Newswise — The Babson Energy & Environmental Club announces an impressive line-up of keynote speakers, panelists and exhibitors for its fourth annual Entrepreneurial Energy Expo. The conference, to be held on Thursday, March 26, at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, will provide a forum for education, networking and discussion on how innovation will drive a new era of energy, economics and policy.
"The 2008 Expo attracted more than 400 attendees, and we expect an even greater turnout this year based on the growing importance of and investment in cleantech ventures," said Brian Lapseritis, vice president of Entrepreneurial Energy Expo. "Our goal is to connect the region's energy industry with the Babson community and get people talking about the most pressing issues " from public policy to VC funding to exit strategies."
The conference will kickoff with a keynote on "Implementing the New Green Business Strategy in the Emerging Carbon Economy" by Peter Fusaro, chairman of Global Change Associates and best-selling author of "What Went Wrong at Enron." Nicholas Parker, chairman of the Cleantech Group, will deliver the afternoon keynote on "The Future of the Global Cleantech Market." The day-long event will also feature six dynamic panel sessions where industry leaders, professionals and students will come together to discuss the following topics:
"¢ A New Era of Environmental Policy: What the Obama Administration Means to Green Business. Nick d'Arbeloff, executive director of the New England Clean Energy Council, will lead a panel on how the new administration will address environmental policy. Panelists include: Steve Cowell, CEO of Conservation Services Group; Phil Giudice, commissioner for the Department of Energy Resources; and Bill Davis, president and CEO of Ze-Gen.
"¢ Green Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Exits. Trish Costello, director of the Arthur Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, will gather insights from panelists on what motivates and influences green entrepreneurs today as well as the exit strategies for green startups. Panelists include: Cary Bullock, vice president and director of GreenFuels; Radha Jalan, president and CEO of ElectroChem, Inc.; and Gary Epstein, president and founder of Energy & Resource Solutions, Inc.
"¢ Green IT & Energy Efficiency: How Innovation in Technology Shapes Energy Consumption. Rob Pratt, chairman and CEO of EnergyClimate Solutions, will moderate a panel on how technology breakthroughs in green IT and energy efficiency will shape the future of energy consumption. Panelists include: Neal Verfuerth, CEO of Orion Energy; Harvey Michaels, research director for the MIT Energy Initiative; and James Rosenfield, co-founder and senior advisor for Cambridge Energy Research Associates.
"¢ Cleantech Venture Capital: Phoenix Rising from the Ashes. Mark Donohue, cleantech entrepreneur-in-residence for Babson College, will lead a discussion on the current state of venture capital in clean technology and how it will be affected by investment from the federal government. Panelists include: Peter Rothstein, executive-in-residence at Flagship Ventures and Mark Robinson, founder and managing partner of Wave Capital Partners.
"¢ Marketing & Selling Green Products. Mike Andrews, executive vice president for General Cable Corporation, will moderate a panel on the challenges and opportunities that exist for buying, selling and trading products in the renewable energy marketplace. Panelists include Ted Rose, principal for Rose Carbon LLC; Jon Milenthal, partner for The Milenthal Group; and Jon Abe, vice president for Nexamp, Inc.
"¢ Materials Matter: Sustainable Resource Management Solutions. Jim Poss, founder and CEO of BigBelly Solar, will lead a discussion with Richard Gaudette, vice president for RecycleBank, on maximizing energy and material recovery.
The 2009 Expo will also feature a networking industry expo highlighting products and services from industry leaders including NSTAR, Biomass Combustion Systems, Dakota Systems, Inc., Radio Thermostat Company of America, Sustainable Energy Solutions, Inc., Waterless Company and WaveWater, among others.
For more information and to register as an attendee or exhibitor for this event, please visit www.babsonenergy.com/eee.
The Babson Energy and Environmental Club is a student led organization at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. The BEEC's mission is to foster innovation in the areas of curriculum integration, career development and campus sustainability and plays an instrumental role in Babson's rise to leadership in social and environmental entrepreneurship. For information, visit www.babsonenergy.com.
Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., is recognized internationally as a leader in entrepreneurial management education. Babson grants BS degrees through its innovative undergraduate program, and grants MBA and custom MS and MBA degrees through the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Babson Executive Education offers executive development programs to experienced managers worldwide. For information, visit www.babson.edu.
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