Ken Bethea is an energy and semiconductor executive and the Chief Operating Officer of Upshots Inc. He currently serves as a member of the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business’ Underrepresented Groups Advisory Board and is a consultant for TEDCO and the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII). 

Bethea has marketed and sold over 1 billion dollars in cumulative coal sales and other energy-related products to fortune 500 companies during his career. His previous roles include president and CEO of Power Energy Group, COO of Zolar Cell, and several roles of increasing responsibility with Southeast Fuels Inc. Bethea was also the founder and CEO of Northeast Energy Fuels, an energy marketing company in New England, and a past joint partner of KayVee Industries LLC, an investment holding company, and previous board member for Integrated Circuit Design Inc., a semiconductor design company acquired by Texas Instruments.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University and two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University.