Blockchain in Energy Forum 2019

Abhinav Tiwari is a Data & Analytics leader with experience supporting Digital and Analytical transformations for large organizations across Financial Services, Retail, Health & Public Services. His key focus areas have been Data Strategy, Governance, Architecture and Delivery of Enterprise-wide centralized as well as distributed solutions. Through his patented innovations, Abhinav has led some key initiatives across Health & Public Services with a direct positive impact on people’s life. As the Head of Advanced Planning at Alectra, he is currently leading initiatives on Transactive Energy and Data Strategy, as well as supporting Smart Cities and related ecosystem using technologies such as Blockchain, AI, IoT and Big Data.

With more than ten years of experience in all aspects of commercial energy efficiency programs – design, management, implementation and marketing – as well as a strong understanding of the Energy Efficiency policy and regulatory environment, Lawrence is well versed in the inner workings of the efficiency industry. Lawrence’s broad industry experience runs the gamut, from field auditing to managing relationships with Fortune 100 utility and corporate clients, affording him a unique ability to draw connections between policy driven utility energy efficiency program requirements and bottom line driven business spending.

Elta is the Grid Edge Content Lead at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables (formerly GTM Research), working on demand-side management in U.S. electricity markets. Prior to joining GTM, Elta pursued a joint Ph.D. funded by the European Commission on Sustainable Energy Technologies and Strategies at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. During her doctoral studies, she researched demand response policies for the implementation of smart grids and has presented her work at both U.S. and European conferences in addition to publishing in international scholarly journals. Elta holds a Master of Science degree in economics and management of network industries and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Union College.

As a successful entrepreneur, technologist and visionary for breakthrough innovation and business transformation, Mr. Rojas has developed and later transferred technology to electrical utilities and large industries for over 20 years. Within the capital expenditure and regulatory constraints of his customers, he has lead and contributed in the fields of Smart Grid monitoring and control systems, renewable integration, energy storage integration, and predictive maintenance technologies. Mr. Rojas was granted a number of U.S. patents in all of these fields.
In his role within Ameren's Innovation and Corporate Strategy  function, Alex is developing the organizational vision for technologies, systems, and capabilities for a successful and sustainable business. 

Mr. Rojas has held leadership roles in challenging engineering positions at global technology groups, including Siemens, General Electric, and ABB. Mr. Rojas holds degrees in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University and Michigan Technological University and an MBA degree from Southern Methodist University.

Sean’s professional experience lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, software engineering, and biotechnology, with over a decade of experience working with neural systems. Sean has been involved in the submission of over a dozen patents and academic conference submissions that range from the formation and enhancement of mammalian memory, to modular jewelry that enabled remote biometric monitoring. His previous work includes building installation packages as a software engineer at Oracle Corporation, cofounding two smaller startups that respectively built biometric, modular jewelry and augmented reality contact lenses, and assessing the commercial viability of emerging technologies and inventions through the MIT Technology Licensing Office and the Columbia Technology Venture Fellows. Currently, Sean works at BMW’s Research and Engineering division, where he both develops software that enables artificial intelligence, and engages in strategic partnerships with industrial and academic clients to build proof-of-concept prototypes for corporate adoption. Some of his most recent work spans collaborative robotics, augmented reality for improved manufacturing and knowledge sharing, next generation infrastructure connectivity, the virtualization of work-stations, enhancing robotic performance in virtual environments, and developing novel approaches for coordinated control of IoT devices. Sean graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. He also completed study at both the Imperial College of London, where he earned a Master’s of Research in Bioengineering with a specialization in neural processing algorithms, and the University of Oxford Said Business School, where he earned a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Biotechnology. Following this, Mr. Batir enrolled in a Ph.D. program studying Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia University, and is currently on a leave of absence to work at the interdisciplinary crossroads of IoT, AI, and swarm intelligence.

Kristen Brown is a Principal with Commonwealth Edison’s Utility of the Future group which is tasked with advancing ComEd’s transition into the future. In this role, Kristen is responsible for identifying and evaluating potential investments in new technologies related to the realities of rapid technical advancement, increasing data availability, pervasive connectivity, and customer choice and control. She specifically focuses on ComEd’s peer-to-peer, transactive energy, and communications infrastructure strategies.

Prior to her role at ComEd, Kristen was a Fellow at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). She worked with academic institutions, start-up companies, and large businesses to advance energy technologies in materials design, energy efficiency, and virtual reality. Kristen holds a PhD from Northwestern University in Chemistry and a BS from Georgia Tech in Chemical Engineering.

As Chief Commercial Officer for EWF, Jesse Morris focuses on two primary outcomes: growing the EWF Affiliate community and helping market participants —from the smallest energy blockchain startup to the world's biggest utilities— develop and deploy solutions on the Energy Web Chain.

Prior to his role at EWF, Jesse was a Principal at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

He received his BA in International Environmental Policy from Colorado College.

Killian is an engineer with an MS in computer science and applied knowledge of system optimization using neural networks and genetic algorithms. Killian has consulted or sold software to utilities for over 18 years. He was responsible for energy platform sales at Oracle Utilities and business development at Uptake (the fastest growing startup of 2015 according to Forbes, beating Slack and Uber).

With more than ten years of experience in all aspects of commercial energy efficiency programs – design, management, implementation and marketing – as well as a strong understanding of the Energy Efficiency policy and regulatory environment, Lawrence is well versed in the inner workings of the efficiency industry. Lawrence’s broad industry experience runs the gamut, from field auditing to managing relationships with Fortune 100 utility and corporate clients, affording him a unique ability to draw connections between policy driven utility energy efficiency program requirements and bottom line driven business spending.