Allison Arnold, Senior Manager, Marketing and Public Policy, Mitsubishi Electric and Electronics USA
Allison leads marketing, communications, and public policy for the solar photovoltaic products manufacturing business of Mitsubishi Electric and Electronics USA. She also leads the office Green Team, which helps employees adopt environmentally friendly practices at the company’s Cypress, CA headquarters and in the community. In addition to her participation on GRID Alternatives – GLA’s Advisory Council, she serves on a number of boards and committees in support of local and national deployment of photovoltaic technology, including the Board of the California Solar Energy Industries Association, the Executive Committee of the Solar Alliance, and the Los Angeles Business Council. Prior to joining the solar industry, Allison worked in ocean conservation policy as a Program Officer for WWF in Wellington, New Zealand, and as a consultant to government agencies and environmental organizations in New Zealand and the U.S. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Systems from Stanford University and a Master of Environmental Studies degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar. During her career Allison has sought to advance policies that support environmentally sustainable technologies and practices.
Michael Kadish, Principal, Blue Vista Strategies
Michael Kadish is the principal of Blue Vista Strategies, with fifteen years of experience in public affairs, communications, journalism and politics. He has worked in government, campaigns, the non-profit environmental sector and clean tech start-ups. At Blue Vista Strategies, Kadish consults with clean tech firms and non-profit organizations on communications strategy, coalition building, government and community relations. As an advocate, Kadish has worked to pass clean energy legislation on the local and federal level, including the 2009 Waxman-Markey climate change bill and more recently on CLEAN LA, the proposed solar feed-in tariff for Los Angeles. Previously, he served as the Director of Public and Consumer Affairs for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission where he worked on regulatory and planning issues related to renewable power generation and transmission. Kadish holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.
Alex McLeod, Television Personality
Alex McLeod is an Emmy nominated television host and entertainment news correspondent best known for being the original host of reality based shows such as Trading Spaces and Joe Millionaire. McLeod is a graduate of both The University of Texas and Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts and a member of both SAG and AFTRA.
Carrie Norton, Founder and President, Green Business BASE CAMP
Carrie Norton is the Founder and President of Green Business BASE CAMP, a global immersion training program and on-line education platform for early stage green business and clean tech entrepreneurs. Carrie’s broad expertise in sustainable business and entrepreneurship has evolved as strategic career choices allowed her to appreciate a range of perspectives, starting with her positions at Garage Technology Ventures and Idealab. Most recently, Carrie served early-adopting clients such as Google, Sony, and British Telecom as a senior executive responsible for Market and Project Development during her 7-year tenure in the commercial solar power industry. Carrie is a Catto Environmental Fellow of the Aspen Institute, Class of 2010. She co-founded the Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles, and her community leadership also includes work with Grid Alternatives, the Clean Economy Network and Net Impact. An adjunct Faculty member at the Graziadio School of Management at Pepperdine University, Carrie earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA from Trinity University. Carrie speaks and consults frequently on innovation & entrepreneurship, clean tech, and triple bottom line investing.
