A serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and startup advisor, Adam previously led multi-million dollar grant projects for the US DOE and National Labs. Experience includes developing national certification and training programs in partnership with the Building Technologies Office, including the Green Lease Leaders certification. He has grown DEIC into Virginia’s only energy-focused incubator and accelerator, launching DEIC Accelerate in 2020 and supporting 40+ companies annually.
Braden has over a decade of experience supporting startup communities and building entrepreneurship programs at R1 institutions; taking the Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad from zero to 4,000 entrepreneurs in 3 years. He has presented training on entrepreneurship ecosystem development internationally (China, Indonesia) and published a novel entrepreneurship ecosystem canvassing method. He has coached 500+ entrepreneurs from idea stage to acquisition and currently spends a significant portion of his time helping advanced energy startups commercialize cutting edge technology.
Bobbie has been helping small businesses for over 20 years. She is a graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania with a degree in Engineering and also holds an MBA from Pace University in NY. During her time in Dutchess County, NY, she managed a state tax incentive program and helped 350+ businesses access tax credits for job creation and investment. In VA, Bobbie counseled small businesses, helped manage a travel consulting business, and then went on to work in economic development for the Town of Ashland. As a former engineer, she loves learning about new technology and developing processes to help business owners reach their goals.
Kristin has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and development and has been working on a contract basis with the DEIC since early 2022. Her consulting practice, Seed to Sprout Marketing, is focused on strategic marketing and grant writing and support. She has helped DEIC raise almost $500,000 in the last year. With extensive experience working with clients in Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, she brings the knowledge, connections, and experience to support DEIC’s ongoing efforts to drive the innovations needed to achieve a net-zero carbon economy.
The DEIC Board of Directors is composed of a group of industry experts and technology innovators focused on supporting our community’s accelerating march towards net-zero.
Eric Duchon
Global Head of Real Estate ESG, Blackstone
Sara Neff
Partner/General Manager, Sustainability, Cloud Operations + Innovation, Microsoft
Elena Alschuler
Head of Sustainability for the Americas, LaSalle Investment Management
Katie Ross
Director, Carbon Reduction Strategy & Market Development, Microsoft
Marta Schantz
Director of Sustainability and Reporting, Avalon Bay Communities
Matt Praske
Director of Sustainability Innovation, EQT Exeter
