Energy Entrepreneurship
Date: Thu, October 16, 2014
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Location: Holmes Hall 244
Speaker: Dawn Lippert & Warren Doi, Energy Excelerator, Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR)
Abstract:
Dawn Lippert is the director of Energy Excelerator, a Hawaii-based program for encouraging innovation in the energy sector, using Hawaii as a critical test market (Hawaii has the highest electricity costs in the nation and is eagerly seeking clean energy solutions). Energy Excelerator offers startups up to $1 million in nearly non-dilutive funding.
Warren Doi manages the early-stage companies at the Energy Excelerator. His experience as an entrepreneur with multiple startups enables him to help companies navigate their way to commercialization and increase their scale.
Dawn and Warren will talk about what they look for in early stage companies, the increasing pace of change in the energy sector, and the critical role of innovation in enabling Hawaii's clean energy future.
About the speakers:
Dawn Lippert: Before joining PICHTR in 2009, Dawn was a management consultant with Booz Allen’s alternative energy team, and worked on clean energy projects in Washington DC, India, Africa, and Latin America. Her work at Booz Allen included conducting financial and policy analysis for the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and the State of Hawaii initiated in 2008. In addition to leading the Energy Excelerator at PICHTR, Dawn founded and is president of WiRE (Women in Renewable Energy), a not-for-profit organization with over 150 members that is designed to build technical expertise, trust, and relationships that advance clean energy transformation. She currently serves on the Entrepreneurship Foundation of Hawaii board, is an appointed member of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) Steering Committee, and is a member of the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) Advisory Board at the University of Hawaii. Dawn is a LEED Accredited Professional, a member of the 2012 Class of Pacific Century Fellows, and one of Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20: People to Watch in 2012.
She graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in environmental studies, and received her Master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Management. In the evenings and on the weekends you can find her outside – playing pickup soccer, sailing, surfing, or enjoying the sunset with barbecues and bocce ball.
Warren Doi is a serial entrepreneur who has raised over $10 million in operating and equity capital. Prior to PICHTR, Warren co-founded Greencar Hawaii, a company that built a clean energy transportation network with zero-emission vehicles. Warren began his career as a management consultant for Ernst & Young in London where he managed a worldwide system integration project for Hewlett-Packard. He also developed an energy-trading platform for PG&E Energy Services.
Warren holds a B.A. in Business and Finance from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. When not in the office, he cherishes spending time with his family, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, or simply hanging out on the north shore of Kauai.