Climate
Geffen 620
Black Futures, Green Solutions: Innovating for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Walter L. Mcleod
Partner & Managing Director, Monarch Strategic Ventures
Walter has more than 25 years of executive experience in business development, strategy, and government relations in the energy and environment sectors. He is a recognized expert and thought leader in cleantech policy, finance and development. Mr. McLeod is a Partner and Managing Director of Monarch Strategic Ventures, an initiative of Monarch Private Capital (Monarch). Monarch is a nationally recognized impact funds and tax equity investor responsible for $37 billion in U.S. economic impact, resulting in 4.7 GW of renewable energy capacity, nearly 50,000 affordable housing units built, more than 300,000 jobs created, and revitalization of 187 historic buildings across 42 states and the District of Columbia. Walter is the Founder and Managing Director of Eco Capitol Energy, a cleantech holding company with multiple subsidiaries and solar projects across the seven state Mid-Atlantic Region. He has successfully developed or permitted a portfolio of utility scale solar projects with a capacity exceeding 700 megawatts (MW) and valued at more than $850M. He is author of the critically acclaimed award-winning book The Carbon Creed and was appointed a Professor of Practice at George Mason University. He has served on several boards and advisory committees, including Advanced Energy United, American Council on Renewable Energy, Black Owners of Solar Services (B.O.S.S.), Chemical Angels Network, Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA), and MIT Climate Energy Prize to name a few. Mr. McLeod earned a Bachelor of Art in chemistry from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an M.S. in chemistry from the College of Science at George Mason University and completed the Executive Education Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Mimi Mayaki
Vice President & Senior ESG Analyst, First Eagle Investments
Mimi Mayaki is a Vice President and Senior ESG Analyst at First Eagle Investments leading research and engagement with portfolio companies on environmental and social themes. Prior to joining First Eagle, Mimi developed innovative methodologies and data products for evaluating social and environmental risk across asset classes at Morningstar. Mimi has also enabled financial institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa develop integrate ESG in their risk management practice. An Economist by training, Mimi earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Arts in Economics from Western University.
Donnel Baird
Founder, BlocPower
Donnel Baird is a nationally recognized climate tech entrepreneur and policy leader with more than a decade of experience at the intersection of clean energy, community revitalization, and environmental justice. He is the Founder of BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based climate technology company that develops and implements clean energy projects in underserved communities across the United States.
Under Mr. Baird’s leadership, BlocPower became a pioneer in building decarbonization, energy efficiency, and workforce development—completing projects in over 1,200 buildings and creating thousands of green jobs for disadvantaged workers. The firm attracted investment from Goldman Sachs, Kapor Capital, Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, and partnered with cities including Ithaca and Menlo Park to implement city-wide electrification.
Mr. Baird has been recognized as TIME Magazine’s Dreamer of the Year, listed on the TIME 100 Next, and honored by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative People in Business. He was also named Columbia University’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Alumni of the Year. He serves on the boards of the New York Federal Reserve Bank (Second District) and the Climate Reality Project, and is a sought-after advisor on equitable climate finance, urban policy, and community wealth building.
He holds a B.A. from Duke University and an MBA from Columbia Business School, where he launched BlocPower. His work sits at the nexus of clean energy infrastructure, inclusive investment, and economic transformation.