How Did You Become a Bacteria Grower?

Tom Darden is founder and CEO of Cherokee, a private equity fund which focuses on financial, environmental, and social returns for investors and communities. Cherokee has raised over $2.2 billion in five institutional private equity funds, and invested this capital in the acquisition, cleanup, development, and sale of approximately 550 environmentally contaminated real estate assets in the US, Europe and Canada. Since the 1980’s Tom has invested in over 100 companies using a “no exit” philosophy. Tom shares more about the benefits of investing for the long haul.