John Keppler was appointed Executive Chairman of iyris, inc. in April 2024. iyris is an early stage company dedicated to bringing innovations to farmers around the world, making it easier to grow fresh produce more profitably in difficult and changing climates. The company is now selling SecondSky, its patented heat blocking roof, net and shade screen solutions in more than 11 countries. SecondSky is proven to improve crop yields and reduce water, energy and input costs for farmers in some of the hottest and harshest farming environments on the planet.
Mr. Keppler is an investor in iyris (formerly RedSea) and has been an advisor to the company since 2023. Prior to joining iyris, Mr. Keppler was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviva from 2004 until stepping down in 2022. As a founder of Enviva Inc., Mr. Keppler was responsible for setting the company’s strategic direction and leading and managing its growth from a start-up to the world’s largest producer of sustainable wood pellets, a reliable, renewable alternative to coal and other fossil fuels. Mr. Keppler led Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) to its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on April 29, 2015, making it the first publicly traded company in the industry. Prior to Mr. Keppler’s departure in 2022, the company had delivered 28 consecutive quarterly dividend increases to shareholders since its IPO and the company reached an equity valuation of more than $6 billion. Mr. Keppler remains a director at Enviva and also serves on the Board of the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP), a non-profit standard-setting organization that manages a voluntary certification system designed for woody biomass used in energy production. In 2021, Mr. Keppler was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 National Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.
