Donnel Baird is the founder of BlocPower, a clean-tech startup that markets, finances and installs solar and energy efficiency technology to help houses of worship, non-profits, small businesses and multifamily projects to slash their energy costs.

Prior to starting BlocPower in 2013, Baird was a political and community organizer, including national get-out-the-vote director of the Service Employees International Union, national field director of green jobs for the Change to Win Federation, and senior staffer on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Baird also managed a national initiative to leverage American Reinvestment and Recovery Act energy-efficiency investments in underserved communities.

Baird is an Echoing Green/Open Society Foundation BMA Fellow and the first Entrepreneur in Residence at Jalia Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in for-profits with a social and environmental mission. He has a BA from Duke University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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