Jigar Shah is an energy entrepreneur, investor, and strategist recognized on the 2024 TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people. He is Co-Managing Partner at Multiplier LLC, advising clean energy and climate tech companies on growth. Shah previously led the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, expanding its authority tenfold and deploying $108 billion in clean energy and advanced transportation financing. Before government service, he co-founded and led Generate Capital ($10B AUM) and founded SunEdison, pioneering third-party solar financing. He also served as the founding CEO of the Carbon War Room, launched by Sir Richard Branson to accelerate climate solutions.
Melissa Stark is an adjunct professor at Rice Business, teaching electricity and energy transition topics.
Melissa has spent over 30 years working in the utilities and energy industry.
Melissa had a 30-year career with Accenture. She was Accenture’s global lead for renewables and energy transition services, leading teams to deliver more than 200 renewable and energy transition projects across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
From September 2023 to November 2024, she served as a senior adviser in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, where she received a certificate of appreciation in recognition for her outstanding contribution in developing the FECM Regional Reports and advancing AI initiatives.
Melissa has authored more than 50 papers and articles on clean energy and energy transition. She was a fellow of the World Economic Forum from 2020-2023, working on system value, industrial clusters, clean electrification, cities, hydrogen and emerging economies. She served as a member of the U.S. National Petroleum Council from 2022-2023. She is a fellow of the U.K. Energy Institute and a member of the U.K. ESO’s Technology Advisory Council. Stark received a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Northwestern University.
Abigail Ross Hopper is the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association for America’s solar and storage industry. A visionary leader, she has transformed SEIA into an advocacy powerhouse and the leading voice for a $64 billion industry that employs over 280,000 workers in the U.S.Â
Since joining SEIA in 2017, Ms. Hopper has overseen record industry growth, helped quintuple U.S. solar manufacturing capacity, and championed policies that support American energy dominance. She has appeared on The Hill’s Top Lobbyist list since 2020 and is a recognized voice in national energy media. Ms. Hopper is also working to shepherd the next generation of the solar workforce by championing diversity efforts in the industry and through her Solar Sisters initiative.Â
Prior to SEIA, Ms. Hopper served as director of the Maryland Energy Administration and led the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. A lawyer by trade, she earned her law degree from the University of Maryland and holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College.Â
Ms. Hopper currently serves on the boards of RE+ Events, Earthday.org, the Consumer Energy Education Fund, and the Irving Institute at Dartmouth. She is the very proud mom of three children.
Eduarda Zoghbi is a Climate and Energy Specialist at the Climate Investment Funds and Founder of MPower Brasil, an organization promoting women’s leadership in the energy sector. With over a decade of experience in international climate cooperation, Eduarda has been recognized as a Forbes Under 30, Reuters Future Leaders in Energy 2024 and World Energy Council FEL-100. Additionally, she is a Board Member at Student Energy and Fellow of the Atlantic Council's Women Leaders in Energy program. Her work has been distinguished internationally with awards, including GWEC’s REvolutionaries, AMP’s Global Youth Visionary, and NAAEE 30 Under 30. Eduarda holds an MPA in energy policy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Brasilia.
