from the ground up; advised CEO on IP transfer strategy and cap table structure.

  • Chief Financial Officer at Harpe Bio
    Oct 2020 - Present · 5 yrs 10 mos

    AgTech startup commercializing a novel, natural biological herbicide portfolio derived from plant extracts.

  • Chief Financial Officer at MicroByre
    Jul 2023 - Nov 2024 · 1 yr 5 mos

    Biotech startup specializing in microbiology, synthetic biology, molecular biology, and machine learning.

  • Chief Financial Officer at Twelve Labs
    Mar 2023 - Oct 2024 · 1 yr 8 mos

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup specializing in video search.