Joseph Spence

Biography

Joseph Spence is an investor, advisor, C-level executive and philanthropist who is catalyzing high tech and tech infused real estate to create smart, sustainable cities that work for everyone. Joseph began his career as an engineer in the prestigious NASA Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center before expanding into finance and ultimately becoming an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs leading their Technology, Media and Telecom; Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging; and Structured Finance sector credit teams for the Americas and EMEA regions. Prior to this, he also worked at Standard & Poor’s where he was responsible for covering approximately $144 billion in debt spanning all sectors, grades, strategies and regions. Joseph is a Managing Partner at the Sovereign Alliance, a private group building cross sector projects for high tech and sustainable infrastructure with SWFs, UHNW FO’s, developing countries as well as US state and municipal governments. He also serves as an advisor, c-level executive and co-founder for multiple tech companies, tech-infused real estate ventures and foundations charged with catalyzing moonshot solutions in multiple technologies, mobility solutions and access for the future of cities in-line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2016, Joseph launched his ground-breaking philanthropic efforts creating We Are Makers (WAM) and IconIQ Talks to inspire the next generation of solutionaries. WAM works to develop 1,000,000 makers in communities who have historically been left behind to enable them to create solutions to their communities most pressing needs. They have trained more than 5,000 young people in STEAM in Utah and engaged companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Siemens, and more. IconIQ Talks then brings world class thought leaders like Princess Martha Louise of Norway to every middle and high school student via an integrated statewide broadcast to inspire more makers and innovation while also convening business and governmental leaders around moonshot sustainable development projects toward the SDGs. In addition, Joseph is on the advisory boards of the NASA Academy Alumni Association, Utah World Trade Center, Sustainable Electrified Transportation Center (SELECT), Wasatch Front Economic Development Strategy Committee and Utah STEM Action Center Foundation. He is also an Honorary Commander at Hill Airforce base. Joseph holds a second degree black belt in Japanese Swordsmanship from Ehime Prefecture, Japan and diplomas in yoga therapy & teaching from the secular Indian Institute of Yoga based in Patna, India. He is Fluent/literate in Japanese, has an MBA from Columbia University and is currently studying nano and biotech at Harvard.