Our Team
Leadership Team
Pier LaFarge
Co-Founder & CEO
Pier is an experienced entrepreneur and changemaker. At ICF International, he co-founded a new ICF service offering focused on energy efficiency finance strategy. Pier also has experience in financial analysis, working on a major evaluation of loan financing modalities employed by the World Bank under its Climate Investment Fund program. In 2010, he founded Race to Replace, a statewide clean energy focused voter registration campaign in Vermont in partnership with League of Conservation Voters.
Pier LaFarge
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Leigh-Golding DeSantis
COO, Founding Team
Leigh-Golding manages multiple teams responsible for Sparkfund's business operations, legal contract strategy (including development of the Technology Subscription agreement), customer accounting analysis, and technology strategy. As part of the founding team at Sparkfund, Ms. DeSantis established the Operations Team, business processes, and developed Sparkfund's financial products (including the "as a service" offering). Her past experience with ICF International includes consulting with EPA, DOE and a host of other public and private clients in implementing policies and programs for resource efficiency in buildings and increasing the use of distributed generation. Prior to her time as a consultant, Ms. DeSantis helped launch the first Office of Sustainability at Temple University, where she conducted Temple University's first Greenhouse Gas Inventory, drafted plans to move Temple towards carbon neutrality, and served as Adjunct Faculty.
Leigh-Golding DeSantis
Chief Operating Officer, Founding Team
Steve Myers
Chief Product Officer
Steve recently joined Sparkfund as Chief Product Officer where he continues a 25-year career of combining new technologies and product models in the cleantech industry. Steve refined his product insights as the President of EnerPath-- the first company to apply a cloud-based mobile platform to delivering energy-efficiency to mass markets. When EnerPath was acquired by Lime Energy, Steve continued as SVP of Sales making a small business more energy-efficient every 10 minutes by blending data-science, software, and service-based products. Prior to EnerPath, Steve conducted research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has been an executive at three publicly-traded energy companies, managed a $250 million portfolio of energy-efficiency projects, worked in Deutsche Bank’s Energy Trading Group, advised cleantech investments, and founded a consulting firm serving start-ups, multi-nationals, and government entities. He holds an MBA in Energy Finance from the University of Texas at Austin, a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a BS in Physics from Haverford College. Steve lives with his wife and three children in Austin, Texas.
Steve Meyers
Chief Product Officer
Jonathan Plowe
Chief Financial Officer
Jonathan is an industry-leading innovator with over two decades of private sector experience spanning tax equity, renewable energy project finance, corporate taxation, and structured finance. Most recently, Jonathan co-founded Tax Equity Advisors, LLC, a tax equity investment management firm that raised and deployed $400 million of tax equity into solar energy projects across the United States. Previously, he was Managing Director of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s renewable energy solutions business, where he led the development of the bank’s world-class renewable energy project finance initiative and spearheaded award-winning rooftop solar transactions. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Jonathan was a corporate tax attorney with Skadden, focused on financial products, M&A, and structured finance. Jonathan holds a philosophy degree from Cornell University and a law degree from The George Washington University Law School. He lives in New York State with his wife, three daughters, and two dogs.
Jonathan Plowe
Chief Financial Officer
Peter O'Rourke
Chief Capital Officer
Peter has more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in large-scale energy project development and financing. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Peter co-founded Tax Equity Advisors, LLC, a tax equity investment management firm that raised and deployed $400 million of tax equity into solar energy projects across the United States. Previously, Peter served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, where he structured and managed more than $3 billion in distributed solar generation projects. He also served for ten years as Managing Partner at Griffin Investing, LLC, developing over $1 billion in energy projects in the US, Latin America and Europe. Peter is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Kensington, MD, and in his free time he enjoys surfing, skiing and tennis.
Peter O'Rourke
Chief Capital Officer
Sparkfund Team
Will Alexander
Director, Project Management and Delivery
Will is a seasoned construction and real estate industry professional who now leads Sparkfund’s Project Management and Delivery group. His experience spans multiple facets of the general contracting realm, having excelled in the roles of project management, superintending, engineering, estimating, and procurement. Will has also worked as an owner’s representative providing consultation to developers, commercial brokerages, as well as various commercial, non-profit, and institutional building ownership entities in the course of his career. In these capacities, he has leveraged his knowledge and insights into construction means and methods to deliver a variety of building product types including new construction and major existing building renovations. Will is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Construction Manager (CCM), and LEED AP. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA with a concentration in Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and a Master’s Certificate in Energy Engineering and Management all from the George Washington University.
Will Alexander
Director, Project Management and Delivery
Peyman Allahvirdizadeh
Director, Talent & Culture
Peyman is an experienced recruiter with a passion for everything People Operations, diversity, equity, and inclusion. He believes economic growth and environmental sustainability are mutually exclusive. Prior to joining Sparkfund, he worked at wikiHow as a Talent Acquisition Manager, as well as helping wikiHow grow their international websites. Peyman graduated from San Francisco State University in 2014 where he studied International Business. When not at work he spends his time riding his bike, cooking, buying fresh cut flowers, writing poetry, or designing performing art pieces.
Peyman Allahvirdizadeh
Director, Talent & Culture
Maddie Allen-Sandoz
Sr. Project Development Engineer
Madeline is a pragmatic environmentalist who believes building energy efficiency is a critical tool in lowering global energy consumption. She is interested in how innovative business solutions can be used to unlock the potential of energy efficiency.
Madeline holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus in Sustainability Buildings from the University of Pittsburgh. She has over 8 years of experience in the renewable and energy efficiency field. At Sparkfund, Madeline supports mechanical engineering and building operations efforts. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Madeline was a lead development engineer at Johnson Controls.In addition to her work in energy efficiency, Madeline is passionate about home remodeling and building preservation. She recently renovated her home in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and looks forward to her next project.
Maddie Allen-Sandoz
Sr. Project Development Engineer
Evelynne Bayar
Sr. Manager, Project Management and Delivery
Evelynne is an experienced project management professional serving as a Senior Manager of Project Management and Delivery within the Sparkfund's Operations Team. She has a diverse background spanning multiple industries, including construction, HVAC, oil & gas, foundry, and IoT. She earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and a BA in Chemistry from Virginia Tech, and an MBA with a specialization in Project Management from Louisiana State University. At Sparkfund, she strives to provide excellent construction and delivery experience to customers who are utilizing Sparkfund's Technology Subscription and to drive operational excellence.
Evelynne Bayar
Sr. Manager, Project Management and Delivery
Payton Beach
Engineering Intern
Payton Beach is working this summer as an Intern for the engineering team. She is currently studying for a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech with an expected graduation for 2021. Prior to an internship with Sparkfund, Payton worked and has experience in manufacturing engineering and HVAC with Baltimore Aircoil Company. She is very interested and passionate about engineering and the role it can play in energy efficiency and helping the environment by means of technology.
Payton Beach
Engineering Intern
Matt Bosch
Sr. Director, Business Development
Matt is responsible for strategy, execution, and growth for the Utility vertical of Sparkfund's business. His background is hyper-focused on energy software, spanning the Wholesale Energy Market to the Utility-Customer relationship. Prior to Sparkfund, Matt led a segment of Client Success Managers at Opower covering $20M+ in annual recurring revenue. With a primary focus on building enduring client partnerships, Matt was responsible for strategic account management and technical delivery of SaaS products at 30+ US Utilities. Additionally, Matt spent nearly 5 years in Accenture's Utility Management Consulting practice. During that time he worked with Regulated Utilities, Regional Transmission Organizations, and Energy Traders on the business implications of a rapidly advancing software landscape. Matt holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering (Energy Focus) from the University of Michigan.
Matt Bosch
Sr. Director, Business Development
Phillip Choi
Counsel
Phillip is an attorney with experience in the energy and finance industries. Prior to joining Sparkfund, he was an attorney with the Energy Transactions and Projects practice group at an international law firm and the Energy and Project Finance practice group at a national law firm. Prior to becoming an attorney, Phillip served in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a Lieutenant and also as a navigational officer aboard various ocean-going commercial ships.
Phillip Choi
Counsel
Phil Croker
Sr. Manager, Deal Solutions
Phil is a driven problem solver on the Operations Team. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Phil managed the operational activities for the bilateral utility demand response programs at EnerNOC. His past experience also includes researching energy efficiency solutions at Boss Controls, an energy management start up, and working with the Energy Innovation Center of Pittsburgh, a non-profit that fosters green workforce development. Phil graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in Environmental Economics.
Phil Croker
Sr. Manager, Deal Solutions
Mike Derzko
Director, Business Development
Mike is a member of Sparkfund's Direct to Customer business development team and is responsible for developing new business opportunities, engaging with key customers, and building relationships with organizations that would like the benefits of energy efficient technologies without a major expenditure of time and money. Mike was previously a Vice President at Northwater Capital, where he developed the firm's energy and environmental investment strategy and was responsible for managing approximately $1 billion in hedge fund investments. He most recently served as a policy advisor in the United States Senate, advising on economic, energy, and environmental issues. Mike holds a BS in Economics and Physics from the University of Toronto and an MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Mike Derzko
Director, Business Development
Alex Dickson
Sr. Director, Deal Solutions
Alex leads the Deal Solutions team within Sparkfund’s Finance division. The team serves as cross-functional project management group for Sparkfund’s deals with customers, providers, vendors, and capital partners that are complex and/or require new structures. Alex joined Sparkfund from Deloitte Consulting, where he specialized in growth and product line strategies for companies in the chemicals, manufacturing, and medical device industries. Alex is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science with a degree in Applied Science in Biomedical Science.
Alex Dickson
Sr. Director, Deal Solutions
Jon Duelfer
Software Engineer
Jon is a software developer focused on improving how companies manage customer relationships through cloud-based software systems. He maintains our Salesforce infrastructure, working closely with our Sales and Operations teams to optimize how we interact with our partners and customers. Throughout his career, he has consulted for companies in a wide range of industries, from aviation to pharmaceuticals, migrating their software infrastructure into the cloud and optimizing their business processes to be customer-centric.
Jon Duelfer
Software Engineer
Lauren Harris
Director, Business Development
Lauren is responsible for strategy, execution, and growth for our broad network of channel partners, including contractors, developers, agents, distributors and manufacturers. Lauren leads a strong team of dedicated Account Managers, developing and growing the team, while working cross-functionally across the sales org to improve process and increase growth in other go-to-market verticals. Lauren has a deep background in solar energy with focus on project origination, development, and finance. At Sol Systems as Director of Customer Energy Services, Lauren was instrumental in implementing and managing a direct to customer model including a channel partnership strategy which was responsible for over 40% of lead generation. Prior to that at SolarCity, she was a Senior Manager for Commercial Channel Accounts where she cultivated external business relationships that were responsible for the origination of over 100MW of solar projects. In addition, she successfully initiated, developed, executed and financed on a wide variety of project types across the United States. Lauren’s strengths lie in long-term relationship building with partners and clients, and driving productive development cycles by implementing strategic lead generation practices and streamlining the customer acquisition and negotiation process. Lauren graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga with a BS in environmental science.
Lauren Efird
Director, Business Development
Ben Hill
Manager, Project Development Engineering
Ben is an engineer and scientist by training, with a background in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and materials science research. At Sparkfund, Ben supports building technology engineering and fund management operations. His past experience at ICF includes supporting EPA, DOE and Natural Resources Canada in the development, analysis, and implementation of energy efficiency programs. Prior to his time as a consultant, Ben worked as a metal materials engineer at Apple, developed Solarize programs throughout Virginia with the Local Energy Alliance Program, and researched semiconductors at the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and at the University of Virginia. He graduated from UVa's School of Engineering and Applied Science with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering and a minor in Physics.
Ben Hill
Manager, Project Development Engineering
David Hoedeman
Director, Business Development
David is responsible for the strategy, execution, and growth of Sparkfund's Direct to Customer business development team. He comes to Spark with an extensive background in delivering a breadth of innovative energy solutions to commercial customers, having previously served first as the Sales Director and then as the General Manager of Nextility's solar division, developing over $50 million of rooftop commercial solar projects across the country. Additionally, David served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Nextility's energy procurement division, working with a range of energy services providers to develop a robust channel sales team dedicated to demystifying the deregulated retail energy supply market for commercial energy users.
David Hoedeman
Sr. Director, Business Development
Jessica Jedel
Associate, FP&A
At Sparkfund, Jessica is responsible for distilling company data into reports, forecasts, and analyses that will drive financial decisions at the company. She enjoys a good spreadsheet and a bad pun, always looking out for opportunities to combine them. Jessica moved to DC to complete a finance degree at American University. In her spare time, she likes to go hiking, play with her dog, and explore the restaurants and adventures the city has to offer.
Jessica Jedel
Associate, FP&A
Aakansha Lam
Proposal, Manager
Aakansha Lam serves as the Proposal Manager for Sparkfund. She improves cross-functional project processes and manages proposals with various financing and technology options for commercial and industrial clients, utility programs, and public sector projects. By integrating her business case, design, and engineering skills, she develops customer-facing deliverables and proposals across a variety of technologies including lighting, HVAC, solar, EV chargers, back up generation, and more. Prior to working at Sparkfund, Aakansha worked as a Senior project Analyst at Citelum, an EDF Group’s Subsidiary for smart city lighting solutions. She has broad experience in developing turnkey solutions combining various financing methods for C&I clients, across a range of innovative technologies and tools such as, solar energy, distributed resource management, energy storage, and microgrid controllers. Aakansha has a background in Electrical & Electronics Engineering and she holds a M.S. degree from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, specializing in Energy Infrastructure Systems. She has previously served on the Board of National Capital Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers. Aakansha has also served on the Finance Committee of the Clean Energy Technical Workgroup of Montgomery County.the utility and energy industry.
Aakansha Lam
Manager, Proposal
Quan-Chi Le
Credit Manager
Quan-Chi is a finance professional with a background in portfolio management, capital markets, and fixed income analysis. She is Credit Manager at Sparkfund, and is responsible for ensuring a diversified portfolio with strong credit capacity. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Quan-Chi worked at Freddie Mac as a portfolio manager to the Liquidity and Contingency book. She is a CFA charter holder and a graduate of the University of Virginia with a BA in Economics - Finance Concentration and a BA in East Asian Studies. In her spare time, Quan-Chi enjoys rock climbing, yoga, and reading.
Quan-Chi Le
Credit Manager
John Lee
Sr. Designer
John is a visual designer for Sparkfund. He is responsible for maintaining and growing the visual strategy and brand for Sparkfund. John's passions lie in art and design. He aims for a world where creativity and innovation are used as means for achieving any solution. John graduated from the University of Maryland where he found the power of Social Design, designing for change. After graduating, John pursued a career in Social Design by joining a software company called Opower, a company that drives utility customers to save energy by utilizing behavioral science. A few years later and many lessons learned, John joined the Sparkfund team and brings a wealth of design knowledge from the utility and energy industry.
John Lee
Sr. Designer
Praveen Mathews
Vice President, Project Engineering
Praveen leads engineering and operations efforts here at Sparkfund. He is passionate about creating and delivering solutions in the built environment space. Having worked nearly fifteen years consulting within the building infrastructure space, Praveen has developed a deep understanding of the solution drivers within the industry.
Prior to joining Sparkfund, Praveen most recently led a diverse team of engineers to deliver infrastructure improvements at Johnson Controls. His team was also responsible for overseeing Operations & Maintenance activities for complex technologies during a project's lifecycle.
Praveen holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo and an MBA from Fordham University.
Praveen Mathews
Vice President, Project Engineering
Nick Matthews
Sr. Manager, Project Development Engineering
Nick is a materials engineer by education, a systems engineer by experience, a mechanical engineer by licensure, and an environmental engineer by passion. He came to Sparkfund from the engineering consultant Brown and Caldwell where he was a mechanical engineer focused on HVAC and process systems. Nick's excitement for building mechanical systems and desire to positively impact the environment intersected beautifully to find the perfect home at Sparkfund where he can exercise his passion for finding innovative solutions to technical challenges.
When he's not at work, Nick enjoys spending time with his family, playing board games, and exploring whatever corner of the world he finds himself in. He is a big fan of kookaburras, okapis, all things foxes, and the color blue. No! yellOOOOOOOW...
Nick Matthews
Sr. Manager, Project Development Engineering
Lee McElroy
Sr. Manager, Deal Solutions
Lee is a member of Sparkfund’s Delivery and Solutions team, where he works closely with Sparkfund vendors, providers and project managers by bringing financial solutions and structure to complex projects and provider programs. Furthermore, Lee helps manage Sparkfund’s Board and investor relations, working closely with the executive team during periods of corporate capital raising. Prior to joining Sparkfund, was an intern at the Obama White House, Virginia Governor’s Office, and the Sewanee Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability. In his spare time, he serves on the Associate Board of the City Kids Wilderness Project. Lee graduated from Sewanee in 2016 where he studied Environmental Policy and Economics.
Lee McElroy
Sr. Manager, Deal Solutions
Michael McLenahan
Sr. Director, Asset Management
Michael is a seasoned specialty finance professional with expertise in portfolio analysis, credit operations and asset management. At Sparkfund, he works to deliver maximum shareholder value through risk management and portfolio optimization. In addition to managing the daily collateral reporting, he coordinates with the Underwriting and Operations teams to transition partners and projects into Portfolio Management. He comes to Sparkfund after working in Government Contract Finance at Federal National Commercial Credit and in Healthcare Finance at CapitalSource. Michael is a graduate of Miami University with a BA in Management Information Systems and a BS in Philosophy. He enjoys travel, sports and spending time with his family.
Michael McLenahan
Sr. Director, Asset Management
Adam Meyer
Sales Associate Intern
Adam is responsible for researching new business opportunities, reporting partnership growth, and supporting sales team training. He brings extensive experience in customer, competitor, and partner research in the energy efficiency as a service industry. Before Sparkfund, Adam gained valuable business skills through marketing, sales, and business development internships at metal manufacturing, water testing, and energy-efficiency-focused companies. Adam holds a BS in Economics and Environmental Studies from Tufts University.
Adam Meyer
Sales Associate Intern
Kwame Mukasa
Legal Assistant
Kwame is a member of the Legal and Operations team at Sparkfund where he is assisting with document review, lien filings, and document organization. His previous experience includes the Investment Banking Analyst Program at Citibank, and research on environment and economic development in China with Middlebury College. Kwame enjoys using Geographic Information Systems and data to better understand the relationship between the human and natural world. He graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in Environmental Economics. Kwame is excited about the future of energy infrastructure technology and the impact it will have on emerging markets.
Kwame Mukasa
Legal Assistant
Rishi Nangia
Vice President, Legal
Rishi is Sparkfund’s lead legal advisor, managing, among other things, the commercial contracting function. He has almost two decades of legal experience providing legal counsel to senior leadership and various functions within organizations. Positioned at the crossroads of technology and the law, Rishi has particular expertise in technology transactions, intellectual property (e.g., patents related to software and electronics) and compliance (e.g., data security and privacy). Rishi also has significant business experience, having founded and operated two, funded tech start ups (one featured at SxSW). Prior to Sparkfund, he served as General Counsel for three businesses in the Safety and Productivity Solutions division at Honeywell, as in-house legal at the Advisory Board Company and Oracle, as well as in private practice at two international law firms. Rishi holds a JD from Northwestern University, an MPH (Epidemiology) from Emory University, and a BS (Biology) and a BA (Psychology) from the George Washington University. Rishi holds three patents, participates in CrossFit, coaches youth sports, dabbles in stand up comedy, and spends time with his wife and three kids.
Rishi Nangia
Vice President, Legal
Brendan Reed
Director, Business Development
Brendan is responsible for growing business as a part of Sparkfund's Direct to Customer and Utility sales verticals. He brings extensive experience communicating the benefits of new energy technologies and "as-a-service" models to the company. Brendan's background is in accelerating growth and market access to clean energy products like solar, battery storage and electric vehicles. Previous to Sparkfund he worked for the policy arms of Tesla and SolarCity, engaging lawmakers to increase consumer access to electric vehicles, promote grid benefits of solar generation and streamline local regulations on solar and battery system construction. He also worked with utilities to develop incentive programs and customer education campaigns aimed at promoting clean energy technologies. Prior to working in policy Brendan sold residential and commercial solar at a time when third-party owned financial products were just getting off the ground. Brendan has a degree in communications from the University of Delaware, home of the Fighting Blue Hens.
Brendan Reed
Director, Business Development
Suzanne Reed
Sr. Manager, Subscriber Services
Suzanne is responsible for delivering timely, high-quality service to Sparkfund subscribers. She joined Sparkfund with a background in leading customer success teams in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space and is skilled in designing and refining processes that scale to support the customer experience. Suzanne is excited to reinforce Sparkfund’s customer-obsessed culture and build a team to deliver the best possible service to everyone we work with. Suzanne is from Virginia and holds a BA from William & Mary in Economics and Russian Studies.
Suzanne Reed
Sr. Manager, Subscriber Services
Ryan Reynolds
Software Engineer
Ryan brings over a decade of backend systems development experience to Sparkfund, with a particular focus on leveraging Elixir and the Erlang Open Telecom Platform for dependable, scalable, highly-available applications. A hometown graduate of the University of Tulsa, Ryan paired programming studies with a focus on formal logic and philosophy. They've worked on complex, high performance applications for companies in a wide range of industries, including oil and gas accounting systems, high-volume email service providers, and GPS-based, soft-real-time delivery logistics and inventory tracking systems. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys video, board, and card games, philosophy and political theory, and electronic music production.
Ryan Reynolds
Software Engineer
Paul Roberts
Sr. Director, Treasury
Paul is a seasoned financial professional with expertise in accounting, tax and financial reporting. At Sparkfund Paul is responsible for all aspects of the company's financial management, including corporate accounting, fund accounting, transaction management and financial reporting. Paul brings over 20 years of experience in the lease industry to Sparkfund from Saab Aircraft Leasing, where he led the accounting and reporting operations for the portfolio of over 175 aircraft. Paul is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS in Accounting. When he is not at Sparkfund, you will find Paul travelling with his family, coaching little league, or playing in the yard with his kids.
Paul Roberts
Sr. Director, Treasury
Patch Ronald
Senior Accountant
As the Senior Accountant at Sparkfund, Patch assists the Director of Finance with the fund accounting, financial reporting, treasury management, accounts payable, and accounting policy functions. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Patch was a Senior Associate in the Assurance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he planned and executed financial statement and internal controls audits of various financial institutions in the Washington, DC metro area, including a Fortune 100 mortgage banking entity, a national credit union, and various real estate entities. Patch is a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Patch Ronald
Accounting and Finance Manager
Brian Runk
Director, Engineering
Brian joined Sparkfund in late 2019, bringing 25 years of programming and leadership experience developed at such varied organizations as Etsy, America's Test Kitchen and the US Coast Guard. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Brian began his internet career in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian Institution and The National Academy of Sciences. When not working he is often writing, paddling, walking his dog Holly or cooking with friends and family.
Brian Runk
Director, Engineering
Celine Ryan
Associate, Operations
Celine is an Operations Associate at Sparkfund. Prior to joining Sparkfund, Celine worked for a nuclear engineering consulting firm, where she provided direct support to the CEO and was responsible for managing internal operations, communications, and marketing. Celine holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and recently completed a Digital Marketing Certificate from Cornell University. In her free time, Celine enjoys hiking with her rescue pitbull Huxley, traveling, and cooking for friends and family.
Celine Ryan
Associate, Operations
Jessie Schiavone
Vice President, Business Development
Jessie is a motivational leader and team builder with a 20-year track record of cultivating high performance teams to achieve big goals. She served 8 years as a Naval Flight Officer and Mission Commander in EA-6B Prowlers, an aircraft carrier-launched electronic attack jet, completed 2 tours over Iraq, and was awarded an Air Medal for accumulated time in a combat zone. She’s led numerous divisions through time-sensitive, mission critical engagements, taught leadership and management at the Harvard/MIT Navy ROTC consortium, and was honorably discharged in 2007. With passion, focus, and discipline, she pivoted into the energy and utilities industry and has spent the last 12+ years developing expertise and thought leadership in grid efficiency, resiliency, and cybersecurity technologies, from power transmission and distribution to behind the meter tech. She’s worked with Constellation, BG&E, Exelon, Energetics, the DOE and most recently, Opower (acquired by Oracle), where she managed a strategic accounts portfolio worth over $65M in ARR. Her deal teams closed over $500M in TCV and her SaaS delivery teams maintained client health in the green through complex, game-changing technology deployments (on time, on budget).
She is now the VP of New Markets for Sparkfund, focused on evolving the go-to-market strategies for energy infrastructure as a service in new sectors. And she’s super psyched about it;)
BS from the US Naval Academy. MBA from Boston University. PMP certified 2009-2018. TSS/CI clearance from 1999-2007. Appointed by MD Governor O’Malley to serve on the board of the MD Clean Energy Center 2016.
Jessie Schiavone
Vice President, Business Development
Jayme Schnedeker
Director, Product
Jayme is a skilled product leader with expertise in business services, payments and analytics. At Sparkfund, Jayme is responsible for product management of the Commercial offering. He brings his passion for building new products and exciting customer experiences to the company. Prior to Sparkfund, Jayme led products at GE Capital and Element Fleet Management. Jayme holds a BS in Economics and Management from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. For fun, he spends time with his family, riding his bike and watching soccer.
Jayme Schnedeker
Director, Product
Rich Selfridge
Software Engineer
Rich is an experienced full-stack software engineer who brings a strong mix of web, platform and mobile application development to the team. He couples his software development experience with a background in energy efficiency and renewable energy, previously working with the US Department of Energy, and as a home energy auditor. He has an MS in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology that built on his undergraduate training in Mathematics and Economics at Lafayette College.
Rich Selfridge
Software Engineer
Tanner Smith
Sr. Director, Business Development
Tanner is a passionate energy tactician responsible for Sparkfund's strategic partners, fulfillment network, and National Account customers. Tanner comes to Sparkfund with an array of expertise on large scale implementations in the commercial lighting market. As V.P. of National Accounts at Maxlite, he leveraged product expertise and specialized in growth within ESCOs and National Account Distributors. Prior to Maxlite, Tanner designed and executed hundreds of lighting projects for various Fortune customers at Pinnacle Solutions. Tanner is a graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Sustainability and Urban Planning.
Tanner Smith
Sr. Director, Business Development
Nathan Sorenson
Software Engineer, Founding Team
Nathan is an experienced software engineer with a strong background in mathematics and artificial intelligence. At Sparkfund, Nathan develops software that supports the efficient and accurate operation of the fund, designing tools for accounting, analytics, and transaction processing. He has authored several publications in the field of computational creativity and brings considerable functional programming expertise as the developer of an alternative Clojure compiler and a frequent speaker at industry events. Nathan has led teams to create a wide array of technically challenging projects, including a web platform which enabled children to design and sell t-shirts to raise money for their schools, an artificially-intelligent "computer artist" that created artwork for hotels and offices, and an award-winning driving simulator used in police youth outreach programs. At the age of 17, Nathan developed the world's first realistic 3d computer curling game: Take-Out Weight Curling. This solo project was a commercial success, selling over 60,000 copies.
Nathan Sorenson
Software Engineer,
Founding Team
Arvind Srihari
Business Development Executive
Arvind is a member of Sparkfund's Direct to Customer Business Development team. He is responsible for connecting key customers with energy solutions that save time and preserve capital. Arvind is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) with sixteen years of experience in the Energy Management industry.Previously, Arvind has held roles as an Account Manager, Energy Manager, Measurement & Verification Engineer, Building Automation Engineer, and Commissioning Engineer in the Metro areas of Washington DC, Baltimore and New York. Arvind holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Madras University (India) and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Energy Management from Oklahoma State University.Arvind serves on the board of the National Capital Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), helping with the chapter’s membership needs and other initiatives as well as mentoring students as they transition into energy fields.
In his free time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, salsa dancing, running, hiking and snowboarding.
Arvind Srihari
Business Development Executive
Hanna Teklit
Sr. Director, Product Marketing
Hanna Teklit is Sr. Director of Product Marketing who, in partnership with Sales and Product, delivers product solutions that address customers’ core needs.
After spending nearly a decade working in Product Marketing and Innovation for multimillion-dollar brands, Hanna has a track record of uncovering customer needs and weaving those needs into product development. She has identified opportunities andlaunched successful products in health care, manufacturing, and professional services. In addition to her extensive marketing experience, Hanna sits on boards of multiple not-for-profit organizations.
Hanna Teklit
Sr. Director, Product Marketing
Dominique Vernon
Administrative Coordinator
Dominique is a multifaceted is a detail-oriented administrative professional. Dominique recently joined Sparkfund in December 2019 to provide support for office operations and organization. Dominique earned a bachelor's degree in Communications with a concentration in Audio/Video Productions and minor in French at Howard University. In her free time, Dominique loves listening to and DJing music.
Dominique Vernon
Administrative Coordinator
Morgan Wright
VP, Finance & Operations
Before Sparkfund, Morgan helped launch Tax Equity Advisors, an investment advisory firm that implemented the first solar tax equity facility with a non-bank public company investor. Over the last two years he has structured, deployed, and managed nearly $400M in tax equity investments. Previously, he was the head of strategy and operations for the DOE Loan Programs, and has a deep background in investment banking, private equity, venture capital, and senior finance and business development roles in private companies. When not at the office, Morgan enjoys hiking, cooking, playing soccer, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
Morgan Wright
VP, Finance & Operations
Michael Wurzbacher
Sr. Manager, Product
Michael is a driven Project Manager who focuses on removing impediments to achieve customer success. At Sparkfund, Michael is responsible for working with channel partners to implement the Sparkfund Technology Subscription™ and build programmatic rollouts with core customers. Michael joins Sparkfund from Grant Thornton where, as a Senior Associate, he used Agile management practices to facilitate the development of a federal agency financial application that processed $3 billion of annual transactions. He also created a customer support center and managed releases using DevOps practices. Prior to Grant Thornton, he had a two year fellowship with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation where he supported efforts for local business retention, expansion, and relocation. Michael has a MPA from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Kentucky.
Michael Wurzbacher
Sr. Manager, Product
Board of Directors
Dan Leff
Dan Leff, a senior advisor at Broadscale, has extensive operating experience building, leading and restructuring global energy services, industrial manufacturing, and technology and software companies. Previously, Dan worked as CEO of Hara Software, COO of Invensys Energy Management, CEO of Enron Energy Services, CEO of FMES and CEO of Pilot Energy. Dan serves as a board member of ServiceChannel, the Trudeau Institute, Point Positive, and on the advisory board of Carter Morse & Mathias. He was previously on the boards of Viridity Energy, Hara Software, Credit Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: CACC), the YMCA Camping Services Council of Greater New York and the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, NY. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York and has four children with his wife Pam of thirty-four years.
Dan Leff
Executive Chairman
Brandon Hurlbut
Brandon Hurlbut is a co-founder and partner of Boundary Stone Partners. He previously served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Steven Chu at the U.S. DOE, where he managed the Department's principal initiatives and oversaw day-to-day operations of a federal agency with a $29 billion budget and a 115,000-person workforce. Brandon provided leadership and counsel to the White House and Cabinet Secretaries during high-profile challenges including the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the Gulf oil spill, and Hurricane Sandy. He served on the board for DOE's $38 billion investment fund in clean energy, which is the largest of its kind in the world. He began working in the Obama Administration by serving in the White House as the Deputy Director of Cabinet Affairs, serving as the President's liaison to the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. He previously served in senior positions on Barack Obama's first presidential campaign and practiced law at Baker & Daniels.
Brandon Hurlbut
Pier LeFarge
Pier is an experienced entrepreneur and changemaker. At ICF International, he co-founded a new ICF service offering focused on energy efficiency finance strategy. Pier also has experience in financial analysis, working on a major evaluation of loan financing modalities employed by the World Bank under its Climate Investment Fund program. In 2010, he founded Race to Replace, a statewide clean energy focused voter registration campaign in Vermont in partnership with League of Conservation Voters.
Pier LaFarge
Lindsay Luger
Ms. Luger has more than a decade of successful experience as an investor in energy technology companies. As a Vice President of Digital Power Capital and Wexford Capital, Ms. Luger worked on dozens of venture capital and growth equity transactions and has expertise in all key areas necessary for successful technology investing, ranging from deal sourcing, analyzing, due diligence and transaction structuring to portfolio oversight and exits. In addition, Ms. Luger gained operating experience by serving as Vice President of Finance at two portfolio companies. She holds a BA in Psychology from Columbia University (Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa).
Lindsay Luger
Bill Perry
Bill Perry serves as Investment Director at Vision Ridge Partners, managing family office venture investments with responsibility for strategy, sector research, deal structuring and negotiation, and more. Bill is also a Venture Advisor at Infield Capital, bringing his decades of experience in large corporations and starting and growing small companies, including as President of Precision Visuals, Inc., a software company he built from a ten-person garage shop into number 49 on the Top 100 Software Company list. He also developed Webroot Software, Inc. into his second Top 100 Company and co-founded SoftBridge Advisors. Bill holds a mechanical engineering degree from MIT, an MBA from Harvard, and is a recipient of Esprit’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship.
Bill Perry
Advisors
Sparkfund's Advisory Board includes:
- Dan Reicher, Executive Director at Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy
- Kate Brandt, Sustainability Lead at Google
- Ray Rothrock, Partner Emeritus at Venrock
- Jeff Navin, Partner at Boundary Stone and former DOE Chief of Staff
- Richard Graves, Chief Impact Officer & Co-Founder at CleanChoice Energy
- Ron Smith, President at Curtis H. Stout
- David Litt, Former Senior Speechwriter to President Barack Obama