Kevin McGovern
Advisory Board Member at Zoetic Global
Kevin McGovern is the Chairman and CEO of McGovern Capital, a single-family office, based in New York, Greenwich, and Miami. McGovern Capital serves as an investment, strategy and licensing principal and advisor to global businesses. Through McGovern Capital and its affiliates, McGovern has co-founded over twenty-five (25) companies, six of which have become world/category leaders, and he has been lead negotiator/principal in over fifteen (15) global joint ventures. McGovern regularly engages in successful business activities as well as speaks at academic and family office conferences in the Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China. He serves/served on many public and private boards.
McGovern was a founder of SoBe Beverages, the fastest growing beverage company ever in the US (sold to Pepsi), and McGovern Capital was one of three owners of KX Industries, L.P., the largest manufacturer and worldwide source of carbon water purification filters, having invented and supplied PUR to P&G, the first end-of-tap filter to Brita, and the first refrigerator water filter to Electrolux. Mr. McGovern has spent the last several decades working to provide clean drinking water to people with the worst water contamination issues (including bacteria, viruses, arsenic, and lead); his water filters system was utilized by Elon Musk for Flint, Michigan. He also created the program, supervised, and negotiated all global licensing of Tristrata’s alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) patents, which technology was incorporated in approximately 40% of all global skin care products, and is/was sold in approximately 80 countries. His smoothie company (#2 in industry) was sold to Hyland Partners.
McGovern Capital is currently a principal in several disruptive innovations: global climate change technologies including advanced refrigeration, power, water, and carbon credit solutions; environmental impact technologies included solutions for replacing all plastics with zero end of life products and materials; healthful food and beverage companies including cold brew coffee; proprietary skincare technologies; global interests in medical and recreational cannabis; rare earth exploration and processing; global audio improvement and noise neutralization technologies; several eSports teams/organizations; sports/media events and opportunities; and advanced agricultural technologies.
McGovern has successfully partnered and advised many celebrities and was a full partner and producer for Roy Jones, Jr. during his reign as the top boxer in the world. He has also worked in other sports industries such as golf development and celebrity management, race car driving, figure skating, eSports, and pro-football. He was a member of the Board and also one of the 3 members of the Executive Committee of The Sports Authority when it grew to be the multi-billion-dollar largest sports retail company in the world.
McGovern is actively involved in the medical cannabis industry with numerous companies across the globe. McGovern is a principal in the company which owns patents and applications covering substantially all cannabinoids in skincare. McGovern speaks at leading US and global cannabis conferences and events on topics ranging from medical marijuana and market trends to due diligence strategies and practices for monetization of intellectual property.
Mr. McGovern is also known for his nanotechnology involvement, serving as co-chairman of Angstrom Publishing LLC, which together with Forbes published a global monthly Nanotechnology newsletter currently entitled The Forbes/Wolfe Emerging Tech Report. He was a member of the National Board of the Smithsonian (the world’s largest research and museum institution) and is a Trustee Emeritus and a Presidential Councilor (highest honor to alumnus) of Cornell University (having served as the Co-Chairman of the Technology Transfer Committee and Co-Chairman of the Sports Task Force). He is a member of the Cornell University global Committee on Research and Innovation. He also teaches “Global Innovation and Commercialization” at the Cornell graduate business school and is/has been a guest lecturer at various academic institutions, including Cornell NY Tech, Stanford (business lecturer and executive programs), Harvard, MIT, ESCP Europe, NTU in Singapore, and KAUST in Saudi Arabia. He also served as Chairman of Entrepreneurship@Cornell for over seven years. The McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in Life Sciences at Cornell University was acclaimed as one of the Top 10 Venture Development Centers in North America. In addition, he established the McGovern Fields for Soccer and Lacrosse at Cornell. Mr. McGovern served as a member of the Governing Board of the Baptist Health Foundation of Baptist Health South Florida. He currently serves as Chairman of the Dreamzzz Foundation providing homes and services to foster children in Miami. He also serves on the board of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council (economic development) and as Chairman of the MDBC Family Office Council.
Mr. McGovern served on the Board of the US Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai and was appointed (only foreigner) to the Expo’s Post-Development Committee. He is also Vice Chairman of the Silver Shield Foundation, providing assistance to families of policemen and firemen who die in the line of duty in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Mr. McGovern is a member of the Advisory Council to Consumer Reports, a non-profit member organization and magazine that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. He previously served on the Board of the East West Institute.
Mr. McGovern has received numerous awards including the Cornell "Entrepreneur of the Year", St. John's University School of Law’s "Distinguished Alumni Award", and The East West Institute's "Global Game Changer Award". In addition, he received the Pioneer Award from the United Nation’s International Council for Caring Communities, the Luce Foundation honored him as its Humanitarian of the Year, and he received the Gold Medal Award from the American Irish Historical Society.