This year’s cohort of Midwest-based leaders and innovators from all sectors—industry, government, regulatory, business, academic, and advocacy—have just been announced. Below we’re highlighting the Minnesota winners, but you can click here to see all of them across the Midwest. Congrats!
Matthew Anderson
Vice President of Climate, National Audubon Society
Matthew Anderson began as the Director of Audubon’s Climate Initiative in 2015. He joined Audubon in 2013 as the Executive Director of Audubon Minnesota. Anderson spent two and half years as Executive Director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. Before that, he directed the Creation Care Fund and served as the Director of Environmental and Rural Advocacy/Education for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and as Executive Director of Faith in the City, a multi-sector faith-based coalition. Anderson serves on the board of the The Regeneration Project. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in environmental studies.
|
Nina Axelson
VP of Public Relations, Ever-Green Energy
Nina Axelson oversees public affairs for Ever-Green Energy and its affiliates. Axelson’s role includes community energy planning and authoring studies, including reports for the Department of Energy and International Energy Agency. This work also features education programming, including the development of a local education and sustainability platform. She also leads major initiatives for the organization, including project development and oversight of the nation’s largest solar thermal installation. Before joining Ever-Green, Axelson worked in community and business development with a focus on energy and the environment. Axelson holds a B.S. in natural resources and environmental studies from the University of Minnesota.
|
Mathias Bell
Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Market Development, Opower – Oracle
Mathias Bell leads the regulatory affairs work in the Midwest for Opower. Previously, Bell worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit consulting organization, partnering with utilities, policymakers, and regulators on regulatory and business models for energy efficiency and other distributed energy resources. He is a co-author of Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for a New Energy Era. Bell is a graduate of Carleton College.
|
Matthew Blackler
Founder, ZEF Energy
Matthew Blackler has been living in Minnesota for four years, where he has worked with renewable energy, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure. Previously, in London, he was part of an award-winning team that used geographical information software to create a platform for offshore renewables and resource planning. Since establishing ZEF Energy, he has joined forces with other technology experts to form Power Over Time, a smart grid firm. Power Over Time specializes in the mass control of electrical devices with high power demand, such as electric water heaters, air conditioners, and electric vehicles. This allows better power utilization and, ultimately, the opportunity to provide regulation services that allow for deep integration of renewables in the United States’ electrical grid.
|
Julia Eagles
Public Policy and Strategy Manager, Xcel Energy
Julia Eagles is a Public Policy and Strategy Manager at Xcel Energy. In this capacity, she works on evolving utility business models, coordinating company regulatory strategies, and preparing comments on state and federal energy policy. Before joining Xcel Energy, Eagles spent eight years working for local energy and environmental organizations. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Macalester College. In her free time she enjoys biking, cross-country skiing, taking trips to beautiful locations, and growing and eating good food.
|
Nathan Franzen
Vice President of Solar Development, Geronimo Energy
Nathan Franzen has over fourteen years of solar development experience, including extensive knowledge of solar project design, permitting, project finance, interconnection and construction management. He successfully developed some of the first commercial-scale solar projects in Minnesota, and owns and operates several distributed projects. Before joining the Geronimo team, Franzen created and led Westwood Professional Services’ Utility Scale Solar Division, which is now one of the nation’s top photovoltaic design firms. In his current role, Franzen manages the Geronimo solar department and all aspects of Geronimo’s 450 MW solar portfolio. This includes the 100 MW Aurora Distributed Solar project, which received global industry and media attention for its success in competing directly against natural gas competitors in an all-source request for proposal process – a first in the nation. Franzen has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
|
Tanuj Gulati
Senior Energy Engineer, Energy Insight, Inc.
Tanuj Gulati has more than 10 years of experience in the energy efficiency field. Gulati moved to the United States from India in the early 2000s and earned an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Louisiana. He has continued his professional growth with Energy Insight, Inc., earning numerous Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) certifications (CEM, CEA, CDSM, and CLEP). Gulati was named AEE’s Region III Energy Innovator of the Year 2016 at the World Energy Engineering Congress in Washington, D.C. Gulati is active in ASHRAE, WEEC and other industry groups and is an accredited Green Globe Auditor.
|
Mallory Lindgren
Director, Power Generation Strategy, Westwood Professional Services
Mallory Lindgren is from Faribault, Minnesota and lives in the Twin Cities. She has worked for Westwood Professional Services since 2007, and currently serves as the organization’s Director of Power Generation Strategy, overseeing strategy for the wind and solar markets. Lindgren holds a B.S. in hydrology from Saint Cloud State University.
|
Sara Smith
Sustainable Operations Manager, Metropolitan Council
Sara Smith’s professional vision is to help bridge the gap between policy and the world of science and engineering, focusing her efforts on ensuring clean air and water for future generations. Smith has worked for the Metropolitan Council for nine years. In her tenure at the council, she has worked on drinking water supply, energy conservation, renewable energy renewable, fleet concerns, and waste management projects and policy for both the Twin Cities metro region and entire state of Minnesota. Smith holds a B.A. in geology from Carleton College and an M.S. in science, technology, and the environment from the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Policy at the University of Minnesota.
|
Erin Stojan Ruccolo
Policy and Strategic Issues Management Advisor, Midcontinent Independent Service Operator (MISO)
Minnesota’s strong solar policy owes much to Erin Stojan Ruccolo’s effort and determination. As Electricity Markets Director for Fresh Energy she was a driving force behind the development of Minnesota’s landmark solar legislation, including the creation of community solar gardens and the value of solar tariff. Stojan Ruccolo negotiated with stakeholders on community solar gardens, analyzed competing legislative drafts, and helped coordinate coalition positions for clean energy and jobs.
|
