Speakers - Distributed Energy Conference

Kay Aikin

CEO, Introspective Systems

Kay Aikin is the CEO of Introspective Systems, a software company based in Portland Maine. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and holds a degree in energy/sustainability engineering. She has spent her career as an energy engineer, architectural designer, and business development executive. She has spent years working with Dr. Caryl Johnson studying the application of complex system design in relation to a variety of problems but especially in the integration of Distributed Energy Resources into the electrical grid. Kay's focus has been on IoT applications in the electrical grid as an expansion of her experience in sustainable technologies. She is a recognized Transactive Energy expert and is a regular speaker at conferences on this topic as well as intelligence on the edge for optimal use of energy resources. She is a member of IEEE Power and Energy Society, Smart Electric Power Alliance and the Seismological Society of America. She is an active participant in the Transactive Energy Working Group, Building to Grid Working group for the Smart Electrical Power Alliance, Grid Wise Architecture Council and the International Transactive Energy Working Group. Additionally, she has 25 years of experience in the construction industry with a focus on founding and running design/build construction companies, managing multi-million dollar sales teams, and consulting on business development projects. She believes strongly in giving back to the industry having worked as a Regional Vice President of the Pennsylvania Home Builders Association in helping to shape responses to industry and community concerns.

Josh Beck

Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, BCI Technologies Inc.

Josh Beck is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of BCI Technology Investments; a $100M venture capital firm specializing in renewable energy hardware commercialization. He has worked in international project management and M&A transactions throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa for 18 years. He is passionate about building high functioning teams, establishing profitable environments, commercializing product lines, positioning companies for high multiple 3 to 5 year exits, and successfully guiding entrepreneurs past challenges associated with building trans-pacific business partnerships while simultaneously protecting intellectual property. Josh is a consistent and passionate international M&A business manager with experience executing investments and projects for Fortune 500 corporations, mid-cap private companies, and early stage enterprises. He is proactive in his approach and utilizes a best-in-class due diligence process to identify early stage companies with a high probability of success, while implementing project management best practices to provide board-level organizational strategic planning that accelerates commercialization, and speed to successful exit. He has served on the Board of Directors for five clean technology companies. Josh's background and training as a Senior level international technical project manager serves BCI Technology Investments in a variety of ways; (1) Josh has vast experience in negotiating, contracting and executing on deliverables associated with complex international public-private partnership agreements. His ability to assess the viability of a venture traverse the challenges of commercialization and include providing advice that maintains focus on the eventual goal of a successful exit; (2) Josh has hands-on experience managing technical engineering teams and reporting directly to Boards and C-Level Executives on milestones toward new product launch and ongoing profit and loss forecasting. He has a reputation as an executive who drives results via team orchestration centered around achieving measurable milestones while staying focused on company end-goals; (3) Josh's education in macroeconomics and international business allow him to effectively evaluate trends and market conditions that affect portfolio company commercialization viability, exit valuation and timing. This insight is counterbalanced by his technical experience managing engineers and resource allocations for product development cycles of complex energy storage systems, medical devices, aerospace components, and automotive products. Josh received his BS from Bethany College and his MS from the University of Amsterdam. He resides in Pittsburgh with his wife and two daughters.

Ryan Blinn

Technical & Program Leader, Westinghouse Nuclear

Ryan Blinn is a technical and program leader at Westinghouse with over twenty years of experience in engineering, innovation and operations. His background includes project/program management, product management, product development, process engineering, and risk management. Mr. Blinn currently leads the eVinci™ Micro Reactor development program for Westinghouse, one of the largest R&D efforts underway in Westinghouse innovation. In this role, he is accountable for all aspects of engineering, testing, licensing and commercialization for the exciting new nuclear technology. To progress this technology, he leads a team diverse and experienced personnel throughout the Westinghouse organization. Prior to his current role, Mr. Blinn previously served as the program and product manager for the eVinci program along with other advanced reactor programs. Mr. Blinn joined Westinghouse in 2009 and has held various management positions throughout the organization. He served as the Risk Lead for the AP1000® Vogtle Units 3 &4 new plant project, responsible for risk assessment and mitigation on the new plant project. Following this role, he held positions of increasing responsibility on the Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor (W-SMR) project leading the project from inception through preliminary design. His most recent role prior to the eVinci project was within the Global Instrument and Controls organization, where he led a product line for plant upgrades. Prior to joining Westinghouse, Mr. Blinn worked in the petrochemical industry for NOVA Chemicals and PolyOne Corporation, and in chemical demilitarization for Stone & Webster Engineering. His leadership in both manufacturing operations and product development resulted in substantial benefits and profit improvement with these companies. Mr. Blinn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Environmental Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He is current/past member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChe) as well as the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Mona Dajani

Co-Leader of Energy and Infrastructure Projects, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Mona Dajani is an engineer, MBA and Dual qualified lawyer in the UK and U.S., holds multiple leadership positions in the firm including leader of our Renewable Energy practice and co-leader of our Energy & Infrastructure Projects practice. For over 20 years, Ms. Dajani has focused her global practice on project finance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio acquisitions, tax equity, construction and/or restructuring for government and private clients involving energy and infrastructure projects. Ms. Dajani has represented a wide variety of commercial and public institutions, sponsors, utilities, financial institutions, underwriters, energy and clean technology companies, private equity funds, investment banks and multilateral agencies in transactions throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Ms. Dajani is on several boards including the Board of Directors of American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), The Energy Lawyers Network as a Board Member; The Institute for Energy Law - International Section; American Bar Association - Energy and Resources; and American Bar Association - Vice Chair, Project Finance of the Energy Infrastructure and Siting Committee. Ms. Dajani is winner of Law360's MVP 2020 award in the Project Finance category and repeatedly has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, IFLR1000, "Who's Who" and other rankings by other organizations and publications. She has been named to the "Lawdragon 500: Leading Lawyers in America" and has also been listed in Superlawyers magazine. Ms. Dajani was identified in for her work in renewable energy as one of "The Decade's Most Influential Lawyers" by The National Law Journal. She has been named one of the "Five Most Influential People in Energy" by Euromoney/Institutional Investor. Mona is listed as "a leader in renewables" by 'The Lawyer Hot 100 Lawyers'. She was awarded "Solar Woman of the Year for the Middle East" by MESIA in 2017. Ms. Dajani has been selected by the UK Government (BEIS) to be on the POWERful Women Group and is a winner of the Energy & Natural Resources Global Awards 2018. She writes regularly on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and is a regular speaker at conferences including: REFF NYC, BGCC Biomass conference, IMECHE Renewables Conference, REA biomass conference, Financing Carbon (London), Climate Finance (London), Environmental Green Bonds Conference, Westminster Energy Forum and Government Round Tables.

Frank DiCola

CEO & Managing Partner, DCO Energy LLC

In his role as CEO and Managing Partner of DCO Energy, Frank is responsible for directing all DCO activities, including strategic planning, project development, project management, engineering, contractor, financing, legal and any regulatory issues. Professional History A recognized industry expert and pioneer with over 49 years of experience, Frank DiCola established DCO Energy in 2000 with 5 employees and a small office in Atlantic City. DCO is now an industry leader, with projects valued over $1 billion. Frank personally has managed and/or developed well over $1 billion of energy projects, including award winning clean energy projects, some of the largest LFGE projects in the United States, and some of the most innovative projects in North America. Frank is regularly called upon to lend his expertise in areas including but not limited to CHP, CHCP, LFGE Biogas, BioMass, District Energy, Deep Sea Cooling and energy economics. Frank formally served on the Board of Directors of Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation. Prior to establishing DCO Energy, Frank was a senior executive with Atlantic Energy Inc., the parent company of Atlantic City Electric and Atlantic Energy Enterprises, Inc. and was involved in establishing and running Atlantic Energy Enterprises, the non-regulated business unit of Atlantic Energy. Throughout his early career, Frank has held positions with Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation as Engineering Manager, Lead Engineer, and Project Manager for fossil, nuclear, and industrial work. Initially, Frank started his professional career working at Cincinnati Gas and Electric serving as a Power Plant Engineer responsible for installation, operations and maintenance of the County's first gas turbine plants including the one of a kind Dick's Creek 100 mw generating unit. He later transferred to assist in the development of the William Zimmer Nuclear Plant and was assigned to participate in the startup of Georgia Power's Hatch Nuclear unit. Education Frank attended the University of Cincinnati where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) as well as an ASME Lifetime member. He is also member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

Alon Ozer

Chief Investment Officer, Omnia Family Wealth

Alon Ozer is Chief Investment Officer at Omnia Family Wealth. With more than twenty years of global investment experience, he spearheads Omnia's investment strategy and portfolio implementation for families. In his work, he draws from his extensive experience across a broad spectrum of asset classes and market environments. Prior to his role at Omnia, Alon served as the Chief Investment Officer at The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, where he managed an investment portfolio in excess of three hundred million dollars. Alon previously managed the foreign securities trading desk at Gaon Investment House, one of Israel's largest investment firms. He also worked at an Israeli software company designing trading and risk management systems for use in the Israeli and US markets. In addition, he helped establish Israel's first online securities trading company, where he worked as the head trader. Alon completed his Israel Defense Forces military service as a Special Forces Staff Sergeant in the Paratroopers Brigade and worked for Israel's Ministry of Defense before entering the investment field. Alon holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a major in Finance from the Center for Academic Studies in Israel. He is also a graduate of Commonfund's Endowment Institute at Yale School of Management. Alon is a frequent lecturer on alternative investments and macroeconomics at professional conferences. He has also led efforts to structure domestic investment vehicles for direct investment in Israel's equity markets. Additionally, Alon has spoken about Israel's economy and innovations at events for Israel Bonds, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and The Jewish Federations of North America. Alon is a member of the Board of Directors of Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus, where he has also served as Treasurer for the past four years. He is also Treasurer and a founding member of the Young Israel Parliament, a social and philanthropic organization. Alon lives in North Miami Beach with his wife and two children.

Kevin Parker

State Senator, New York State Senate

The Hon. Kevin S. Parker New York State Senator (21st District - Brooklyn) Senator Kevin S. Parker represents the 21st District in the New York State Senate. The 21st Senate district consists of many diverse communities including Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope. Senator Parker serves as the Chair of the Energy & Telecommunications Committee, and the Majority Whip in the New York State Senate. State Senator Kevin S. Parker is a prominent New York State Legislator who is distinguished as a savvy strategist, brilliant intellectual and an elder statesman. His political prowess evident from the moment he was seated in the New York State Senate in 2002 resulted in a meteoric rise through the ranks. At present he is the 5th Ranking Democratic in Senate leadership. Engendering the trust and respect of his colleagues, Senator Parker was appointed Majority Whip and serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy & Telecommunications with the added distinction of being its longest serving member. A fierce champion of economic development, education, energy, domestic violence issues and human and civil rights, Senator Parker represents the intrinsically diverse 21st Senate District in Brooklyn. He is a leading voice nationwide on energy matters and the creator and primary sponsor of Intersolar Summit Northeast, the largest solar energy conference on the East Coast which gathers experts in the field to discuss real solutions to bringing about a solar energy future. With a strong background in the financial services arena, Senator Parker gained invaluable experience in the world of finance at UBS PaineWebber where he worked in government affairs of the Chairman's office and focused on broad issues of importance to the financial service industry. As Project Manager with the New York State Urban Development Corporation, he financed women and minority-owned businesses and promoted community business redevelopment. As the Special Assistant to former New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, Senator Parker managed intergovernmental relations in New York City, and was the liaison between the Comptroller; city, state, and federal elected officials. Also an experienced educator, Senator Parker has been a professor of both African-American Studies and Political Science at several CUNY and SUNY colleges. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Service from Penn State and holds a Master of Science Degree from the New School for Social Research in Urban Policy and Management. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Political Science at The Graduate Center, CUNY. He is a proud member of the Alpha Chapter of the Pi Eta Honor Society and is oft quoted as saying: Bring good into the world and let no good be lost."

Kelly Speakes-Backman

Chief Executive Officer, Energy Storage Association

Kelly Speakes-Backman is the first Chief Executive Officer of The U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA), the national trade association for the American energy storage industry. Kelly leads the association's efforts to represent the interests of energy storage in the United States, including policy, external relations and industry leadership. Prior to joining ESA in 2017, Kelly was part of the executive team at Alliance to Save Energy, a premier trade association representing the energy efficiency sector. As the Senior Vice President of Policy and Research, she directed the policy efforts, working closely with industry and policy makers to advance energy efficiency. Kelly served as an appointed Commissioner with the Maryland Public Service Commission, from 2011 to 2015. As an adjunct to the Commission, she also served as chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, as a co-vice chair of the NARUC Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, as a co-chair to the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership's EM&V Forum, and as a member of the EPRI Energy Efficiency & Grid Modernization Public Advisory Group. Kelly has spent more than 20 years working in energy and energy efficiency, sustainability, renewables, and environmental business strategies. Her direct technology experience includes power generation from solar, wind, biogas and biomass, distributed generation, natural gas, smart grid and fuel cells. She joined the public service sector in 2010 as the Clean Energy Director at the Maryland Energy Administration, where she led a team of policy experts and grant administrators to implement programs to meet the Administration's goal of increasing Maryland's renewable energy portfolio to 20 percent by 2022. Kelly has served on several energy-related steering committees, including the GridWise Alliance, the Grid Modernization Index Steering Committee and the SEPA 51st State Initiative. She has testified to Congressional Committees on energy issues, and presents regularly at industry events and webinars. She has been quoted in Bloomberg, MarketWatch, CNBC and NPR's Marketplace, and has contributed to numerous opinion editorials in industry trades. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) and as a member of the External Advisory Board of Georgia Institute of Technology's Strategic Energy Institute (SEI). In 2019, she was honored by The Cleanie Awards® as Woman of the Year and was nominated in 2020 to serve as a C3E Ambassador. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Boston University.

2020 Speakers