Greentown Labs Names Kevin Knobloch as Chief Executive Officer

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Aug 17, 2023, 09:00 ET

Industry veteran and former Obama Administration appointee will lead the incubator through its next stage of growth

SOMERVILLE, Mass. and HOUSTON, Aug. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech incubator in North America, today announced its Board of Directors has appointed Kevin Knobloch as the organization's next Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept. 5, 2023. Knobloch was formerly Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Energy in President Obama's second term, working with Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz from June 2013 through January 2017. Following an extensive, national search process, he will work closely with Jason Hanna, Co-Founder and Interim CEO of Greentown, throughout the transition process. Hanna will remain on the incubator's Board of Directors.

Knobloch brings more than 30 years of experience leading and building effective mission-driven organizations in the business, government, and non-profit sectors with a focus on advancing clean energy and climate change solutions. His extensive knowledge of established and breakthrough energy technologies, clean energy business development, and climate policy will be instrumental in leading the incubator through its next chapter of growth in its regional ecosystems of Boston, MA and Houston, TX, and beyond.

"Kevin has a proven and impressive track record of growing, operationalizing, and leading a dynamic mix of organizations at different stages and in various industries, all of which have aligned with his unwavering commitment to addressing the climate crisis," said Dawn James, Greentown Labs Board Chair. "On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome Kevin as our next CEO. We are excited for what is to come under Kevin's leadership and look forward to the positive impact he will undoubtedly have on our team, our startup community, and the ecosystem at large."

Knobloch was most recently President of Knobloch Energy, an independent advisory and consulting firm providing strategic and tactical guidance to mission-driven companies, agencies and non-profit organizations to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and technology. In that capacity, he served as Acting Executive Director of the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium from June through December 2022.

"I'm honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to once again pass the leadership baton," said Hanna. "Especially so given Kevin's incredible record of climate leadership. I'm excited for the future of this organization and the impact he can make as Greentown enters the second decade of its climate mission."

Previously, Knobloch was President of New York OceanGrid LLC, where he led Anbaric's efforts to develop offshore wind transmission in New York from 2018 to 2020. Prior to that, Knobloch was a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He was President of the Union of Concerned Scientists for 10 years.

"I'm delighted to be asked by Greentown Labs' Board of Directors to be the next leader of this highly effective organization—and very excited to get to work," said Knobloch. "I've long admired the critical role Greentown plays in supporting the growth and impact of early-stage climate and energy transition technology companies, as well as the impressive efforts by former longtime CEO Emily Reichert and the talented Board and staff to build Greentown into a national powerhouse and model for other incubators around the world. The climate crisis demands that we accelerate our collective pace of deployment and I look forward to collaborating with our startups, staff, and partners to support that acceleration."

"Our committee conducted a wide-ranging national search for the right person to lead Greentown," said Katherine Hamilton, Greentown Labs Board Vice Chair, Chair of the CEO Search Committee, and Chair of 38 North Solutions. "Dozens of interviews later—with many incredible candidates—we found the absolutely right person in Kevin."

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Clean Energy Council and National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium and on the Advisory Board of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University. Knobloch is a Distinguished Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative. He holds a Master in Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, with a focus on natural resource economics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

About Greentown Labs
As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs brings together startups, corporates, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. With incubators in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, Texas, Greentown Labs is home to more than 200 startups and has supported more than 500 since the incubator's founding in 2011. These startups have collectively created more than 24,000 jobs, raised more than $4 billion in funding, and generated more than $9.8 billion in regional economic impact. For more information, please visit www.greentownlabs.com or Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.