Mike Bendewald

Mike Bendewald has a diverse work experience spanning multiple industries. Mike started their career as a National Science Foundation Teaching Fellow at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where they created content for the Teach Engineering digital curriculum library and taught engineering activities to K-12 students.

From there, Bendewald joined the Rocky Mountain Institute, where they held various roles including Senior Associate in the Buildings Program, Manager of the China Program, and Manager of the Shine Program. In these positions, they managed teams, conducted research, and oversaw the delivery of solar projects in Colorado and Texas. Mike also played a key role in developing a handbook for the Chinese government and city mayors to support their GHG reduction commitments. Additionally, Bendewald impacted over 30,000 professionals in the real estate industry through the development of sustainability initiatives and handbooks.

After their tenure at the Rocky Mountain Institute, Bendewald worked as a Managing Director and Independent Consultant at Texas Energy Aggregation. Here, they helped public entities in Texas procure utility-scale renewables and implement energy management strategies. Mike successfully transformed the company from an energy commodity broker to a reputable advisor for long-term renewable energy purchasing.

Following their time at Texas Energy Aggregation, Bendewald joined Power TakeOff as a Strategic Account Manager and later became the Product Commercialization Lead. Mike played a crucial role in managing the company's Energy Information System (EIS) software-as-a-service offering and executing pilot projects. Mike also transformed the client sales organization, resulting in a 10% increase in annual recurring revenue for the EIS software product.

Currently, Mike Bendewald is the Vice President at Mantis Innovation, a role they have held since April 2022.

Mike Bendewald obtained their Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Saint John's University in 2003. Mike then went on to pursue a Master of Science degree in Architectural Engineering, specializing in the Building Systems Program, at the University of Colorado Boulder from 2006 to 2009. Prior to their university education, Mike attended Spearfish High School in South Dakota, although specific years were not provided.