

Speakers at
RECESS
Speakers at RECESS26 are builders, educators, community leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and advocates shaping a regenerative future that includes everyone. They bring bold ideas, lived experience, and a shared belief that the clean energy transition should work for people and communities.
RECESS speakers want to talk to YOU. Our stage is designed to spark conversation and open doors. You'll hear from people building clean energy businesses in their communities, researchers turning data into action, and leaders who are reimagining what's possible when everyone is invited.
Inviting with Intention
Black, Indigenous, Brown, and other historically underrepresented voices.
The clean energy future only succeeds if all are welcome to shape the conversation. We intentionally elevate Black, Indigenous, Brown, and other historically underrepresented speakers leading a regenerative economy powered by people.
Our voices represent the full energy ecosystem: students and seasoned executives, policymakers and environmental justice advocates, entrepreneurs just getting started, and those who've been doing this work for decades.


2026 Speakers
New speakers added weekly.

Sauda Ahmad-Green, Esq
Real Estate Developer - S&S Development Group

Doseke Akporiaye
Executive Director - Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE)

David Averbeck
Energy Advisor - Walker-Miller Energy Services

Honorable Vicky Bailey
Founder - Anderson Stratton International

SaLisa Berrien
Founder and CEO - COI Energy

Tonya L. Berry
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer - CMS Energy Corporation and Consumers Energy Company

Dr. Mark Berry
Senior Vice President - Southern Company

Dr. Brandy Brown
Founder - Sadberry Singer

Ron Butler
CEO - ESSPI

Gilbert Campbell
Founder and CEO - Volt Energy

Brynn Cooksey Sr., CEM, CMS
Owner and General Manager - Air Doctors Heating & Cooling Co.

Kelly Darnell
Chief Operating Officer - American Clean Power, President - Clean Power Institute

Felicia Davis
Founder - HBCU Green Fund

Ali Dirul
Founder & CEO - Ryter Cooperative Industries

Komal Doshi
Vice President of Beneficial Electrification and Mobility - Walker-Miller Energy Services
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Paul Douglas
CEO & Founder - The JPI Group, CEO & Founder - CareerEquity

Ben Dueweke
Director - Michigan Climate Investment Hub

Kerry Duggan
Founder and CEO - Energy Security Partners

Brandie Ekren
Executive Director - Traverse City Light & Power

Chandra Farley
Chief Sustainability Officer - City of Atlanta

Nicole Gailliard
CEO Empowered Electrical Solutions, Master Electrician, VPP Practitioner

Donna Givens Davidson
President & CEO - Eastside Community Network

Paula Glover
President - The Alliance to Save Energy

Don Graves
Former Deputy Secretary - U.S. Department of Commerce, Founder - Highland Creek Advisors

Robert Gudea
Executive Director - GridEquity

Roderick A. Hardamon
CEO & Chief Strategist - URGE

Keith Henderson
Manager of Technical Operations and Workforce Development - PECO

Colette D. Honorable
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary - Exelon Corporation

Hiram Jackson
CEO - Real Times Media, Publisher - Michigan Chronicle, Managing Partner - Paradise Valley Real Estate Holdings

Kenneth Kelly
Chairman & CEO - First Independence Bank

Joe Lange
Senior Energy Analyst, City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability

Derrick Meeking
Director, Market Development Initiatives - Walker-Miller Energy Services

Dr. Madeline Miller
CEO - NexTiles

Dr. Roland Mitchell
Dean and E.B. Ted Robert Endowed Professor - Louisiana State University

Gwen Mizell
Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer - Ameren

Mayor Sheldon Neeley
City of Flint, Michigan

Quinn Parker
Founder and CEO - Encolor

Gabrielle Pierre
Director of Strategy and Partnerships - University of Georgia

Darren Riley
Co-Founder and CEO - JustAir Solutions

Matthew Roling
Executive Director of the Abrams Climate Academy - Northwestern University

Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr.
President - Alabama State University
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Tepfirah Rushdan
Director of the Office of Sustainability for City of Detroit

Tanya Saldivar-Ali
Co-Founder - AGI Construction Solutions

Shaka Senghor
Resilience Expert, Author, and Coach

Jigar Shah
Host - The Energy Empire and Open Circuit

Kristol Simms
Vice President, Clean Energy Transition, Economic, Community and Business Development - Ameren Illinois Company

Chéri Smith
President & CEO - Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy

Dug Song
CEO, Song United & Co-Founder - Song Foundation
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Dr. Tolulope Sonuyi
Emergency Medicine Physician - Detroit Medical Center, Founder - D.L.I.V.E

Missy Stults
Sustainability and Innovations Director - City of Ann Arbor

Mori Taheripour
Negotiations Expert, Educator, Author

Kameale C. Terry
CEO - ChargerHelp!

Victoria Thompson
VRF Midwest Sales Manager - Carrier

Alexa Turnage
Co-Founder - Black Tech Saturdays

Johnnie Turnage
Co-Founder - Black Tech Saturdays

Allanté V. Whitmore, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Social Impact - The PLUM Catalyst

Dr. David K. Wilson
President - Morgan State University
Previous Speakers

Ademola Fagade
Co-Founder - Synerfox AI

Alicia Douglas
Founder and CEO - WaterRising Institute

Amanda Lawrence
Mobility Hub Director - Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity

Andi Crawford
Chief Revenue Officer - Next Street

Anika Goss
Chief Executive Officer - Detroit Future City
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Anne Pentiak
State Administrative Manager - Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

Brett Isaac
CEO, Navajo Power & Founder, Navajo Power Home

Carla Walker-Miller
Founder and CEO - Walker-Miller Energy Services

Catalina Lamadrid, PMP
President & Founder - INOVA Energy Group

Charlotte Gossett Navarro
Puerto Rico Chief Director - Hispanic Federation

Clarinda Barnett-Harrison
Director of Talent Development and Programming - Michigan Central

Cortnie Squirewell
Innovation Team Director - Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University

David Pitawanakwat
Indigenous Justice Coordinator - Legal Assistance of Windsor

Deeana Ijaz, Ph.D.
Chief Strategy Officer - Our Next Energy (ONE)
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Derric Scott
Founder and CEO - J29:7 Planning & Development Corporation

Diana Fuller
CEJA Division Manager - Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Dion Williams
Group Director of Community Relations - Detroit Medical Center

Dr. Crystal Miller
Head of Policy and Government Relations - Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, University of Arizona

Dr. Donna L. Bell
Chief Product Officer - Dunamis Charge

Dr. Michael Dorsey
Director & Chair - Rob & Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service

Ericka A. White
State Director - Illinois SBDC Network - Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Erin Reddick
Founder - ChatBlackGPT

Glenda Thomas
CEO & President - Electra Grid Solutions

Jackie Bliss
President of Services - Franklin Energy

Jerrell Wylie
Energy Analyst - City of Ann Arbor, Michigan

Jessica Williams
Chief Operating Officer - Green Home Experts (GHE)

Jonathan Jenkins
Owner, General Manager - Target Air HVAC

Justine Johnson
Chief Mobility Officer - Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, State of Michigan

Kianna Scott
CEO - SmarterHelp, Inc.

Laura Chavez
Managing Director - Per Scholas

Liliana Gonzalez, RA, LEED ND, PMP
Development Manager - Cinnaire

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist
State of Michigan
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Manann Donoghoe
Senior Research Associate - Brookings

Maria Lewis
Director of Community Impact and Allied Networks - Building Performance Association

Mario Swaiden
Founder - Drone Capital

Marva Goodson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice - Arizona State University

Mayor Mike Duggan
City of Detroit, Michigan

Meishka L. Mitchell, AICP, PP
President & CEO - Emerald Cities Collaborative

Melia Howard
Deputy Mayor - Office of Michael E. Duggan, Mayor of Detroit
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Morice Norris
NFL Athlete, Philanthropist, and Community Leader

Natalie King
Founder & CEO - Dunamis Clean Energy Partners

Nishaat Killeen
Director of Programs - Michigan Saves

Regina Strong
Environmental Justice Public Advocate - Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE)

Rob Lockett
Executive Director - LISC

Robert Blake
Founder and CEO - Solar Bear

Rodney Cole
President, DTE Foundation and DTE Corporate Citizenship

Sally Talberg
CEO - Michigan Saves

Scott Alan Davis
Vice President of Inclusion and Economic Development - SEEL

Shalanda Baker
Vice Provost for Sustainability & Climate Action - University of Michigan
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Sneha Ayyagari
Director of Policy - Rising Sun Center for Opportunity

Stacey Abrams
Former Georgia House Minority Leader

Tameshia Bridges Mansfield
Founder & Principal - Beloved Praxis Consulting

Tony G. Reames, Ph.D.
Director, Detroit Sustainability Clinic - University of Michigan School of Environment & Sustainability

Vickie Lewis
Owner, President/CEO - VMX International
