For over 25 years, I’ve led companies, nonprofits, and startups at the frontier of clean energy, including solar and wireless power. I’ve been a wilderness guide, a CEO, and a founder. Today, I lead business development at Oklo, where I’m helping pioneer advanced nuclear plants to deliver clean, reliable, low-cost energy 24/7.
Principles I Live By
Truth
We need to question our beliefs in order to know and understand what’s true.
Courage
We need to tackle hard problems and speak the truth even when it’s unpopular.
Generosity
We need to share our unique strengths to improve people’s lives.
Energy Truth: My Story and The Path to Progress
Energy companies and environmentalists have been at war over energy policy for the past 50 years. I’ve fought on both sides. I’ve seen firsthand what protects our environment, and what’s merely greenwashing. My perspective isn’t theoretical: it’s grounded in over 25 years of hard-earned lessons, real-world data, and practical experience.
1997
Wilderness Guide
In 1997, I sat in a lecture hall, captivated by environmentalist Amory Lovins. I’d spent years leading wilderness trips and falling in love with the beauty of untouched landscapes. Now a distinguished environmentalist was pointing me toward a way of protecting the world I loved: solar power.
2000
Commercial Composting Tech Founder
I started a company to build composting systems that converted biodegradable waste in suburban areas into a soil supplement.
2004
Executive Director of Green Building Trade Association
I built a policy and professional training organization focused on designing, building, and renovating housing for a clean energy future.
2009
Clean Energy CEO
I was CEO of a company dedicated to advancing energy-efficient buildings and bringing clean energy technologies to market. We won several large government contracts under the Obama administration and grew overnight from fifteen employees to fifty.
2016
Y Combinator Founder
I started a new company that built software to make it easier for homeowners to go solar. We secured funding from Y Combinator and other investors, and partnered with Zillow, the world’s largest real estate platform. It felt like we were on the brink of changing the future of energy. Then Zillow backed out. Our company was dead.
Why had Zillow backed out? Why wasn’t solar adoption scaling the way we had expected? I started questioning our assumptions. I dug into the data and saw the sober truth: solar isn’t an efficient way of generating reliable, affordable energy. It doesn’t make economic sense for most people.
Worse yet, I discovered that solar hurt the environment in ways I’d previously ignored: massive mining operations, sprawling land use, and staggering amounts of waste. I also learned that 3.7 billion people live in energy poverty—nearly half the Earth’s population. The way to lift these people out of poverty is reliable, affordable energy—not expensive, unreliable sources like solar.
2019
Business Development Lead at Wireless Power startup
I led business development at Reach Labs, a company developing long-range wireless power technology for industrial, asset management, and supply chain applications. Wireless power delivers electricity without wires. Just as WiFi liberated data and information, wireless power has the potential to unleash a new wave of innovation.
2022 - Present
Business Development Lead at Advanced Nuclear Startup
I lead business development at Oklo, a public company developing advanced nuclear power plants to deliver reliable, low-cost, 24/7 clean energy. I spearheaded the development of a 15-gigawatt sales pipeline for advanced nuclear power projects.
