Donnel Baird

Donnel Baird is the CEO of BlocPower, a social enterprise that is building a green infrastructure and creating jobs in underserved communities. Donnel has over a decade of experience in the fields of clean energy, climate change, and social justice.

Baird began their career as a National Field Director for the Change to Win Federation, where they worked on developing the workforce for the American residential energy efficiency industry. Donnel then went on to work as the Pennsylvania Constituency Vote Director and Regional Field Director for Obama for America during the 2007-2008 election cycle. In 2012, Baird served as the National Get Out The Vote Director for SEIU during the presidential election.

After a brief stint as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Jalia Ventures, Baird founded BlocPower in 2013. Under Baird’s leadership, BlocPower has installed solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades in over 1,000 buildings, created over 1,500 jobs, and saved millions of dollars in energy costs for customers.

Donnel Baird has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a degree in Donnel'story from Duke University. Donnel's focus is on African-American/Black Studies and they have experience in entrepreneurship and political science.

Some individuals on their team include Grace Park-Bradbury - GM West/Strategic Initiatives, Ariel Kalishman Walsh - Director of Enterprise Partnerships, and Glenn Schatz - CRO.