It's Personal: This Goldman Vet Serves Up Giving in Energy, Health—and Tennis

New Jersey native Doug Kimmelman headed west to Stanford before receiving his MBA at Wharton. He worked at Goldman Sachs for more than two decades, made partner, and founded Energy Capital Partners in 2005, a private equity firm that invested in North America’s energy infrastructure.

Like the numerous Goldman Sachs pre-1999 IPO partners we’ve profiled, Kimmelman channels a portion of his wealth into philanthropy, moving his charitable contributions through the Kimmelman Family Foundation. And given his professional background in the energy sector, it’s no surprise that the environment is one charitable interest.

Kimmelman committed $5 million toward energy and environmental initiatives at his alma mater, Stanford. He’s involved with its Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy.

Some of Kimmelman’s other work is motivated in part by the memory of his late wife Carol, who passed away from ovarian cancer. The family’s health giving has gone to Carl Simon Cancer Center, Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, among others.

Carol was also an avid athlete, with a particular interest in tennis. The Southern California native was a member of USC’s national championship team in the early 1980s, and continued playing throughout her life.

Kimmelman aims to construct the Carol Richardson Kimmelman Tennis Center in Los Angeles in her honor. The center, to benefit inner city kids, is on track to be the largest community tennis center in the Western U.S., and is being developed in conjunction with the USTA (United States Tennis Association) as a $35 million project with 40 to 45 courts.

Apart from health, the environment and athletics, Kimmelman is also interested in education. Carol was once an elementary school teacher in South Central Los Angeles.

The Kimmelman Family Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Doug Kimmelman is still very much engaged in business, but is likely to give more down the line, particularly given the personal aspects of his philanthropy. The Northeast and California are especially favored regions. For a complete overview of this funder, read our Wall Street Profile of Kimmelman.

Profile: Doug Kimmelman