Team
We help climate tech startups
Our Expertise
The Ad Hoc Group team brings decades of combined experience in climate tech startups, utilities, venture capital, government, and management consulting. Our network of senior advisors are seasoned executives in their respective fields providing additional strategic insight, leverage, and connections to support our clients.
LEADERSHIP
Jim Kapsis
Founder
Jim founded The Ad Hoc Group to help startups and investors successfully scale sustainability and climate tech businesses in complex, regulated markets.
Jim spent six years building and leading the global regulatory team at Opower, Inc., a Software-as-a-Service company. At Opower, Jim supported the full life cycle of the business from startup to IPO to acquisition by Oracle in 2016. Jim has also been a Senior Advisor to Sidewalk Labs, Alphabet’s urban venture.Â
Before entering the private sector, Jim was an Energy Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury where he helped broker the Copenhagen Climate Accord in 2009. Jim has also worked in the State Department, Defense Department and in Congress. Jim earned a B.A. in Political Science from Haverford College and a M.P.A. from Princeton University.
Jim lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and three daughters where he sits on the Board of its Transit Company. Jim is also the co-host of Technopolis, a podcast on how technology is transforming cities.
James Schulte
Partner
James is a Partner at The Ad Hoc Group, where he brings expertise spanning policy, growth, entrepreneurship, investing, and strategy across multiple climate tech verticals.
Most recently, James served as a Partner and Co-Founder at Sunfox Capital, a growth equity fund investing in companies accelerating the energy transition. He previously worked at Exelon with roles that included leading Energy Policy at ComEd, directing Exelon’s venture studio, and supporting Exelon’s Corporate Strategy, Innovation, and Sustainability leadership team. Prior to joining Exelon, James was a Managing Director at Energy Impact Partners, supporting efforts across strategy, research, business development, and utility collaboration. He also has experience as a consultant in McKinsey’s Electric Power & Natural Gas practice. James graduated with honors from both Yale University (BA in History) and the University of Chicago (JD and MBA).
James is a proud resident of Chicago’s South Side, where he lives with his wife, daughter, and son. He is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, former Chair of Evergreen Climate Innovation’s Industry Advisory Council, and a mentor at mHUB. James also serves as an Operating Partner at Sunfox Capital and a Board Observer for GridX.
Julia Hamm
Partner
For 25 years Julia has been at the center of the transformation underway to a carbon-free energy system. She has a deep understanding of the energy sector and strong relationships with hundreds of U.S. utility and technology executives and policymakers. Julia has spent her career advising and collaborating on business models, grid modernization and digitization, electrification and clean energy policies, strategies and programs. She is known for her visionary thinking and ability to translate strategy into action.
From 2004 through 2022, Julia served as President and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). Currently, she serves on the board and compensation committee of Puget Sound Energy, the board and compensation committee for Voltera, the board of the California Mobility Center, and the board of RE+ Events.
She led SEPA to re-envision its mission and rebrand from the Solar Electric Power Association to the Smart Electric Power Alliance in 2015. She also led mergers with the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid in 2015 and Smart Grid Interoperability Panel in 2017. Julia is featured in the 2015 book "Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change" as a case study on the work she did to transform the SEPA board into a high powered, high performing governing body.
Her entrepreneurial spirit drove Julia to create Solar Power International (SPI) in 2004, which has grown to become North America's largest energy industry trade show. With Julia’s leadership, multiple other clean energy and electrification brand verticals have joined SPI under the umbrella RE+. Julia is the Founder and former Co-Chair of the Board for the LLC that now manages this trade show business that attracts more than 25,000 people annually.
Julia lives in southwest Florida with her husband and two children.
TEAM
Anjana Agarwal
Principal
Anjana is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group. Anjana previously worked as a Business Development Manager at GrabWheels, Grab’s new micromobility business in South East Asia, where she helped build new partnerships for GrabWheels and strengthen engagement with local communities and public agencies.
Prior to Grab, Anjana was an MBA student at Chicago Booth. While at Booth, she interned at Ekistic Ventures, a Chicago-based venture fund that invests in cities-focused startups, and the Microgrid Investment Accelerator, an early-stage blended capital facility focused on energy access companies.
Anjana has extensive experience in the infrastructure and energy sectors having worked with the World Resources’ Energy team in India, the Indian government’s Public Private Partnerships team, and as a project finance attorney.
In addition to the MBA, she has a Masters in Law (LL.M) from Harvard Law School and a Bachelors in Law from the National Law School, India’s top ranking law school. Anjana resides in the New York city area with her husband and twins.
Sam Bauer
Senior Associate
Sam is a Senior Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. Sam joined The Ad Hoc Group after graduating with an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas, with a focus in Sustainable Business. While at Haas, Sam led the revival of the Transportation and Mobility Club to bring together students motivated to decarbonize the mobility industry.
Prior to Haas, Sam was a Strategy Manager at Zoox. His role bridged go-to-market strategy and fundraising efforts for the urban mobility company. He worked with the executive team to determine launch city sequencing, built long-term financial models to inform financing needs, and was an integral member of the deal team which completed the sale of Zoox to Amazon.
Sam was previously a consultant at Bain & Company, where he supported clients in the technology and retail sectors and he was actively involved in building the pro bono consulting practice.
In addition to the MBA, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. Sam lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, but spends much of his time outside of work exploring California’s mountains and coasts.
Katherine Cunningham
Senior Associate
Katherine is a Senior Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. Katherine previously worked as an investment banking Associate in the Power, Utilities, and Infrastructure Group at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). In this role, she supported M&A, debt, and equity transactions across a range of clients focused on the energy transition, including a battery storage developer, a distributed solar IPP, a nuclear energy company, and electric and gas utilities.
Prior to RBC, Katherine earned her MBA and M.S. in Sustainable Systems from the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute. While at Michigan, she was a member of the student-led Social Venture Fund and was a Climate Tech Fellow at Buoyant Ventures, where she helped develop the firm’s investment thesis on climate risk intelligence. Katherine also completed an internship with Zurich Insurance focused on climate risk and an internship with the Environmental Defense Fund and Walmart focused on sustainable packaging.
Katherine has a background in global sustainable development, having worked with USAID’s Global Climate Change Office before graduate school. She attended the George Washington University as an undergraduate where she studied International Affairs and Arabic. Katherine lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband.
Sabrina de la Vega
Associate
Sabrina is an Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. Prior to this role, Sabrina worked in Government Relations and Public Policy at Proterra, at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a Leadership Fellow, and she worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Chris Van Hollen. While at Proterra, Sabrina supported the implementation of the Company’s federal, state, and regional government affairs and public policy strategy to advance business and policy objectives.
Sabrina earned an MPP from the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy. While at Harris, Sabrina interned in Management and Budget Consulting at Public Financial Management (PFM), supported equitable transit oriented development policy in Chicago at Elevated Chicago, and interned on the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) team at Ariel Investments. While at Harris, Sabrina also served in a leadership role in the student group, Minorities in Public Policy Studies.
Sabrina is proud of her Puerto Rican roots, which drives her passion for working with climate tech startups. Sabrina has a BA in History from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently a Midwest transplant, but loves to stay on the move. You can find Sabrina rowing with the Milwaukee Rowing Club or running along the lakeshore with her dog.
Annie Gilleo
Principal
Annie Gilleo is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group. Previously, Annie managed policy and regulatory engagement in the Eastern US and Canada for Greenlots, a leading provider of electric vehicle charging solutions and a member of the Shell Group. Her work with Greenlots focused on transforming the electric sector by unlocking investment opportunities for electric vehicle infrastructure.
Prior to joining Greenlots, Annie led the state policy program for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, conducting research, advising government officials, and organizing broad coalitions of stakeholders to advance energy efficiency and increase energy affordability. She also spent time at the White House Council for Environmental Quality, held an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corp Fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa.
Annie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Sciences from University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, son, and Brittany Spaniel.
Maya Kelty
Principal
Maya is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group. Maya brings over 9 years of experience in climate and clean energy policy, with a focus on unlocking climate solutions through market-based policies and programs. She most recently led regulatory affairs at 3Degrees Group, an environmental commodities and climate-focused consulting firm based in San Francisco. During her tenure at 3Degrees, Maya built and ran a 7-person regulatory team covering climate and renewables across North America and Europe. She spearheaded 3Degrees’ efforts to expand into new commodities markets, such as low carbon fuels, and into new geographies. During this time Maya also served as a Market Advisor to the Low Impact Hydro Institute (LIHI).
Prior to 3Degrees, Maya was at Center for Resource Solutions where she led state policy initiatives and managed updates to certification programs and associated governing documents. Maya was the account manager for 55 renewable energy product offerings for utilities, competitive providers, and communities, and managed the creation and implementation of new programs. Maya was regularly engaged on expert assistance projects related to developing renewable energy markets internationally and greenhouse gas emissions accounting frameworks.
Maya holds a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in Political Science from McGill University and a Masters of Environment from Concordia University (Montreal, Québec). She is originally from the east coast and currently lives in San Francisco, California.
Elta Koliou
Senior Associate
Elta Koliou is a Senior Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. Previously, Elta was leading strategy, policy and market intelligence at Huck Capital and facilitating the deployment of capital to build the next generation of energy providers.
Prior to joining Huck Capital Elta oversaw Grid Edge research at Wood Mackenzie (previously part of Greentech Media/GTM Research) and managed a team of analysts conducting original market research in virtual power plants, microgrids, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, grid modernization and customer energy management.
Elta holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Strategies from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her doctoral research was sponsored by the European Commission and focused on demand response policies for the implementation of smart grids. She holds a M.Sc. in Economics and Management of Network Industries from the ICAI School of Engineering in Spain and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Union College in New York.
Brian Kooiman
Principal
Brian Kooiman is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group. Brian incorporates his experience with regulated markets, electricity systems, demand response, energy storage, zero-emission vehicles, and gamification to develop client strategies for product and regulatory engagement.
Prior to joining The Ad Hoc Group, Brian was an Experts Market Analyst on OhmConnect's Market Development and Operations team. At OhmConnect, Brian had responsibilities that included regulatory advocacy, partnership building, revenue origination, and energy market operations. In his time with OhmConnect, Brian saw the company user base grow from thousands to hundreds of thousands of customers all participating in demand response.
Brian received his Master of Public Policy (MPP) with a focus on Resources, Environment, and Energy from Stanford University. Brian also attended Stanford University as an undergraduate, where he double-majored in Civil Engineering and Economics. Brian lives in Minnesota with his wife and two daughters.
Myron Lam
Senior Associate
Myron is a Senior Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. He joined The Ad Hoc Group after graduating with a master's degree from UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, with a focus on Climate and Sustainability. While at Berkeley, Myron interned at Google X, where he developed GTM strategy for Alphabet's moonshot project on grid decarbonization. His capstone research focused on carbon dioxide removal technologies and provided recommendations on the market development for high-quality CDR.
Prior to graduate school, Myron was a co-founder of a mission-driven startup that creates sustainable products and supply chains alongside minority farmers in Vietnam. He was also previously a Strategy Manager at EF Education First. In his role, Myron managed partnerships with innovation partners and worked with the executive team to determine customer engagement strategy.
Myron holds a B.A with honors in International Development and Economics from Brown University, where he was a Social Innovation Fellow and was awarded the Embark Entrepreneurial Prize. Myron lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and enjoys running and yoga under the California sun.
Xander Mitchell
Associate and Head of Special Projects
Xander is an Associate and Head of Special Projects at The Ad Hoc Group. He originally joined The Ad Hoc Group as an extern from Bain & Company. At Bain, Xander supported clients in the logistics, telecommunications, and software industries across a variety of commercial topics.
Xander is invested in fostering vibrant, sustainable, and equitable communities. He spent two years on the leadership team of the largest chapter of Inspire, an organization that provides consulting services to early-stage nonprofits and social enterprises, where he advised philanthropies and educational organizations. Outside of his professional commitments, he volunteers on the National Alumni Advisory Council of Questbridge and as a Big Brother for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.
Xander holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History of Art from Yale University, where he was a Questbridge Scholar. He graduated with honors and received the award for best senior thesis on the subject of American arts. He is a lifelong Chicagoan.
Taylor Murphy
EA & Operations Manager
Taylor is an EA & Operations Manager at The Ad Hoc Group. She has nearly 9 years experience in private, government and nonprofit sectors. Prior to this role, she worked as a Chief of Staff in both biotech and local government. She is a sustainability advocate, and spent her early career working in stakeholder management at an environmental nonprofit.
Taylor is a master generalist, from garnering nearly $1M in FEMA grants, executing communications strategies for eBay’s Power of One Auction Lunch with Warren Buffett, to optimizing workstreams for executive leadership. She leans into her background in operations, communications and strategy to elevate executive leadership and help them to reach their company’s strategic vision.
Taylor holds a BS from Purdue University, where she studied Natural Resources & Environmental Science.
Stephen Mushegan
Senior Associate
Stephen Mushegan is a Senior Associate at The Ad Hoc Group. Before AHG, he served in the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) managing state clean hydrogen R&D funding, developed equity- and justice-oriented offshore wind policy recommendations as a Climate Fellow in the Aspen Tech Policy Hub, and advanced building electrification policy at RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute).
Previously, Stephen advised utilities and governments in small island nations in the Global South on energy transition planning and developed utility-scale solar, battery storage, and microgrid projects while at RMI and the Clinton Foundation. He started his climate career as an energy engineer in the UK, designing industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization projects.
Stephen holds an M.Sc. in Sustainable Energy from Imperial College London and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in International Studies from University of California, San Diego. He and his wife reside in New York City.
Tess O'Donnell
Associate
Tess is an Associate at the Ad Hoc Group. Tess leverages her experience with climate action strategy, electric systems, policy research, engineering, and design thinking to support her clients in navigating success within complex regulatory frameworks.
Previously Tess worked at ICF with utilities and government agencies to assist regulatory compliance regarding distributed energy resources, grid resilience, clean energy deployment, and energy data sharing. She also served as an Account Manager for a utility-sponsored energy efficiency program. Previously, she worked at Tesla as a PV System Designer for their residential solar and storage solutions.Prior to Tesla, Tess earned her M.S. in Renewable and Clean Energy from the University of Dayton. She worked through her degree as a Graduate Assistant with the Hanley Sustainability Institute, where she managed a team proposing and implementing campus-wide energy efficiency measures. Tess also participated in the EDF ClimateCorps Program, where she worked with the Alamo Colleges District to develop climate action strategies that embrace innovative and collaborative pathways for solutions. She currently serves as a mentor for the 2023 EDF ClimateCorps Cohort.
Tess also holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton.
She lives and explores in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and dog.
Elaine Reddy
Senior Communications Manager
Elaine is a Senior Communications Manager at The Ad Hoc Group. Previously, Elaine was at Uplight, the leading provider of software solutions to energy providers, where she led communications through a merger, six acquisitions, multiple rounds of fundraising and countless product launches. Her time at Uplight allowed her to work in key segments for the utility industry including demand response, behavioral energy efficiency, marketplaces, EVs and customer data.
Prior to Uplight, Elaine led communications for a social data startup, Gnip, through its acquisition by Twitter. Her time at Gnip gave her a backstage pass to the role communications plays in scaling a company. During her time at Gnip, she helped the company receive high-profile coverage including stories in Fast Company, The New York Times, CNN and Business Insider. Working at multiple venture-backed startups as well as traditional PR agencies, Elaine has nearly 20 years of experience helping companies tell compelling stories.
Elaine has a BA in marketing from the University of Notre Dame. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and two children.
Ian Rinehart
Principal
Ian Rinehart is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group where he manages the firm's client work and relationships. Ian is an entrepreneur, product manager, and client manager with a history of building products and partnerships that bring about positive social and environmental change.
As the Co-Founder of Conserve With Us, Ian participated in the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator and was selected as a Halcyon Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship.
Before starting his own company, Ian worked at Opower where he oversaw the delivery of behavioral energy efficiency products to enterprise utility clients and more thanover 5 million of their customers.
Ian is a Fulbright Scholar and spent a year researching renewable energy deployment in Germany. He's also a Fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) in Washington, D.C. Ian earned his B.A. in International Relations and German from Northwestern University. He lives in Chicago, IL.
Max Tuttman
Principal
Max Tuttman is a Principal at The Ad Hoc Group. Prior to this role, Max served as a Technology-to-Market Advisor at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) where he helped prepare innovative energy technologies for transition from the lab to the market. His primary areas of focus were energy storage for both the grid and transportation, as well as carbon capture and carbon dioxide removal.
Prior to joining ARPA-E, Max spent more thanover a decade working in energy and cleantech, starting his career at the third generation biofuels startup Joule Unlimited, before moving into the utility enterprise software space as a Product Manager at PowerAdvocate. Max also advised commercial and institutional clients on large-scale renewable energy procurements as a Senior Associate at CustomerFirst Renewables.
Max earned his MBA and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and holds an Sc.B. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University. He is a proud Bostonian, now transplanted in Washington, D.C., with his wife and daughter.
SENIOR ADVISORS
Mark McVay
Senior Advisor
Mark is a Senior Advisor with The Ad Hoc Group, specializing in sales and go-to-market strategy support for high-growth climate tech startups.
Mark is currently the Managing Director of the Net-Zero Academy at Stanford’s Precourt Institute for Energy. Mark joined Stanford Energy in January of 2020 to focus on business model innovation supporting energy transformation. He is working with students and faculty throughout Stanford on efforts to create solutions for Carbon Reduction and Sustainability goals in large organizations.Â
Mark has spent his career in energy starting as a nuclear power engineer aboard an aircraft carrier. He most recently helped build and sell the energy analytics firm PowerAdvocate and currently serves on the boards of several energy related small companies. Mark earned an MBA from the Stanford GSB and an MS from the School of Engineering. He has a BS from the US Naval Academy.
Avra Durack
Senior Advisor
Avra advises The Ad Hoc Group's startup clients on their fundraising strategy, pitch deck development, and helps serve as a bridge to the venture capital community.
Avra was most recently Director, Incubation at National Grid Partners, a utility venture group investing in the potential of energy with a vision to define a smarter more renewable future. She focused on early stage startups, doing equity investments and working with them to grow.
Prior to joining National Grid, Avra spent 10 years as an operator growing early stage companies. Avra was director of Growth at AltSchool, a company transforming K-8 education through personalized learning. Prior to AltSchool, Avra led business development at Stem, an AI and battery storage company.
She has spent her career focused on tackling tough problems, including increasing renewable energy at One Block Off the Grid, rebuilding New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, and developing affordable housing in New York City. Avra has a BA in Urban Studies from Stanford University and a MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Marion Gold
Senior Advisor
Marion Gold is a Senior Advisor with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and serves as the President of the Board of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP).
A former regulatory commissioner, Marion was appointed to the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission by Governor Gina Raimondo in 2016. She served a five-year term with a focus on clean energy and power sector transformation.
Previously, Marion was the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources. She also served on the Executive Board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and was a managing director of New England State Committee on Electricity (NESCOE).
Prior to serving as State Energy Commissioner, Marion was the Director of the Mallon Center at the University of Rhode Island where she established the URI Partnership for Energy, initiated efficiency programs for public sector buildings, and launched the Energy Fellows Program which has placed over 100 students in energy-related employment with the private and public sector.
Marion holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. She received her BS and MS from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University respectively.
Val Jensen
Senior Advisor
Val is a Senior Utility Advisor with Tthe Ad Hoc Group, providing strategic advice and support on positioning and go-to-market strategy to high-growth startups in the utility sector. Most recently, Val was a Senior Fellow at ICF where he advised the firm and its clients on matters related to utility strategy and policy.
Prior to that, Val was Senior Vice President for Strategy and Policy for Exelon Utilities, a Fortune 100 energy company. In that role, he was responsible for developing the board-approved strategy for Exelon’s six distribution utilities. He also has led strategy for Commonwealth Edison, and served as Ssenior Vvice Ppresident for Customer Operations where he led ComEd’s customer service, billing, smart meter and energy efficiency organizations.
Prior to his roles at Exelon, Val was a Ssenior Vvice Ppresident for ICF International and has served at U.S. DOE and the Illinois Department of Energy. He is the founder of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and has served on the boards of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Energy Foundry, the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the Association of Energy Service Professionals.
Jay Griffin
Senior Advisor
Jay Griffin was appointed to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) in 2017 and served as Chair for over 3 years. During this time, the HPUC led an award-winning, stakeholder process to implement performance-based regulation for the state’s largest electric utility. In addition, the Commission oversaw the largest procurements of renewable energy in state history and transition plans to retire aging, fossil-fueled power plants, including Hawaii’s last coal plant. To support these plant retirements, the Commission also directed new and existing customer programs to help meet peak demand periods with distributed energy resources.
Prior to serving on the HPUC, Griffin was an Assistant Researcher at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii. His research focused on grid integration studies of renewable energy and demonstration projects to support the state’s clean energy goals. From 2012-2016, he served as the Chief of Policy and Research at the HPUC.
Jay has a Ph.D. in Policy Analysis from the Pardee Rand Graduate School where he also served as a policy researcher from 2004-2009. Griffin has a M.A. in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a joint master’s degree from Duke University in Public Policy and Environmental Management. Jay graduated from Williams College with a B.A. degree in Political Economy.
Steven Malnight
Senior Advisor
Steve Malnight is a recognized and proven leader in the energy industry with a deep track record of driving the transition to a clean and sustainable future. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Duquesne Light Company. At Duquesne, Steve helped to transform the company into a regional leader on clean and sustainable energy.
Prior to his time at Duquesne, Steve worked for sixteen years at PG&E in California where he served in several executive roles leading the company’s strategy on clean energy and the transition to a sustainable future. Steve led PG&E’s sustainability efforts including policy advocacy on the national, state, and local level on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and renewable energy deployment.
Over the course of his career, Steve has served on the boards of organizations which shared his commitment to strong communities and a sustainable future including the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) where he served as board chair, the Edison Electric Institute where he served on the Electric Vehicle task force, and community organizations such as the Allegheny Conference, the Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce, and the Salvation Army.
Steve received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and his master’s in business administration from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.
Mike Florio
Senior Advisor
Michel Peter “Mike” Florio is a consultant on energy policy, regulation and markets, and a Senior Fellow at Gridworks, an Oakland non-profit that convenes stakeholder engagements and publishes papers related to decarbonization of the electricity sector.
Mike was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2011 by Gov. Jerry Brown, where he served a 6-year term. Prior to his CPUC appointment, he was an attorney for The Utility Reform Network (TURN), California’s leading utility consumer advocate group for 30+ years.
Mike also served on the governing board of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) from 1997 through 2005, and on the board of the California Power Exchange from 1997 until early 2001.
In 1978, Mike received a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a Masters of Public Affairs (M.P.A.) from Princeton University. He was admitted to the California State Bar that same year.
Abbie McBride
Senior Advisor
Abbie McBride has over 12 years of experience leading business development, customer success, and sales at startups and large technology companies during key growth phases. Most recently she was the Chief Revenue Officer at WorkBoard, a Series D company that provides a results management platform for large and growing enterprises.
Prior to WorkBoard she was the Chief Revenue Officer at Fundbox, a Series C Fintech company, and previously held leadership positions at Oracle and Opower. She currently advises and consults with founders, CEOs and Revenue Leaders at high growth startups to develop go-to-market strategies and execution plans that accelerate sustainable growth.
She began her career as a strategic planner at Walt Disney, graduated with honors and distinction from Stanford University and lives in Silicon Valley.
Melissa Semcer
Senior Advisor
Melissa Semcer is a recognized leader in the California energy industry with deep expertise in utility wildfire mitigation and climate resilience. Melissa is currently the Founder and Principal Consultant at CWE Strategies and supports industry leaders and community stakeholders seeking to address the intersection of safety, reliability, and climate resilience.
Melissa was appointed by Governor Newsom in 2021 as the first Deputy Director of the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) where she led the organization’s evaluation of first-of-their kind electric corporation wildfire mitigation plans. She also managed development of a groundbreaking process for conducting electric corporation safety couture assessments, created foundational guidelines for issuance of safety certifications, and established a review process for utility executive compensation to ensure that safety is incentivized. In addition, Semcer played an instrumental role in establishing the Office’s strategic direction and operational infrastructure.
Prior to joining Energy Safety, Melissa served as an Administrative Law Judge for 8 years at the California Public Utilities Commission where she led many large and complex stakeholder processes resulting in seminal policies around topics such as Public Safety Power Shutoffs and the California Climate Credit. She began her career as a regulatory analyst working on utility procurement, combined heat and power and climate change.
A member of the Duke University Energy Initiative Force, Melissa holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Sacramento with her two daughters and one old dog.
Cathy Schreiber
Senior Advisor
Cathy Schreiber has more than 25+ years of success supporting teams and leaders. She supports leaders and organizations by elevating their approaches and operations to be more impactful and to enhance their competitive edge. She focuses on business strategy and human capital. Her work includes organizational design, talent planning, and full-service executive searches.
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With a deep understanding of and networks in climate and clean energy, particularly of women and BIPOC leaders, Cathy's approach to recruiting is highly tailored and high touch. She offers concierge support to hiring managers and leadership teams, providing insights around position descriptions, outreach and search protocols, and evaluation tools to reduce bias, as well as ensure a positive experience for candidates. She facilitates leadership team development (e.g., 360, work style assessments, management training), creates performance management tools and training, and offers 1:1 coaching of senior executives and junior associates to support their leadership development and growth.
Erik Takayesu
Senior Advisor
Erik Takayesu brings decades of strategic leadership and expertise from his tenure as Senior Vice President of Asset Strategy & Planning at Southern California Edison (SCE). Renowned for his pivotal role in steering SCE’s business and asset management strategy, electric system planning, technology innovation, and wildfire safety initiatives, Takayesu's impact has been felt since he joined the company in 1991.
During his tenure, Takayesu spearheaded various critical divisions within SCE, overseeing grid operations, orchestrating the construction and maintenance of major projects, driving grid modernization, and championing the integration of distributed resources pivotal to facilitating the clean energy transition in the 21st century.
His distinguished reputation in the energy sector has led to key appointments, notably serving on the Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee. Additionally, he holds influential positions on the executive council for the IEEE Power and Engineering Society and the Dean’s Leadership board for the College of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach.
Educationally, Takayesu earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach, and further honed his expertise with a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. As a testament to his commitment to excellence, he holds a professional engineer license in the state of California.
David Owens
Senior Advisor
David K. Owens is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in public policies surrounding utility operations, strategic planning, technology development, rate making and regulation. Mr. Owens is a graduate of Howard University with a Bachelor and Master of Engineering degrees. He also has a Master in Engineering Administration degree from George Washington University.
He is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on electric utility issues, industry restructuring and transformation. His experience in the electricity sector spans four decades and includes leading the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) efforts over a broad set of issues that affect the future structure of the electric industry and new rules in evolving competitive markets. He was responsible over the strategic areas of energy supply and finance, environment, energy delivery, energy services, state regulatory issues, and international affairs.
Mr. Owens also oversaw the business continuity issues at EEI which includes mutual assistance and cyber security. He helped lead efforts for service restoration following superstorm Sandy. Lessons learned from Sandy have helped spearhead greater coordination between industry and government to enhance reliability, preparedness and resiliency.
Mr. Owens has frequently appeared before U.S. Congressional Committees, testified in more than 50 proceedings on energy issues before state bodies, lectured at universities across the nation, made hundreds of presentations in business forums, and frequently appears on television and radio. Prior to EEI, he served as Chief Engineer for the Division of Rates and Corporate Regulation with the Securities and Exchange Commission where he actively participated in major proceedings involving utility mergers, electric integration issues and utility financial disclosure.
Mr. Owens has distinction in Who’s Who In America. He has been honored as Outstanding Leader in the Utility Industry. He is twice recipient of the James E. Stewart Award, the highest distinction for an American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) member. Mr. Owens was honored with the Thomas A. Edison Legacy Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the electric power industry throughout his 36 years of distinguished service and leadership to EEI. He is also the recipient of the John Dingell Award, S&P Global Platts Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Crystal Award for Distinguished Service.
Mr. Owens served on the Xcel Energy’s board of directors. He was Vice Chairman of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority from 2019 – 2022 where his major concentration was to assist the rebuild of the Puerto Rico electric system so that it is more reliable, resilient, cleaner, modernized and more customer focused. In addition, Mr. Owens has served on Boards of the National Academy of Sciences, past Chair of the IDEA Public Charter School Board of Trustees and National Institute of Standards and Technology Smart Grid Advisory Committee. He is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and professional and community organizations.
Sean Harrington
Senior Advisor
Sean is an operational executive with a proven track record building high-growth businesses. He has spent the last 15+ years in leadership roles at leading companies in energy efficiency, electrification of transportation, new mobility, and smart city technology.
Most recently Sean was CEO of Optimus Ride, an autonomous mobility technology company providing all-electric, shared rides for campuses and communities.
Previously, he served as Vice President of City Solutions at Verizon where he led product management, engineering, and operations for the smart communities business. He joined Verizon through the acquisition of Sensity Systems, a pioneer in the category of smart lighting and sensing, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and Board Director. Prior to that Sean led sales / business development for Opower and established its west coast office.
Sean holds a BS in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He’s an avid endurance athlete and lives in Menlo Park, California with his wife and three children.
Jeremy Kirsch
Senior Advisor
Jeremy is a Senior Advisor at The Ad Hoc Group where he advises clients on their sales and go-to-market strategies, and provides mentorship and coaching to executive leadership. Jeremy is a mission-driven entrepreneur, has been leading high-performance teams, and building businesses for close to 25 years.
Since 2017, Jeremy has supported a portfolio of high-growth companies and venture investors. His work is typically with Boards, CEOs and their management teams to strategically align their operating plans with their growth goals.
As a foundation to his current work, Jeremy was a two-time public company head of sales. From 2008 – 2016, Jeremy was EVP and GM for Worldwide Sales at Opower where he led the team that grew Opower from $1M to $150M ARR, and signed over $1.25 Billion in SaaS contracts over his 8 years in sales. Prior to Opower, Jeremy was an executive in the Viisage Secure Credentialing business at L-1 Identity Solutions where he held a series of positions including VP Sales and Business Development and VP Marketing and Strategy, responsible for a business delivering over $100M in ARR.
Earlier in his career, Jeremy was a Special Operations Officer in the U.S. Navy. He completed his Naval Service with the rank of Lieutenant. Jeremy received his BA in Economics from Stanford University (’96) and his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management (’04). He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and three daughters.