Meet NineDot’s leaders

Adam B. Cohen, Ph.D., is leading the way to urban clean energy as the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of NineDot Energy, building community energy sites to make the NYC metro grid cleaner, more resilient, more equitable and less costly. 

Projects in operation or under development that Adam has spearheaded include battery energy storage systems in Staten Island, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island and Westchester County. 

Adam developed his exceptional understanding of how complex systems interact and evolve in his academic work (Ph.D. from the Chaos Group at University of Maryland and B.S. in physics from Bucknell University); he now applies his findings to the interconnected dynamics of energy markets, technologies, regulations and grid economics. Adam was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy (launching a research program applying social and behavioral science to scale up solar energy adoption) where Adam met his NineDot Energy co-founders. Adam is passionate about opportunities to modernize the urban electric system in a way that benefits all stakeholders. Recognizing the impact of Adam’s work, Crain’s New York Business selected Adam as an inaugural “2023 Notable Leader in Sustainability”.

David is CEO and co-founder of NineDot Energy. As CEO, David spearheads the implementation of NineDot’s strategic vision, including leading the organization, identifying innovative urban energy solutions, galvanizing the company’s financing efforts and engaging with business, political, regulatory and community members as he works to help NineDot accelerate the energy transition in New York City and beyond. He is also the co-founder of Ener-Pacte (France) and SolarVento (Mexico), and has served on the Board of Directors of Simpa Networks (India) and WattzOn (Palo Alto), and as an Advisor to Everyday Energy (San Diego), United Wind (New York), Tigi Solar (Israel), and eMotorWerks (acquired by ENEL). Previously, David served as a Consultant to the US Department of Energy’s SunShot initiative and as Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Israel Cleantech Ventures. David has also been an emissary for the US Department of State in Angola and the Middle East.

Previously David was the VP of Strategy at Solar City — the largest solar installer in the  US — where he created the SolarLease, a game-changing solar financing program that enabled millions of American homeowners to have solar power in their homes. SolarCity was acquired by Tesla.

David loves building sustainable businesses that contribute to environmental wellness. 

David has a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MA in Public Policy Analysis from the Claremont Graduate University, and an MBA from Stanford University. He currently serves on the Green Advisory Council of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Board of the Friends of the Arava Environmental Institute for Environmental Studies. He is also a member of the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable. 

Emily Wheeler is an engineer and clean energy and technology specialist committed to helping cities, companies, and the community. She is NineDot’s Chief of Staff.

Nalin is Wing Tat Lee Family Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business where he also serves as the co-director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy. Nalin’s current research interests include impact investing and financing distributed energy resources. Nalin has published extensively in top academic journals as well as influential managerial publications. His book, Real Options (HBS Press), has received wide acclaim. His honors include Bertil Danielson Chair (Stockholm School of Economics), Takang Chair (Tamkang University, Taipei), and the Association for Investment Management and Research’s Graham and Dodd Award. He has co-founded several companies including FirstFuel Software (energy data analytics), and NineDot Energy (community distributed generation for congested urban grids). He serves on the Board of Directors of Assette. Nalin holds a PhD from MIT

Nick Lombardi is the Senior Vice President of Project Development for NineDot Energy, overseeing all project development activities for the company.

Adam B. Cohen, Ph.D., is leading the way to urban clean energy as the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of NineDot Energy, building community energy sites to make the NYC metro grid cleaner, more resilient, more equitable and less costly. 

Projects in operation or under development that Adam has spearheaded include battery energy storage systems in Staten Island, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island and Westchester County. 

Adam developed his exceptional understanding of how complex systems interact and evolve in his academic work (Ph.D. from the Chaos Group at University of Maryland and B.S. in physics from Bucknell University); he now applies his findings to the interconnected dynamics of energy markets, technologies, regulations and grid economics. Adam was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy (launching a research program applying social and behavioral science to scale up solar energy adoption) where Adam met his NineDot Energy co-founders. Adam is passionate about opportunities to modernize the urban electric system in a way that benefits all stakeholders. Recognizing the impact of Adam’s work, Crain’s New York Business selected Adam as an inaugural “2023 Notable Leader in Sustainability”.

David is CEO and co-founder of NineDot Energy. As CEO, David spearheads the implementation of NineDot’s strategic vision, including leading the organization, identifying innovative urban energy solutions, galvanizing the company’s financing efforts and engaging with business, political, regulatory and community members as he works to help NineDot accelerate the energy transition in New York City and beyond. He is also the co-founder of Ener-Pacte (France) and SolarVento (Mexico), and has served on the Board of Directors of Simpa Networks (India) and WattzOn (Palo Alto), and as an Advisor to Everyday Energy (San Diego), United Wind (New York), Tigi Solar (Israel), and eMotorWerks (acquired by ENEL). Previously, David served as a Consultant to the US Department of Energy’s SunShot initiative and as Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Israel Cleantech Ventures. David has also been an emissary for the US Department of State in Angola and the Middle East.

Previously David was the VP of Strategy at Solar City — the largest solar installer in the  US — where he created the SolarLease, a game-changing solar financing program that enabled millions of American homeowners to have solar power in their homes. SolarCity was acquired by Tesla.

David loves building sustainable businesses that contribute to environmental wellness. 

David has a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MA in Public Policy Analysis from the Claremont Graduate University, and an MBA from Stanford University. He currently serves on the Green Advisory Council of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Board of the Friends of the Arava Environmental Institute for Environmental Studies. He is also a member of the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable. 

Nalin is Wing Tat Lee Family Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business where he also serves as the co-director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy. Nalin’s current research interests include impact investing and financing distributed energy resources. Nalin has published extensively in top academic journals as well as influential managerial publications. His book, Real Options (HBS Press), has received wide acclaim. His honors include Bertil Danielson Chair (Stockholm School of Economics), Takang Chair (Tamkang University, Taipei), and the Association for Investment Management and Research’s Graham and Dodd Award. He has co-founded several companies including FirstFuel Software (energy data analytics), and NineDot Energy (community distributed generation for congested urban grids). He serves on the Board of Directors of Assette. Nalin holds a PhD from MIT