195:, after which he moved back to New York City and spent four years as a community organizer, working to bridge the gap between the privileged students he encountered at Duke and the underprivileged kids he grew up with in his neighborhood. He wanted to create a business that could address the intersection of climate change, energy waste in buildings, public health, and poverty by providing employment opportunities for low-income families. Additionally, he become a political organizer with Change To Win Labor Federation, focused on partnering with the
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In 2014, Baird was named a "Champion of Change" by the White House for his efforts in advancing clean energy and economic opportunity. In 2017, Baird was recognized as a Crain’s "40 Under 40" of influential young leaders. Baird's achievements have been featured in numerous media outlets, including
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During his last semester at
Columbia Business School, Baird launched BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based technology company whose goal is to upgrade residential homes and buildings in underserved communities while combating the environmental crisis. This is done through installing solar panels and the
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retrofit of efficient electric heating and cooling systems that lower utility costs and provides financial help during installations. The company is under the support of investing groups such as
Goldman Sachs and Kapor Capital.
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Baird is married and has a son. His wife, Larcenia Cooper, played a crucial role in shaping his career path, encouraging him to pursue entrepreneurship instead of law school.
149:. Baird is the first-born child in his family and has a younger sister. His family started life together in a one-bedroom apartment with a shared bathroom with a neighbor in
237:, amongst others. Baird was featured on Time magazine's 100 Next in 2022. He has also been invited to speak at events such as TED and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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161:. Living in a decrepit building, his family experienced leaving on natural gas powered stoves for heating during the winter, while opening windows to release
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Beyond his role at BlocPower, Baird serves on the board of several organizations, including the New York
Federal Reserve Bank Advisory Board, Al Gore's
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125:(born 1981) is an American entrepreneur and community organizer. He is the CEO and founder of BlocPower.
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parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s following an economic decline in
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had a profound effect on Baird and sank him into a depression. His relationship with historian
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In the early 1990s Baird's parents divorced, and his mother and both of the children moved to
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626:"Testimony: Donnel Baird on Generating Equity and Deploying a Just and Clean Energy Future"
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157:. His father worked cleaning boilers, while his mother was in a teacher program at
539:"City, state and business leaders talk about tackling the nation's energy issues"
295:"BK Climate Tech CEO Raises $ 63M to 'Green' Buildings, Slams North BK Pipeline"
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383:"Block by block, he aims to fight injustice and save the planet"
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urged Baird to pursue environmental issues and racial equity.
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Duke
University (Bachelor's) Columbia Business School (MBA)
680:"Q&A with Donnel Baird, Founder of BlocPower - MaC VC"
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ECPA - Energy and
Climate Partnership of the Americas
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176:. During his time at Duke, the police shooting of
172:. He attended a prep school and later moved on to
462:"Fighting Climate Change, One Building At A Time"
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486:"Donnel Baird '13BUS, Founder of BlocPower"
199:to help create green energy jobs under the
557:"Donnel Baird | Crain's New York Business"
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62:Learn how and when to remove this message
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34:tone or style may not reflect the
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515:"2022 TIME100 Next: Donnel Baird"
349:"Getting Carbon Out of Buildings"
650:"Goldman Sachs | Launch With GS"
44:guide to writing better articles
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735:Columbia Business School alumni
513:Kluger, Jeffrey (2022-09-28).
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220:Social impact and recognition
678:Foster, micah (2021-12-10).
460:Charles, Dan (2020-10-18).
414:The Climate Reality Project
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725:Sustainability advocates
205:Columbia Business School
129:Early life and education
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242:Climate Reality Project
38:used on Knowledge (XXG)
730:Duke University alumni
325:"Power for the People"
133:Baird was born in the
42:See Knowledge (XXG)'s
684:macventurecapital.com
16:American entrepreneur
580:"TEDxStanford | TED"
543:Washington Post Live
201:Obama Administration
197:Department of Energy
151:Bedford-Stuyvesant
99:Brooklyn, New York
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715:1981 births
584:www.ted.com
163:harmful gas
141:in 1981 to
137:borough of
704:Categories
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664:2023-06-24
635:2024-02-06
612:2024-02-06
589:2023-06-25
562:2024-02-06
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392:2023-06-24
358:2024-02-06
334:2023-07-01
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256:References
113:Occupation
211:BlocPower
105:Education
52:July 2023
299:BKReader
155:Brooklyn
143:Guyanese
135:Brooklyn
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231:Forbes
147:Guyana
519:Time
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93:Born
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