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Michelle Klassen Merrigan founded MK Advisors (formerly LkM Solutions) in 2015. She acted as the company’s guide, face, and greatest advocate for four years. When Michelle involved herself in the private equity world—and later the US Department of Defense and international relations—she modified her signature to “MK.” That change helped to eliminate any unhelpful gender-based biases that she encountered in the industry.

MK Advisors means, first and foremost, Mana Kalani. This phrase describes the essence of our work. “Mana Kalani” means “the power of the sky.”

But the power we develop goes beyond the literal application of electrical power, and the sky does not just describe how we support wind and solar. Sure, those are a part of who we are, but they’re hardly our entire purpose.

Power means industriousness, praxis, and self-determination. All of these are qualities that are limited in communities and markets that lack access to reliable or resilient sources of energy. Bringing the latter enables the former. Electrical power brings with it personal and communal power.

The sky means more than light and wind. The sky means breadth and limitless scale or unlimited potential. This is what our extensive ecosystem of professionals, advisors, and advocates has brought not only our team, but our customers, too. Our ecosystem provides access to proven expertise at every level of the energy community, both domestically and abroad.

It’s this passion that inspires us to seek out unique technology solutions and financial models that can spur meaningful impacts on communities around the world.

Our Advisors

Our Advisors

We rely on our team of experts to help empower people and communities around the world.
The story of our collective is the story of its individuals. Each of our advisors has led an impressive life, and the stories of how they all met and how they maintained and built their relationships together are just as important and inspiring as their accomplishments in business and industry.

MK Merrigan

President

Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr.

Erika Bolton

Kevin Merrigan

Jasper Yeager

Joe Reed

John Major

Tim Hill

Mark Bernstein

Michael Johnson

Jana Rogge

Aurelia Van Eeden

Natalia Norko

Les Lo Baugh Jr.

Justin Kimling

Teri Kruger

Kate Hoffner Headshot

Kate M. Hoffner

Nathan Johnson

Patrick Linder

Dan West

Dave Taylor

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MK Merrigan

President

Michelle Klassen Merrigan (“MK”) of MK Advisors, began her career in humanitarian aid, working frequently in resource-restricted environments. For the past decade, MK has worked to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of strategic solutions for resource equity needs, while also educating policymakers to support smart, affordable technologies that enable creative financial models. 

MK created an innovative model that allows for emerging technologies to be fielded, and commercialized at scale, inside of the communities that need the solutions most. Knowledge transfer, female empowerment, economic development, and clean climate solutions are the very foundation of this vision.

Through these models, MK seeks to empower communities at the local level, giving access to an international toolkit of bankable, sustainable solutions, to harness economies of scale through aggregating a portfolio of projects.

Over the years, MK has worked with Department of Defense (DoD) engineering research labs, industry, academia, and investors, focused on the mission of reducing carbon output through creative, clean, replicable solutions. Because of this international focus, and the rapidly evolving geo-political shifts taking place, the very focus of her work has been in national security and the intersection of community stabilization. MK has incubated Mana Pacific, Protect the Line and The Mana Boutique, and is currently working to expand this vision in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022.

“Character is destiny.”

– Heraclites

Lincoln P. Bloomfield Jr.

Lincoln P. Bloomfield Jr. was U.S. Special Envoy for MANPADS Threat Reduction from 2008-09. From 2001-2005 he was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs, also serving as Special Representative of the President and Secretary of State for Humanitarian Mine Action. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (1992-93), Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs (1991-02), member of the US team negotiating for US facilities in the Philippines (1991-92) and the US water mediation between Israel and Jordan (1990), and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (1988-89) among other policy positions in the Department of Defense beginning in 1981.

He served for eight years until 2017 as Chairman of the non-partisan Stimson Center where he now serves as Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow, and is a National Executive Committee Member of the U.S. Water Partnership, and Director of the Detroit-based non-profit energy NGO The Last Kilometer.

As President of Palmer Coates LLC, he maintains commercial relationships with startup entities developing innovative sustainable energy and transportation technologies.  He is a Non-Executive Director of European Metals Holdings Inc., the Australian company developing Europe’s most significant hard rock lithium deposit; Strategic Advisor to Seatrec, Inc., a NASA/JPL spinoff company that has developed and commercialized ocean-based sustainable power systems using thermal temperature differences; and President & co-founder of D3E, a Silicon Valley-based startup offering next-generation optimal controls flight systems to enable resilient, autonomous UAV operations.  He supports three Washington DC-based policy advisories including a major law firm, and is developing large international projects with associates based in Prague and Dubai.  Author and commentator on many foreign policy and national security issues, he holds degrees from Harvard College (a.b.) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (M.A.L.D.).

Organizations​

  • Stimson Center
  • U.S. Water Partnership
  • NGO The Last Kilometer

Erika Bolton

Erika Bolton draws from multi-industry experience and a talent for pattern recognition and synthesizing disparate ideas to cross-pollinate, inform and enrich pathways to deep, wholistic impacts. Her lifelong humanitarian work has led her through journeys in South Africa, Nepal, India, Thailand, Mexico and in the USA. Erika designed, led and participated in sucessful advocacy and outreach programs that increased Black and African American men and boys engagement with suicide prevention, and increased turnout for BIPOC men seeking mental health services. She advocated for and achieved: increased education access for low-wealth mothers, and collaborated in initiatives that remedied barriers, expanded support services, and access to services for domestic violence survivors. 

“What will my great grandchildren say about me?” isn’t the test question. “What will someone else’s great grandchildren say about me?” is the test question for being regenerative and just. 

As a facilitator, Erika pioneered open dialogue in global communities that faced stigma and taboos around publicly discussing violence in the home; she supported communities in addressing gender-based violence and domestic violence (DV) against women and children. She furthered her work and began leading healing roundtables for survivors of domestic violence as a certified DV counselor. 

Through her strategic thought leadership, she guided growth for businesses, media projects and nonprofits. An achievement highlight is when she built a foundation of deep listening and trust to synergize and guide collaboration between 250 organizations, across 5 counties in Metro-Detroit, through leading, designing, and implementing a data-driven, food insecurity service insights platform, program and training.  

Her current efforts include leading and designing work streams for USAID’s AmpUp program. This program is tasked with designing the utility of the future. At MKA, she is leading programs that advance clean energy, accelerate new clean technologies, and catalyze innovation, especially within and coming from underinvested and marginalized populations. Additionally, Erika is a storyteller, creating immersive experiences, arts and entertainment that pull from her music talents, classical training in dance, and love for the fantastical. As a neurodiverse business leader that merges honor of culture and wisdom traditions with future-thought wholistic, systems design, she has an unwavering commitment to inclusivity of world-view and neuro diversity, to amplifying the power of joy and love in all endeavors, and to co-building prosperity for all through peace.

“Human flourishing requires plasticity and regenerative practices in wholistic systems design. Wholism asserts that technology cannot be divorced from culture. Not only is culture an enabling environment, it is both shaping and being shaped by technology. Culture reveals what technology becomes in our hands. As with all times of great challenges and change, we must take this moment to invigorate our contribution to the new paradigm transition of what’s next for humanity and the planet. As futurists in research and development, we are excited to be on the frontier of designing harmonious ecosystems that encompass nature, technology and human-centered thriving.”

 

“That’s the whole challenge of life – to act with honor and hope and generosity, no matter what you’ve drawn. You can’t help when or what you were born, you may not be able to help how you die; but you can – and you should – try to pass the days between as a good man.”

– Sam Damon

 

Kevin Merrigan

Kevin Merrigan is an independent consultant specializing in US Department of Defense with an emphasis on tactical wheeled vehicles and C4ISR including Cyber, AI and Electronic Warfare.

Mr Merrigan retired from General Dynamics Mission Systems in January 2019 following a very successful 12-year career. During his career at General Dynamics he held multiple key leadership positions including vice president of business development for the Department of Defense market. His responsibilities included developing strategies that create new business opportunities and support existing DOD programs. He was responsible for overseeing everything from strategy development through program win and customer engagement.

Prior to this, Mr. Merrigan was vice president and general manager of a $500M per year Battle Management Systems line of business responsible for the overall executive management of complex command and control and information systems for the U.S. military.

Programs under his leadership included the Army’s Command Post of the Future (CPOF), Prophet Enhanced tactical signals intelligence system, Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS), Consolidated Product Line Management, the US Marine Corps Combat Operations Centers (COC) and Common Aviation Command and Control Program (CAC2S) and USSOCOM’s Ground Mobility Vehicle as well as others.

Mr. Merrigan joined General Dynamics in 2006 following a distinguished 24-year career as an Army infantry and special operations officer. A recognized and trusted leader, Merrigan directed counter-terrorism missions for the commanding general in Afghanistan. His final assignment was with the U.S. Army Training Doctrine Command (TRADOC) overseeing the integration of battle command systems from the soldier, to the platform, to the command post.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1982. Mr. Merrigan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and holds a master’s degree in National Security Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

“With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.”

– William Morris

 

Jasper Yeager

Jasper Yeager is MKA’s director of operations and logistics, and has a demonstrated decade-long expertise in information science and process management.

I keep our ship afloat.

Conventional corporate wisdom dictates that my skill set may be summarized as “operational and logistical expert.” Much like claiming that the sun is hot enough to boil water, this is both technically true and a significant understatement. Yes, I can and will schedule meetings and proofread documents. But you are not interested in me for my nuanced understanding of the serial comma. You are interested in me because I will solve problems that you don’t know you have, before you know you have them, and I will do so swiftly, thoughtfully, and with a minimum of fanfare.

This organization is a vessel, our mission statement is our port of call, our goals and visions are the exotic destinations we would sail to. But we will not sail far with a ship full of leaks, our sails frayed, our food rotting. And the person, or people, who repair those leaks and replenish those supplies may not get their names in the history books, but they are essential to getting into the history books in the first place. 

This is what I do. I manage and oversee our processes, from large-scale pitch-to-product roadmaps to bureaucratic microcosms too small to devote focus to but too mission-critical to ignore. My areas of interest and expertise are broad, holistic, and informed by more than a decade of experience in the renewable energy space.

“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”

– Ronald Reagan

 

Joe Reed

Joe Reed has been Managing Director of Corporate Development at CSIQ since September 2015, and is responsible for strategic development activities including M&A processes, due diligence, and related strategic investment activities. Mr. Reed brings over 35 years of leadership experience in a diverse range of operational and business development executive positions. This includes over 14 years of specific U.S. government federal contracting programs serving a range of Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and joint intelligence and law enforcement activities. Specific efforts also include surveillance and networking solutions forSecure Border Initiatives, Drug Enforcement Agency, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He has also taught executive leadership at both West Point and Santa Clara Universities.

His experience includes roles as CEO/Founder of a technology startup, COO, VP of IT, VP of Sales, VP of Programs and numerous manager and director level roles. He has served on the Board of Directors for 3 separate companies.

Living in Pleasanton, California, his hobbies include golf and obstacle course adventure racing (Spartan, Tough Mudder, Rugged Maniac).

Reed finished a full career as a U.S. Army officer as a lieutenant colonel commanding both American and British military units including combat operations worldwide and assignments on military operations, training, and doctrine staffs. With a ranger and parachutist qualification, his service spanned the globe including Cuba, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Panama, and several European countries. He received a B.S. with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering and Physics from West Point and a Master in Business Administration with a focus on leadership from Long Island University.

 

Organizations​

  • Member of the Board of Directors, Bionic Power Inc
  • Founder, General Colin Powell Foundation
  • Founder, Silicon Valley Business Network
  • Advisor, QESST, Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies
  • Advisor, PlugandPlay Tech Center
  • Class Rep, USMA (US Military Academy West Point)

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”

– Dalai Lama

John S. Major

John S. Major, Jr., vice president for government relations leads the interface with national and local legislators and regulators, and the relationship with the US Army and the CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center. He is also responsible for the Midwest Operations office, based in metro Detroit, where he directs supplier development, and OEM interface.

Major began his career at Ford Motor Company, where he worked on joint ventures projects in Japan and Turkey during his ten-year tenure; and, he served as the E-series vehicle engineering manager as his last role at Ford.

He has also worked at Navistar Defense, was a founding leadership team member of the NC2 joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar and helped revamp RV product and program process as Monaco’s vice president of engineering and product development.

John has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Organizations​

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

– Mark Twain

 

Tim Hill

Dr. Tim Hill has a diverse background with the experience, training, and education to aid corporate, academia, and military organizations overcome challenges specific to organizational transformation, and sustainability. Dr. Hill’s experiences include leadership, management, marketing, education and training, and executive level consulting.

Dr. Hill retired as a Colonel from the US Army with 36.5 years of service. He received Congressional confirmation for promotion to Brigadier General on 5 August 2010 and was promoted to Brigadier General in the Retired Reserves.

His service includes six years in the United States Marine Corps with the ending rank of Sergeant.  The remaining years were spent as an officer in the US Army in both the West Virginia Army National Guard and active duty.

While serving in the West Virginia Army National Guard as an Army Engineer officer, Dr. Hill ran many engineering projects throughout West Virginia, and conducted operations and managed projects during state and national emergencies.

Other experience includes writing the Meter Data Management System Capability Development Document for Contingency Basing (Training and Doctrine Command – Maneuver Support Center of Excellence).

Mark Bernstein

Mark Bernstein has 25 years of experience pioneering innovative energy, environmental and sustainability solutions across academic, private, public and non-profit sectors. Mark is currently President of Earthshot, a non-profit that Mark co-founded that will inspire people to take action on climate change through video gaming and augmented-reality immersive experiences. Mark has in the past worked with, and advised, a number of clean tech startup companies.

Mark has held various positions of influence including with the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy in the Clinton Administration, Senior Researcher at the RAND Corporation, Operating Partner with Pegasus Capital Advisors, a private equity firm and Senior VP with MWW a top-ten independent PR firm.

His work on the economic benefits of energy efficiency to the State of California was instrumental in convincing the legislature to renew the energy efficiency benefits fund, and a report he led after Hurricane Katrina set the bar for understanding the devastation in Mississippi and how to recover affordable housing.

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to his business ventures. He has extensive program and project management experience with more than 25-years in energy efficiency and sustainability consulting. Michael’s work has recently focused on microgrids and distributed energy planning for potential small communities and eco-villages. He is the founder and Nature-Connected Coach of Balanced Earth Creative (BEC) which empowers people to discover their strength, joy, and productivity in life. Michael is certified in Wilderness Therapy and Transformational Guiding.

Michael’s education includes a BA in Economics with Environmental Sciences Minor from Western Washington, an MS in Energy Management & Environmental Policy with a concentration in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania, and a business certification in Computer Accounting. 

Michael has over 25 years of experience in the sustainability industry with expertise gained through various project management roles with utilities, local governments, and community businesses. Since 2003, Michael has owned and operated Viriditas Energy Consulting. As a Certified Energy Manager. Michael has a comprehensive understanding of how to maximize the performance of projects and programs for customers and partners alike.

Jana Rogge

Jana Rogge is a German researcher, graphic designer and author. She’s a trained and accomplished Remote Viewer, and has created international connections in the Remote Viewing field.

Jana Rogge is the current Editor of the Aperture magazine, published by the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA) and Editor of the New Thinking
Allowed Magazine. Jana runs several projects in the remote viewing field, such as PSI unit, the PSI.vision Institute and local work groups.
Started as an artist, she studied visual communication in Weimar, Germany, and graduated with a degree in graphic design. She manages a communications and design agency and two publishing houses. For many years she held a teaching position at the Bauhaus University, Weimar, teaching the fundamentals of visual design and perception theory.

Jana Rogge is tasked with designing and leading a multi-faceted non-local consciousness research project for MK Advisors.

The primary objective of this research project is to systematically investigate future-oriented remote viewing and its influencing factors, outcomes, and applications. By leveraging a multi-year timeframe, this research endeavor aims to provide a robust foundation for scientific inquiry into the nature of time, perception, and the role of human consciousness in shaping reality.

Her publishing house Origin Scientific is currently building a series of scientific and historical publications on remote viewing. She authored and published From Star Gate to Today—CRV After 3 Decades, the German translation of Paul Smith’s book, Essential Guide: Grundlagen des Remote Viewing (Essential Guide to Remote Viewing.) and the English-language compendium The Foundations of Controlled Remote Viewing by Paul H. Smith and Tom McNear.

Jana Rogge is member of PA and of the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA), the Society of Scientific Exploration (SSE), the German Society of Anomalistics (GfA) and the Rhine Research Center.

 

Aurelia Van Eeden

Aurelia Van Eeden grew up in a coal-mining town in South Africa and witnessed the destruction of the Earth’s resources around her; smoky air pollution, muddy contaminated waters and devastating mine dumps and excavations. 

As an enthusiastic 10-year-old visionary, she set to find solutions to these environmental crimes, and bring awareness to others. Aurelia imagined and “designed” a utility-scale vacuum-cleaner and a drape for power-station chimneys to rid the air of the pollution. She shared her ideas of a better and sustainable future with whoever stopped long enough to listen. Her childhood experiences coupled with a natural and insatiable curiosity about how the world works laid the foundation for her future. 

Fast-forward 20 years; the ideas she dreamt about as a child have been piloted and tested (albeit by other like-minded geniuses). 

The curious 10-year-old is now a confident and driven woman with a fierce determination to positively impact the environment and work alongside others for an environmentally restorative, socially just, and economically inclusive future.

Aurelia completed her MSc degree in International Environmental Studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Her thesis contributed to a multi-country research consortium and the book, Flows and Practices: The Politics of Integrated Water Resource Management in Africa, that features a chapter on her work.

Aurelia has gained valuable experience working abroad, liaising with executives and decision-makers at all levels in government, civil, and private sectors. She has advised CEOs, MDs and MPs on issues ranging from carbon reduction and sustainability to renewable energy and circular economy business models. Aurelia has lived and worked in many different countries and socio-economic environments.

During her time in Norway, she was chosen as Board Leader for FIVAS – the Norwegian Institute for International Water Studies – a position that is a positive reflection of her leadership skills and commitment to team spirit and cooperation. Her most notable achievements include a nomination for Future Leader in Industry – Water and Energy Award (Africa Utility Week, May 2016); Woman in Energy and Water Award (Africa Utility Week, May 2016); and being awarded the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans Award under the category ‘Environment’ (2014) and MAC Consulting Award for ‘Best Project Team’ for the Exxaro Energy Growth Account (2010).

Aurelia is experienced, passionate, driven, and above all, committed to lead a purposeful life that strives to improve people’s lives while helping and healing the planet.

Les Lo Baugh Jr.

Les Lo Baugh Jr. is president of E Cubed Optimizers, a business, energy, environmental, and resiliency consulting company. He is also a seasoned corporate attorney who has lived and worked around the world. He has substantial experience in energy, utilities, resiliency, climate change, and administrative law. He began his career working as a staffer in the U.S. Senate. He was tasked with drafting environmental legislation, including the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air, Clean Water, Off-shore Drilling, Noise Abatement, etc.

He has served as a senior officer and general counsel in Fortune 500 companies, including utility and energy companies. He was the senior partner in charge of the Pacific Rim environmental and energy practice group for one of the world’s largest law firms.

He has spoken and written globally on energy/renewable energy, climate change, resiliency, carbon capture and sequestration, Native American sovereignty, the rule of law and other topics. He was a founding member and vice-chair of the Native American Service Agency of New York. He served as a board member for several organizations, including the North American Policy Group of Carbon Market Investors Association, the Wishtoyo Foundation, and the law school boards for Georgetown, USC, and Pepperdine. He serves as Chair and President of the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge (which he helped co-found with the late Joanne Shenandoah – the matriarch of Native American music.) He is also a Distinguished Fellow of Northeastern University – Global Resiliency.

He was honored with the Chief Dan George lifetime achievement award, the Corporate Counsel of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Bar Association, and many others.

Justin Kimling

Justin Kimling has spent the last 10 years as Senior Account Executive and Project Management professional supporting various organizations across the U.S. Kimling’s past performance includes helping organizations reach their technology and business operation’s goals. As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, Kimling is passionate about the environment, and how to translate these experiences into positive impacts for MKA’s communities and markets of interest.

Teri Kruger

Teri Kruger is the Founding Director and lead Strategist of Synergetics Africa, a sustainable solutions business that helps progressive organizations to position themselves with a competitive advantage in a future of an energy, water and carbon-constrained world.

Teri has received multiple awards for her contributions to renewable energy, environmental sustainability, as well as science, engineering, and technology; and her speaking career has taken her to Japan, Austria, India and many engagements in South Africa on global stages as well as educational institutions.

Her knowledge base extends to the fields of business strategy, resource efficiency, technical standards, youth development, renewable energy power, and environmental risk mitigation so bringing insights from a number of perspectives. 

With a passion for people and the environment, Teri wants to create the momentum that induces positive change. Her focus is to support an organization’s success by reducing essential resource costs, powering its operations with clean power whilst mitigating the business risks, and climate change impacts for them to gain a significant business advantage. 

Katie Hoffner Headshot

Kate Hoffner

Over the last two decades, Kate Hoffner has held leadership positions in the environmental and clean tech sectors. Among her roles, Kate was the CEO of Prieto Battery, an advanced Li-ion battery technology, with its roots springing from Dr. Amy Prieto’s academic research at Colorado State University. While at Prieto, she raised significant rounds of capital, including from two major strategic investors, Intel Capital, and Stanley Ventures.

She was also part of the team that won an $11M US Department of Energy grant for the City of Ft Collins. She spearheaded the campaign to pass the first solar feed-in tariff policy in the State of Colorado and was part of a leadership team that staged the first major Hydrogen Energy education event in the USA. Kate was also co-owner of Sustainable Conferences, an event company focused on promoting green building practices and solutions to mitigating climate change. In her most recent fundraising efforts, she’s helped Mana Pacific reach some of their goals in accelerating the adoption of renewable energy in the Pacific Islands.

Consultant | Senior Advisor | Fundraiser.

In her current role as Senior Advisor, Kate uses her skills as a strategist and training from the Presencing Institute (founded by MIT Lecturer, Otto Scharmer) to help teams understand new capabilities required for profound societal transformation and how new forms of collective leadership, collaboration, and innovation can fundamentally shift systems.

Kate is also the guardian of her Aunt Lydia Ruyle’s art collection of over 300 banners of the Divine Feminine. Kate has curated many pop-art exhibits around the world since her aunt’s passing in 2016. She uses this art form as a way to spread the energies of ancient images of the sacred feminine and to elicit discussion of being more inclusive of HERstories alongside the modern-day conversations of myth and storytelling.

Kate’s education includes an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) and a BA dual degree from Sweet Briar College, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Kate is a 4th-generation Coloradoan and grew up in open space and on the back of a horse.

Nathan Johnson

Dr. Nathan Johnson is an Associate Professor in The Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. At ASU, Dr. Johnson directs the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions that provides technical and business solutions that facilitate the global transition to a resilient low-carbon economy. Research to commercialization efforts emphasize grid modernization, microgrids, off-grid solutions, resilient infrastructure, and workforce development. 

He also leads a Microgrid Test Bed that combines simulation-based design and prototype development to rapidly translate energy innovations from concept to construction, leading to pilot and demonstration projects before commercialization. 

Dr. Johnson is an active educator with training and workforce development programs inside and outside the university supporting career development for student Veterans, underserved populations, and existing workforce in the transitioning energy economy. In an advisory capacity, Dr. Johnson supports strategic development for technology vendors, electric utilities, non-profits, and governmental organizations. Before joining ASU, he spent ten years in product development and business development with projects across 15 countries.

Patrick Linder

Patrick Linder is a polymathic architect who creatively develops and executes sustainable strategies towards high quality, cost effective results. He has cultivated diverse learning experiences, professional assignments and unique relationships with the goal of “seeking the shalom of the city” and facilitating shared flourishing of both clients and stakeholders.

By leveraging his core competencies, Patrick seeks to envision and realize projects which provide a reasonable rate of return while valuing long-term resilience and environmental stability.

Patrick is the principal of Partners’, a Detroit-based design-build firm. His project experience includes revitalizing single family neighborhoods, designing religious institutions, creating spaces for artists, hydroponic agriculture including grow facilities, and multi-family design/construction. Partners’ offers the full suite of architectural and construction services from site selection and acquisition to construction and property management. Currently, Partners’ is focused on continuing its work with the City of Detroit in emergency repair and abatement programs, realizing Detroit’s first natural birth center, and building an artist studio and residence in Southwest Detroit.

Patrick has a Masters Degree in Architecture and a Real Estate Certificate from the University of Michigan. He has been studying and practicing architecture for twelve years. He is also a Licensed Residential Builder and approved contractor for the City of Detroit.

Dan West

Dan West cultivated a diverse software development background working with the University of Florida, G4 Synergetics Inc, Staunch Creative Group, and various branches of the US Army and National Guard. West has been a forerunner in the technology field since the age of 16 when his work was published in a scientific journal. Currently, he holds patents on several products and specializes in database design and machine to machine communication.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has over thirty years of executive experience in diverse operating environments from military to academia to industry and nonprofits with a consistent record leading successful teams and exceeding goals. He has a wealth of experience in leadership training, technology development, fiscal and program management, government acquisition, and problem solving.

 

As the President of Thunder Bay Consulting, Dave provides advice and consulting services to companies with disruptive technologies and services interested in increasing market share in Federal Agencies and supporting the US Warfighter.

His clients focus on technology areas such as electronics, armor, vehicle electrification, autonomous systems, vehicle integration, mobility, modeling and simulation, radars, counter UAS and active protection systems, software engineering, cyber security, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, countermine, route clearance, and additive manufacturing.

Dave joined Thunder Bay Consulting after seven years as a Department of the Army Civilian Acquisition Professional where he served as the Chief of Staff of U.S. Army, Tank and Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center from 2013-2016 and the Director, Planning, Programming and Operations. U.S. Army, Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems from 2010-2013. Dave is also a retired U.S. Army Colonel who served in multiple operational and command and staff positions over a 24-year career in Infantry, Armor, and Space/Information Operations.

Dave holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Citadel and a Master’s degree from Harvard University. He is Level III certified in Program Management, possesses a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and is certified as a DoD Chief Information Officer.