Emily Kirsch

Co-founder & CEO, Powerhouse

Emily Kirsch is Co-founder and CEO of Powerhouse, the world’s only ​intelligent energy incubator and accelerator​. Since launching in 2013 in Oakland, California, Powerhouse has housed over 40 intelligent energy startups and organizations​, has invested in 16, and 4 Powerhouse startups have been acquired. Powerhouse startups have collective raised over $290m in capital. Prior to founding Powerhouse, she worked with Van Jones,​ a​ former advisor to President Obama​ turned CNN political ​commentator, to launch​ the Green Jobs Corps​; Oakland's first solar jobs training program​. Kirsch is the founding convener of the the Oakland Climate Action Coalition which drafted and secured passage​ of what was the most ambitious Energy and Climate Action Plan of any city in the US. In addition, she ​worked with ​the solar company ​Mosaic to ​secure their first customers and launch their pilot platform. Kirsch was a 2012 New Leaders Council Alumni,​ was featured in the '15 for 2015 Women Leaders in Cleantech', was a winner of the 'East Bay Innovation Award for Cleantech', and was a 'Grist 50: The 50 People You'll Be Talking About in 2016'. She has guest lectured at MIT, UC Berkeley, and Stanford.

Recordings

Play
Podcast

Happening with James Redford

September 7, 2017
Fossil fuels are in favor again in Washington. New opportunities are opening to mine coal and drill for oil despite the fact that the costs for...