Calpine Corp
A maker of electricity, Calpine runs a fleet of natural gas and geothermal power plants across North America, selling power to utilities, businesses, and homes under brands like Champion Energy. It was founded in 1984 in Silicon Valley by Peter Cartwright and four colleagues. Its name blends "California" with "alpine," a nod to its Swiss investor Electrowatt, and it operates The Geysers in California, the world's largest geothermal complex, once marked by a Swiss cowbell in the office.