Akash Patel brings more than a decade of investment and project finance experience across the renewable energy sector to his role as Chief Investment Officer. He has led underwriting and evaluation efforts for over 1 GW of distributed generation and storage projects, spanning commercial C&I, community solar, and PV+BESS portfolios. Akash’s work blends analytical rigor with practical, hands-on collaboration, shaped by years of close partnership with developers, lenders, and capital providers to advance high-quality projects and infrastructure assets from diligence through close. 

Before joining ClearGen, Akash served as Vice President of Investment Management at Distributed Solar Development (DSD), where he helped build a project financing team responsible for underwriting, capital raising, financing, and portfolio management.  

Akash previously held investment roles at H.I.G. Capital and CIT Group, where he structured and executed more than $2.5 billion in transaction volume across renewable energy, power generation, and infrastructure.  

Mr. Patel graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers Business School with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics.

Calwyn Morris brings expertise in data analysis, financial reporting, and auditing, with a strong ability to manage and interpret complex financial data. His experience in cost analysis, forecasting, and financial data management supports ClearGen’s operational and financial decision-making capabilities.

Calwyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and is bilingual in French and English. His background includes experience in data modeling, process automation, and audit support, along with proficiency in Excel, SQL, Power BI, and Tableau.

With his technical expertise, analytical mindset, and attention to detail, Calwyn brings valuable skills that strengthen ClearGen’s financial operations and support our continued growth.

Dan McDermott, the Director of Asset Management at ClearGen, brings a wealth of experience in operations, investing, financing, and managing energy assets. He has played a key role in optimizing the performance of renewable energy projects. Prior to his current role, he held positions at renowned companies, including Manager of Asset Management at United States Solar Corporation, Asset Manager at Syncarpha Capital, and Portfolio Manager at Radian Generation. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

Jason has over 15 years of experience in risk management, finance, and accounting at power and natural gas utilities, as well as, public accounting. While at Duke Energy, Jason supported the development and execution of enterprise risk management to quantify operational, financial, project, and strategy related risk. In a role in forecasting, Jason established a governance structure and policy for Capital Investment Planning to ensure efficient use of the capital spend. While at Piedmont Natural Gas, he managed corporate accounting, internal reporting, accounting systems, and business valuations.

Mr. Benoit earned a BA from Elon University and MBA from Wake Forest University. He holds an active CPA license in North Carolina.

Jibril brings over 8 years of experience in corporate finance, specializing in commercial real estate and alternative Investments. During his career, he has led the risk management and process improvement initiatives by introducing creative solutions into the foundation of daily operations. Under his previous role at LPL Financial, he introduced efficiencies that increased daily trading operations by 50% and managed the Alternative Investments resource platform that served as an information hub for over 19,000 financial advisors.

Jibril earned his BSBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Kaylyn Semones, Finance Manager at ClearGen, supports project valuation and underwriting, as well as new partnership due diligence and capital markets activity. She brings a diverse background in credit analysis, finance, and risk management having been a Credit Analyst at Bank of America, specializing in Power, Utilities, Renewables, and Commodities. There she managed a portfolio of corporate clients, conducting in-depth financial and industry analysis to support credit decisions, as well as playing a key role training junior analysts. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Finance – Risk Management & Banking from Virginia Tech.

Kevin brings over 12 years of strategy, investment, and operations experience in power and utilities to his role as Finance Manager. While working Duke Energy, Kevin oversaw the operation and P&L management and growth for Duke Energy’s Residential Demand Response programs, consisting of over 1 million customer and 1.4 GW, across six states and two markets. Earlier in his career at Duke Energy, Kevin conceptualized, designed, and received approval for over $300 million of capital investments in grid modernization and clean technology.

Mr. Fox received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar, and a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He holds an active Professional Engineer’s license in North Carolina.

Kim Ross is a Business Operations Specialist at ClearGen, where she plays a key role in strengthening internal operations and supporting organizational growth. She brings precision, adaptability, and a proactive approach that helps streamline processes, improve coordination, and enable the team to focus on strategic priorities.

With over 17 years of experience in education, Kim brings a strong foundation in communication, planning, and cross-functional leadership to her work at ClearGen. Her background reflects both depth of experience and the kind of versatility that contributes meaningfully in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. She holds a Master of Arts in Science Education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bethel College.

Her team-oriented mindset and attention to detail make her a valuable contributor to ClearGen’s continued success.

With 20 years of diverse experience in the field, Meaghan Nocella is a seasoned Human Resources professional with a wide range of expertise. Her skill set spans strategic planning, organizational development, talent acquisition, compensation, employee relations, compliance, talent development, executive coaching, and program design.

Before joining ClearGen, Meaghan served as Senior Vice President at U.S. Bank, where she supported clients of various sizes and functions. She has worked with stage zero start-ups as well as mature, geographically dispersed organizations with over 10,000 employees. Meaghan’s focus has been on developing and executing talent strategies, fostering strong cultures, leading large-scale business transformations, designing innovative talent management programs, and supporting mergers and acquisitions.

Meaghan holds a BS in Human Resource Management from the University of Cincinnati and has also attended Xavier University’s MBA program.

Michael Anderson is a Financial Analyst supporting investment evaluation, financial modeling, and capital deployment. He brings a strong foundation in financial risk and data analytics, with experience enhancing transparency and reporting accuracy across complex financial portfolios.

Before this role, Michael worked in market and counterparty risk at Wells Fargo, where he developed tools to improve data quality, resolved capital reporting issues, and supported regulatory reporting efforts—strengthening visibility into risk exposures and enabling more data-driven decisions.

He holds an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School with concentrations in Energy and Corporate Finance, bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from Elon University and is a CFA Level II candidate.

Mihaela Gorciu is a seasoned accounting professional with extensive experience in various aspects of finance and accounting. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Mihaela has honed her skills through diverse roles across different industries.

Drawing from her extensive experience Mihaela has held key positions, within the renewable energy industry including Lead Accounting Analyst at Deriva Energy and Senior Accountant at Duke Energy. Her tenure in public accounting with Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP (FORVIS) has provided her with a profound understanding of financial systems and practices, including auding, financial planning and analysis, budgeting, implementing accounting standards, and navigating complex mergers and acquisitions.

Mihaela’s educational background includes a master’s degree in accounting from UNC Greensboro, a master’s degree in financial Analysis and Valuation and a bachelor’s degree in international business and economics from Bucharest University of Economic Studies in Romania.

As Vice President of Capital Markets, Mike leads the development and execution of ClearGen’s capital strategy, securing financing to support the company’s growth and investment goals across its renewable energy platform.

Mike brings over 15 years of experience in renewable energy finance, development, and capital markets. Prior to joining ClearGen, he held leadership roles at Deriva Energy (formerly Duke Energy Renewables), where he led M&A transactions, structured tax equity and debt financings, and supported portfolio-level capital raises. His work included closing over $350 million in structured financings and acquiring utility-scale solar and storage projects across the U.S.

Earlier in his career, Mike held roles in structured finance at Standard Solar, served as Clean Energy Program Manager for the Maryland Energy Administration, and supported federal energy programs at ICF Consulting.

Mike holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Kenyon College.

Rob has 20 years of experience investing in, financing, and managing energy assets. From 2016 to 2020, Rob was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cogentrix Energy, a leading power asset manager. Previously he has held investment underwriting roles with The Carlyle Group and ArcLight Capital Partners, two leading energy investors. In the span of his career, Rob has overseen the investment of over $1 billion of equity investments in power and midstream assets throughout North America and Europe.

Mr. Howard received a BA from Duke University and MBA from Yale University.

Rory Pako brings a strong foundation in financial analysis, data management, and client relationship support, complemented by a sharp analytical mindset and a drive for continuous improvement. He holds a Master’s in Communication and Business Leadership and a B.S.B.A. in Finance from High Point University.

Before joining ClearGen, Rory served as a Data Analyst at Bloomberg L.P., where he analyzed term sheets, prospectuses, public filings, and offering memorandums. He also played a key role in developing data management systems that enhanced operational efficiency and improved access to financial insights.

Rory’s combination of financial expertise, data acumen, and collaborative problem-solving makes him a valuable contributor to the ClearGen team.

As an Asset Management Analyst at ClearGen, Sommer McCabe supports investment due diligence and the performance monitoring of operating assets, helping to inform key decisions and drive portfolio value.

She brings a strong foundation in investment operations, data analysis, and client service. Prior to joining ClearGen, Sommer worked at Vanguard, where she supported high-net-worth clients in navigating complex retirement and investment strategies.

Her ability to translate financial data into insights, manage documentation, and resolve operational challenges adds valuable analytical depth and executional precision to the asset management team.

Sommer holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses and is currently a CFA Level II candidate. She earned her B.Sc. in Anthropology from Florida State University, graduating cum laude.

Zaq brings 15 years of experience in energy-related development, construction, acquisition, and operations. Prior to joining ClearGen, Zaq was the General Counsel of Entropy Investment Management, a specialty energy investment and management company specializing in asset finance, private equity investments, and arbitrage investments primarily in renewable and alternative energy spaces in North America, South America, and the Caribbean. During his time with Entropy, he also served as the Chief Operating Officer of two utility-scale food-waste-to-energy anaerobic digesters in Charlotte, NC and Johnston, RI. Zaq began his career at McGuireWoods LLP where he represented banks, utility companies, and renewable energy developers on real estate, finance, and energy projects.

Zaq received his BA from Furman University and his JD from Campbell University, Norman Adrian School of Law.