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Managing Partner — Silverpeak Renewables Investment Partners LP
Rachel Pachter
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Rachel Pachter
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Rachel Pachter
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Santosh Raikar is the Managing Partner of Silverpeak Renewables Investment Partners, responsible for building out the firm’s renewable energy sector platform. He has more than 18 years of experience in energy and infrastructure finance, including renewable energy, oil & gas, power, and midstream infrastructure assets. Prior to joining Silverpeak, Santosh was a Managing Director in the renewable energy investments group at State Street where he was responsible for leading a team in originating, structuring and executing tax equity investments in the renewable energy sector within the U.S. He previously worked at Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers in Principal Investment areas. Santosh holds a Master of Science in Technology and Policy Program from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned an MS in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mumbai. He also teaches a full-semester graduate level course titled “Renewable Energy Investments” at Carroll School of Management (Boston College). How is your job relevant to the energy transition? For the past 12 years I have been exclusively working in the renewable energy sector. Over these years, I have invested more than $2 bn across more than 30 renewable energy projects. I am passionate about renewable energy for a better future and contributing directly by making capital available for bigger and better things. Please tell us not only what you do now, but also your career trajectory and how it got you where you are now. I got into investment banking by accident and MIT played the critical role for the transition. During my graduate program, I served as a research assistant at Energy Laboratory and my project was sponsored by Goldman Sachs, which really opened the wonderful world of finance for me. After initial exciting eight years, I ran into a series of stumbling blocks -three of my employers went bankrupt and two of them spectacularly! - Lehman, Uni-Solar, and Solyndra. However, the experience taught me a lot of things and I have emerged more energetic and successful than what I strove for.
Noah Shaw
General Counsel — NYSERDA
As General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Directors of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Noah manages all aspects of legal analysis and counsel to NYSERDA leadership and the Governor’s staff concerning the Authority’s initiatives and related clean energy issues and legislation. Among other matters, Noah has been deeply engaged in the design and implementation of the state’s Clean Energy Standard, the State's offshore wind energy policies and programs, involvement with the United State Climate Alliance, co-chaired by New York State, Governor Cuomo’s clean energy legislative agenda, and many other of the State’s renewable energy and energy efficiency programs and policies. Prior to joining NYSERDA in 2014, Noah was Senior Advisor to the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy, where his portfolio included a wide range of issues regarding, among other matters, the Loan Programs Office, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Nuclear Energy and matters concerning congressional affairs. Before working at the Department of Energy, Noah was an attorney in the Boston office of the law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris Glovsky & Popeo.
Sarah Simon
Founding Partner — Apple Creek Associates
Throughout her more than 40 years in consulting, government and industry, Ms. Simon’s work has focused on reducing environmental impacts and emissions, resulting in cleaner energy and more efficient processes. As Environmental Compliance Manager at Ameresco, a leading renewable energy and energy efficiency company, Ms. Simon managed compliance programs and carbon reporting for 20 bio-methane electric facilities around the US with annual revenues of over $50m. Before the advent of affordable wind and PV systems, when she was Deputy Director at the Division of Air Quality at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, she managed 40 monitoring, data, and air quality modeling staff. She represented the Department on commissions studying Radon Risk and Indoor Air Quality and served on the team that streamlined the permitting process and received an Innovation in Government Award from the Kennedy School of Government. In her 10 years at the U.S. EPA Region 1 office, she participated on the national Acid Rain Program Implementation team that was awarded the Bronze Medal for public service. In addition, Ms. Simon led the Environmental Technical Group of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and was President of the Boston section of the Society of Women Engineers and the Association of MIT Alumnae.
Kathleen Theoharides
Undersecretary of Climate Change — Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Katie Theoharides, Undersecretary of Climate Change, MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs – Katie works across state government and with Massachusetts cities and towns to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, with a major focus on mainstreaming climate change into the daily work of state and local government. In this capacity Katie leads the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, as well as implementation of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan, and the Global Warming Solutions Act. Previously, Katie worked as a environmental and climate change policy consultant, and served as the executive director of the Hilltown Land Trust in Ashfield, Massachusetts. She also spent several years with Defenders of Wildlife in Washington, DC where she focused on federal, state and local climate change policy. Katie holds a B.A. in ecology from Dartmouth College and a M.S. in environmental biology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
Mitch Tyson
Chair — Tyson Associates
I've had energy related positions in public policy, industry, investing, the non-profit sector, and academia. I am a graduate of MIT with a SB in Physics, an SM in Nuclear Engineering, and SM in Political Science and concentrated my studies on energy technology and policy. I have been a US Senate legislative assistant for energy policy, product manager for semiconductor equipment, CEO for a semiconductor automation company, and CEO of a venture back industrial energy efficiency start-up. Currently I serve as a board member of several tech and clean energy companies, I am an angel partner in the Clean Energy Venture Group and Venture Partner in the Clean Energy Fund, I mentor start-ups in a variety of clean energy accelerators. I am chair of the Northeast Clean Energy Council (trade association), board member of Greentown Labs (clean energy incubator), board member of Acadia Center (clean energy policy think tank). I also teach the course in Corporate Sustainability at the International Business School at Brandeis University and lecture on entrepreneurship. I've had the opportunity to look at and contribute to developing solutions to the energy challenge from many organizational perspectives and ma glad to share what i have learned.
Akashar Wunnava
Senior Associate / Second-Year Student — McKinsey & Co. / Harvard Business School
Akshar is a second-year student in the MBA Class of 2019 at Harvard Business School. Prior to HBS, he worked at McKinsey & Co., focused on the energy utilities, renewables, and chemicals sectors. He spent several months in Ethiopia working on their electrification strategy and utility operations. Prior to McKinsey, Akshar worked on two start-ups, BioBatts and PedalPower, which both aimed to provide electricity in off-grid villages in north India. Akshar holds a Masters in Chemical Engineering and Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and Economics from MIT. He also has minors in Energy Studies and Public Policy, and led the MIT Energy Club, Sloan Business Club, and DEAL FPOP during his time at the Institvte.
Ming Zhong
Architectural Designer — Payette Associates Inc.
As a designer working in the building design field, I am familiar with the energy code and standards for green buildings. I also have experience in designing energy responsive buildings by using advanced scripting software that could help designers optimizing the energy performance and saving the client money. I am working towards my licensure now and will become an official architect once get my architectural license.