Speakers

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  John Antone

  Corporate Vice President of Marketing, Energy and Environmental Solutions Group, Applied Materials Inc.

  John Antone was named corporate vice president of marketing for the Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) Group at Applied Materials Inc., in June 2008, where he is responsible for marketing and business development capabilities to reach new customers and new channels within the energy and power markets.

  Mr. Antone has more than 20 years experience at Intel Corporation, where he served as vice president and general manager of sales and marketing for the Asia-Pacific region, with responsibility for direct sales, application engineering and marketing. He also served as president of Intel Japan and senior product marketing executive, where he developed the first campaign for the mobile Pentium and played a key role in helping to drive the "Intel Inside" initiative.

  Mr. Antone holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and a master in business administration from the University of Michigan.

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  Andrew Beebe

  Vice President, Global Product Strategy, Suntech Energy Solutions (SES)

  Andrew is Manager Director of Suntech Energy Solutions (SES), a leading systems integrator of large-scale solar projects. SES is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suntech Power, the largest producer of PV modules in the world. SES was created in October 2008 through the formation of EI Solutions, where Andrew was President.

  Over the last four years, Andrew grew EI Solutions from a 3-person installer to a major regional player supporting customers such as Google, Disney, Sony Pictures, and British Telecom. The 2MW installation at Google's world headquarters is the largest corporate installation in US history. EI Solutions has received many honors, including the California League of Conservation Voters "Environmental Leadership" Award. Before leading EI Solutions, Andrew helped found Energy Innovations with Bill Gross at Idealab in 2002. Energy Innovations builds solar tracking systems, including the RayTracker, single-axis tracker.

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  Julie Blunden

  Vice President, Public Policy and Corporate Communications SunPower Corp.

  Since April of 2005, Julie has served as VP of public policy and corporate communications, leading public relations, financial relations, public policy, and market development. Prior to SunPower, Blunden was a consultant at KEMA-XENERGY on energy markets, renewable resources and policy to industry, utilities and state and federal governments. In that role, Blunden supported the Schwarzenegger administration in developing the Million Solar Homes Initiative.
  
  In 1997, she co-founded Green Mountain Energy Company, a national retail electric supplier of renewable power. Blunden began her career doing development and acquisitions in the independent power generation business at the AES Corporation. She received her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an AB from Dartmouth College majoring in engineering, modified with environmental studies. She serves on the board of directors at the Center for Resource Solutions and the Real Goods Solar Living Institute, as well as on the board of advisors for Vote Solar.

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  Pat Boylston

  Attorney, Stoel Rives LLP

  Patrick Boylston is a business lawyer, concentrating on issues relating to renewable energy development, interaction with municipal entities and the financing of solar photovoltaic installations, corporate debt and public infrastructure. Patrick's varied experience is particularly useful in assisting renewable energy projects which will involve some level of public participation, either through power purchases, public financing or siting on public facilities.

  Patrick represents independent power producers and power marketers on resolving business and credit issues in power sales agreements. Working with public and private power purchasers, developers, site hosts and financing sources, Patrick has been involved in solar photovoltaic projects in service or under development in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. He also provides technical advice on business, financing and development issues to all Stoel Rives' offices pursuing solar project engagements.

  Patrick received a Master of Taxation from Portland State University, a J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College and his B.A. from Dartmouth College.

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  Travis Bradford

  Founder, President, and Director, The Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development

  Travis founded the Prometheus Institute in 2003 as a means to connect the vast reach and power of industrial and capital markets with the technologies necessary to sustain and develop long-term economic well-being for people around the world. Travis is currently the Editor-in-Chief of PVNews, the solar energy industry's oldest newsletter, and is the author of Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry published by MIT Press. He is also a partner at Atlas Capital, a hedge fund based in Cambridge, MA.

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  Nathan Campbell

  Senior Vice President, Macquarie Capital Advisors

  Nathan has more than 12 years of experience in corporate and project finance. During this period, he has been involved in excess of $US20 billion of transactions in Australasia, North America and Europe. These transactions have spanned a number of sectors including renewable energy, technology, energy distribution and transportation.

  Nathan is based in New York where he leads a team focused on the solar sector. Nathan has worked for Macquarie the past five years, prior to joining Macquarie he worked at Deutsche Bank AG in Australia and in the aviation sector.

  He received a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University and a Masters in Applied Finance & Investment from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

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  Kevin Chen

  Generation Business Planning, Strategy & Development, Southern California Edison

  Kevin Chen is a project manager of business planning, strategy and development in Southern California Edison. His responsibility includes prospecting and qualifying potential opportunities in renewable and alternative energy. He is actively evaluating various emerging technologies, preparing business and regulatory strategies, and developing relevant programs. Most recently he is developing the 250MW solar PV project owned by SCE. Prior to SCE, Mr. Chen had broad responsibilities in GE Energy, where he delivered several large-scale international projects in electric systems, and completed product development for generation, transmission, and electricity market.

  Mr. Chen holds MBA from University of California at Los Angeles, MS in Electric Power from Iowa State University, and BSEE from Southeast University in China.

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  Barry Cinnamon

  CEO, Akeena Solar

  Our founder, Barry Cinnamon, is a widely recognized expert and long-time advocate of solar power. He began his career in solar energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he designed and installed active solar, passive solar and ground coupled heat pump systems. He served as CEO of Software Publishing Corporation, and founded Allegro New Media. Mr. Cinnamon earned a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and an MBA degree in Marketing from Wharton. He is a NABCEP Certified Solar Installer, a licensed California C-46 Solar Contractor, an active member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and a member of the Board of Directors of the national Solar Energy Industries Association and California Solar Energy Industry Association.

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  Paul Detering

  CEO, Tioga Energy

  Paul Detering is an experienced leader of early stage technology companies with more than 20 years of experience in the clean technology, telecom and software industries. Previously, Detering led Larian Communications, which produced a next-generation voice messaging system. Detering was also CEO of Blueleaf Networks, an early stage optical networking and components company; Wildfire Communications, which he successfully sold to Orange Plc; and IQ Labs. Mr. Detering began his career at Nortel Networks and has worked at Raychem, Raynet Systems, and McKinsey and Company. He received a Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Physics from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, where he graduated with high distinction as a Baker Scholar.

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  Mark Goldman

  CEO, Armageddon Energy

  Mark Goldman is the CEO of Armageddon Energy, a Silicon Valley startup that develops solar energy systems for consumer and small-scale applications. Prior to Armageddon, Mark helped launch sales and marketing at Tioga Energy, a solar finance provider.  He also founded two software companies that provided wireless and Internet communications services for specific markets. Mark began his career in the White House, where he focused on energy and security issues, and served as a political appointee at the US Environmental Protection Agency. He has consulted on strategic, financial and growth issues for wildlife, health care and education non-profits in the Bay Area and was host of the 2008 Clean Tech Open Awards in San Francisco. Mark is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Stanford Business School.

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  Arno Harris

  CEO, Recurrent Energy

  Arno Harris is a solar industry veteran and successful entrepreneur. His career features a number of solar industry milestones, including the sale to Google of the largest US corporate solar generating system. Prior to Recurrent Energy, Arno was general manager of EI Solutions, serving large-scale commercial and government solar customers. EI Solutions was formed when Arno sold his pioneering solar business, Prevalent Power, to Energy Innovations in 2005. Arno’s previous experience includes founder and leadership roles for startups that include WineShopper.com, RedEnvelope (NASDAQ:REDE), and Novo Media Group. His background combines marketing, sales and consulting with experience serving such clients as Berlex, Toyota Motor Sales USA, GlaxoWellcome, MCI, Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Nikon Precision, IKEA International and NBC Digital Publishing. Arno writes about solar and renewable energy on his blog Clean Energy Future.

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  Russ Kanjorski

  Vice President of Marketing, Abound Solar

  Russ Kanjorski is Vice President of Marketing at Abound Solar. Prior to assuming this role, he was Director of Strategic Planning for Abound. Before joining the company, Mr. Kanjorski worked at the Washington DC office of the Boston Consulting Group, specializing in the areas of strategy and organizational redesign. He also co-founded and served as Vice President of Finance and Strategy at an advanced materials company focused on solutions for the electronic materials industry. In addition, he worked for four years as a corporate attorney in Washington, DC, specializing in corporate finance and governance. He also served on the Board of Directors, and as Chairman of the Governance Committee, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. Mr. Kanjorski holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania, and he graduated with BS degrees in Economics and History from the University of Pennsylvania.

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  Danny Kennedy

  CEO, Sungevity

  A long time social entrepreneur, Danny has achieved global recognition as an environmental activist, spokesperson, and opinion leader. Most recently, Danny was the Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. In 2001, he ran Greenpeace's California Clean Energy Campaign, the success of which helped lead to the current California Solar Initiative. Danny was the founder and first Executive Director of Project Underground and has served on several nonprofit boards. Danny lives in Berkeley with his wife Miya Yoshitani and two daughters.

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  Shammy Khan

  Vice President, Business Development, Flextronics

  Mr. Khan is responsible for managing the growth of the Renewable Energy business at Flextronics. Mr. Khan joined Flextronics 6 years ago in an effort to drive strategic growth. Mr. Khan was responsible for growing the Capital Equipment Business which is a large part of Flextronics’ Industrial Customer base today. Prior to joining Flextronics, Mr. Khan held senior level positions at Varian Associates and Metcal Inc. At Varian Associates, he oversaw the development and integration of automated systems and was responsible for contract negotiations and supplier development. He was a recipient of the VLSI award for outstanding customer satisfaction.

  Mr. Khan received a B.S in ME from RIT, MS in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from USC, and completed his MBA from SMU.

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  Roger Little

  Founder Spire Corp.

  Roger Little has been a strong business leader as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President, growing Spire to a successful public company with a diversified technology base. Almost 40 years after starting Spire Corporation, Roger G. Little continues to build a list of impressive accomplishments. He founded Spire in 1969, just five years after earning his Master of Science degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also holds a Bachelors degree in physics from Colgate University, as well as 70 patents for technologies that have helped build Spire's reputation as a leader in science and innovation.

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  Adrian Maynes

  Strategic Marketing Manager, M+W Zander

  Adrian Maynes serves as Strategic Marketing Manager for M+W Zander, one of the world’s leading Engineering, Procurement and Construction firms in the PV industry. He has helped shape M+W Zander’s strategies for meeting PV clients’ current facility needs and planning for future growth.

  As an industrial engineer, Adrian brings his experience in optimizing facility reliability, flexibility and cost per kilowatt-hour to the PV sector. His expertise has helped M+W Zander’s design and construction work in the PV sector grow to nearly three gigawatts of capacity annually. Since joining M+W Zander in 2006, Adrian has helped craft an array of solutions to reduce initial facility investment costs and minimize ongoing life-cycle costs related to facility operation. Adrian works closely with M+W Zander’s international operations on a variety EPC services along the PV value chain including site selection, facility development and manufacturing process assessments.

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  Kuno Schallenberg

  Head of Department Renewable Energies, Lahmeyer International GmbH

  Mr. Kuno Schallenberg graduated as Mechanical Engineer. He is specialised in Renewable Energies. Today he can rely on the experience of more than 15 years of professional work. He started his work experience at a consulting office for the use of geothermal energy and heat storage. He also was employed at the Germany National Research Centre for Geosciences as a scientist to develop geothermal energy systems. From 2002 to 2005 he worked as a freelancer and conducted studies and projects on solar power, biomass and rational energy use.

  In 2006 he started his work at Lahmeyer International in world wide renewable projects. He is the Head of Department Renewable Energy.

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  Laura Spanjian

  Assistant General Manager for External Affairs, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

  Assistant General Manager for External Affairs for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), is responsible for the agency’s communications, outreach, education and legislative matters.

  She oversees a nearly $8 million budget and more than 40 staff members and consultants. She also helps orchestrate strategy aimed at gathering support and forming partnerships on issues and positions, as well as programs and projects.

  Prior to joining the SFPUC in August 2004, Spanjian coordinated government and community affairs for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, where she managed and secured approvals and community support for over 10 multi-million dollar projects, including the Third Street Light Rail project, Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program and numerous financial and development projects. In addition, her local government experience includes serving as legislative aide to San Francisco Supervisor Leslie Katz.

  She earned bachelor’s degrees in English and communication studies from the University of California, at Los Angeles. She also earned a master’s degree in communications from Stanford University.

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  Jeffery Wolfe

  Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman of Board of Directors, groSolar

  Jeff is co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of groSolar.  He is a recognized leader in the solar energy industry and a leading voice on solar energy policy throughout the U.S.  Jeff is in charge of strategy, M&A, and PV procurement for the Company.  Under his direction, groSolar has become a leader in system installation in the eastern United States, a top five national distributor of solar equipment and systems, and a national commercial systems provider.  Prior to forming groSolar, Jeff was a Partner in Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, where he started and ran branch offices in Hanover, NH and Chicago, IL.  Jeff is the elected chair of the PV Division of the Solar Electric Industry Association (SEIA), the country's leading PV trade organization.  He also serves on the Union of Concerned Scientists National Advisory Board and is one of only 1,000 people in the U.S. trained in presenting Al Gore's climate change presentation.  Jeff has a BSME degree from Cornell University.

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  Mark Zanoli

  Managing Director, Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan

  Mark is a Managing Director and Head of J.P. Morgan’s Cleantech Investment Banking practice. Mark's 15 years of investment banking experience includes M&A, raising public equity through IPOs and secondary offerings, raising private equity for public and private companies, raising high-yield debt, loan and bank syndications, convertible equity financings and a variety of derivative financings. As Head of the cleantech investment banking practice, Mark’s clients include Uni-Solar, LDK, Ascent Solar, among others. Within the technology sector, Mark’s clients include Cisco, Intel, Texas Instruments, Seagate, Symantec, HP, Dell, Apple, and Oracle, among others. Mark is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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  Scott Clavenna

  President and CEO, Greentech Media

  Scott Clavenna has been leading high-tech market research firms for over 15 years. In his capacity as a trusted analyst and consultant, Scott has helped dozens of companies enter and succeed in complex and intensely competitive markets worldwide. He also has authored more than 30 reports that helped define important emerging market segments in optical and broadband communications.

  Prior to founding Greentech Media, Scott was chief analyst at Heavy Reading, the market research arm of Light Reading, the dominant online media company in the telecommunications market. CMP bought Light Reading in 2005. Before creating Heavy Reading, Scott founded PointEast Research, providing strategic consulting and market intelligence to a broad mix of startups, venture capitalists and major suppliers in the communications/IT industry, and worked as director of research for Light Reading. In 1997, Scott co-founded Pioneer Consulting, which quickly grew into the leading market research firm covering the optical and broadband communications industry.

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  Daniel Englander

  Senior Energy Analyst, GTM Research

  Daniel Englander heads GTM Research's downstream markets practice. His expertise covers utility regulation and economics, renewable energy project development and project finance, and energy policy, with a specific emphasis on solar power. Daniel has experience in international investment due diligence and the financial and regulatory issues relating to renewable energy market entry.

  Prior to joining GTM Research, Daniel worked at Mayer Brown LLC's Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group in Washington, D.C. Daniel received his B.A. in International and Comparative Policy Studies from Reed College and his A.L.M. in Environmental Management from Harvard University. Daniel is also a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy's PV Expert Group.

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  Michael Kanellos

  Editor in Chief, Greentech Media

  Michael Kanellos covers emerging technologies and companies in the green world. Prior to joining the company in 2008, he worked for CNET Network's News.com for eleven years. Among other jobs at CNET, he launched the company's push into clean technology. He has appeared on NPR, CBS, CNBC, Fox News and other media outlets and has spoken at CES, the Japan Business Strategy Summit, Ceatec, the Irish Software Association, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, the Flash Memory Summit and Clean Energy Venture Summit. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of California (Hastings), he has worked as an attorney, a travel writer and a busboy at a pancake house.

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  Shyam Mehta

  Senior Analyst GTM Research

  Shyam Mehta is a Senior Analyst at GTM Research, focusing on global solar markets. Before joining GTM Research, Shyam was a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research where he covered equities in the alternative energy sector, primarily solar companies. Prior to Goldman, Shyam was a Research Analyst at The Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, where his work focused on problems within the electricity industry. Shyam received his Bachelor's in Mathematics from U.C. Berkeley.

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  Damon Franz

  Senior Analyst, Energy Division, California Public Utilities Commission

  Damon Franz is a senior analyst with the Distributed Generation section in the Energy Division of the California Public Utilities Commission. Damon served as lead analyst on the recent Decision authorizing Southern California Edison to develop 500 MW of rooftop solar PV, split between direct ownership and power purchase agreement. In addition, Damon works on other utility-owned solar PV applications and on implementation of the California Solar Initiative. Damon holds a Masters degree in Economics and Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelors in Ecology from the University of Florida.

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  David Miles

  Consulting Vice President of Project & Business Development, a+f GmbH

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  Chad Sachs

  Vice President, Project Development and Finance, Renewable Ventures