Rand brings more than 30 years of experience in technology, startups and private equity, mid-sized companies and real estate developments, with more than a half dozen successful exits over 25 years. Examples of his work across fintech, engineering, and geospatial AI startups include Bentley Systems (ticker: BSY), Radiance Solar (acquired by Bravo Infrastructure Group) , Roadie (acquired by UPS), Securrency (acquired by Depository Trust Clearing Corporation), CH2M Hill (acquired by Jacobs Engineering), Insightful (acquired by TIBCO), SpaceCurve (acquired by HERE), QL2 (acquired by the Hale Group), Esri (largest privately-held software company in North America) and as an Operating Partner at Golden Gate Capital.

As a line-of-business GM, Rand has scaled businesses from zero to beyond $100M P&L's and has managed organizations with 650 people with 45 offices in 15 countries. In the early 1990's, Rand started at Apple Computer where he spent five years before moving on to a sustainable development project in the Bay Islands of Honduras working with Jim Chaffin and Jim Light (developers of Spring Island, Callawassie Island, Balsam Mountain Preserve, Roaring Forks, Semiahmoo, etc.).

Dr. Knight completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship with the National Science Foundation (NSF), working as a Staff Scientist for the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) on the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Rand holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Ecosystems Analysis from the University of Washington, Seattle; and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College in Vermont. Rand was born and raised in Georgia and received his Diploma from The Westminster Schools in Atlanta. Rand has served as a personal advisor to Jane Goodall, and as a member of the Board of the Sierra Club in Georgia, in addition to advisory roles on numerous startups and small growth companies in emerging market spaces.