Max Holtzman is a Principal at Ocean 14 Capital, a global private equity impact fund focused on the Blue Economy. Mr. Holtzman is a founding officer of Stronger America through Seafood, which strives to increase the U.S. production of healthy, sustainable and affordable seafood.
Prior to joining Ocean 14 Capital, Mr. Holtzman was the Investments Principal at Pontos Aqua, managing the leveraged buyout practice, and was Vice Chairman of Capitol Peak Asset Management which focused on infrastructure projects and companies in Rural America. Prior to Capitol Peak, Mr. Holtzman was appointed by President Obama as the Senior Advisor to the United States Secretary of Agriculture. For six years, Mr. Holtzman advised the Secretary on the development of new public-private partnerships, aquaculture, trade, biotechnology and international food security. He also served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services and as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs. In these roles, Mr. Holtzman represented the United States in its negotiations with the Peoples Republic of China as a four-time Delegate on the Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade, was regularly involved with a multitude of international trade issues, trade missions and trade negotiations. He also served as the United States Chairman of the North American Biotechnology Initiative, which includes the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Holtzman, an attorney for over 25 years, provided strategic consulting to multi- national companies related to transportation infrastructure, project finance, public-private partnerships, health care and government procurement. He also served as a City Attorney and Special Counsel to several municipalities. Mr. Holtzman a Board member of The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, is the Founding Chairman of Adopt-A-Classroom, sits on the Global Advisory Council of Secure System and a former Board member of K Street Capital. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and his law degree from the University of Miami. Married with three children, Mr. Holtzman lives in Washington, D.C.