1. How Do We Build A Stronger Cleantech Innovation Hub in NJ
How Do We Build A Stronger Cleantech Innovation Hub in NJ? A Round Table panel sponsored by the NJ Economic Development Authority May 22, 2019
Upendra J. Chivukula was nominated by Governor Christopher J. Christie as a Commissioner to the N.J. Board of Public Utilities on September 18, 2014 and confirmed by the Senate on September 22, 2014
Prior to his nomination, Mr. Chivukula served in the New Jersey Assembly representing the 17th legislative district, where he served as chair of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee. Before becoming a state legislator, Mr. Chivukula served as Mayor of Franklin Township for a year and on Town Council for another seven years. He also served on the National Council of State Legislatures and on the Council of State Governments.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Chivukula worked as an engineer for both AT&T and Leeds & Northrup. He currently serves on the Telecommunication and International Relations Committees of National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and is a member of Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners. He also serves on the Einstein Alley Advisory Council.
Commissioner Chivukula received a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from College of Engineering, Chennai, India, and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from City College, New York, and took graduate courses in Electrical Engineering at Rutgers University.
Michael Oster was one of the co-founders and former CEO of Eos Energy Storage. Eos has developed a unique and market-leading battery technology and large scale system and is scaling up international production and selling to some of the largest global energy companies. He recently founded Ionic Water Technologies to focus on water desalination. His prior experience includes renewable energy asset development, venture capital, emerging markets and technology development.
Michael began his career at IBM and later joined the management consulting firm of A. T. Kearney. In 1991, Michael moved to Russia as privatization was starting and built what was one of the largest real estate investment and development companies in Moscow and St Petersburg. In 1994, Michael established the first and then largest institutional real estate investment fund in the former Soviet Union in partnership with the AT&T pension fund.
In 1998, Michael formed and capitalized an early stage technology venture capital firm in New York City and in 2000, he launched the global energy systems firm Aspect Enterprise, which was subsequently acquired. In 2004, Michael created the solar power asset development company, Clean Energy Holdings, which was responsible for the development of more than 10% of the solar power capacity built in New Jersey in the ensuring several years in partnership with a major European utility.
Michael received his MBA in finance from New York University where he won an award for best thesis for his work on evaluating risk and he received his BA in economics from Brandeis University.
Upendra J. Chivukula
Commissioner
NJ BPU
Michael Oster
Co-Founder, EOS Energy Storage and CEO, Ionic Water Technologies

2. Brian Sabina Steve Socolof
Brian Sabina is Senior Vice President of Economic Transformation for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). In this role, Brian oversees the Authority’s efforts to deliver on Governor Murphy’s Innovation Economy agenda, including developing and running programs that accelerate growth in the State’s strategic sectors (technology, life sciences, clean energy, offshore wind, advanced transportation and logistics, advanced manufacturing, professional services, and food & beverage).
Prior to joining the NJEDA, Brian worked at McKinsey & Company where he was a leader in the firm’s public sector and infrastructure practices. His work focused largely on designing and implementing economic development and public-sector operations transformations. 
Over the course of his career, Brian has worked with 20+ government agencies across 12+ countries, spanning the local, state/provincial, and federal levels.  Prior to consulting, he spent five years as an entrepreneur in the education technology space.
Brian holds an MBA and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago where he was a Wallman Scholar. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Northwestern University.
Steve Socolof is a Managing Partner of Tech Council Ventures (“TCV”), a venture fund investing in early-stage growth opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region. TCV is sponsored by the NJ Tech Council industry association and leverages its 1000 corporate and university members.  Steve has been a technology investor for over 20 years. Prior to TCV, he created a venture incubator for Lucent’s Bell Laboratories for 5 years and then formed and ran New Venture Partners for 15 years, investing in commercialization of technologies spun out of corporate labs.
Steve’s interests include enterprise software (particularly applications of AI/ML), infrastructure required to collect, store, and process data, internet of things, wireless, and environmental and materials technologies.  He has served as a member or an observer on a wide variety of private and public company boards In addition, Steve has been a leader in the corporate venture community and was Chair of the Corporate Venture Group within the National Venture Capital Association and on the Advisory Board of Global Corporate Venturing. 
Prior to starting his venture capital career, Steve spent eight years with the management-consulting firm Booz, Allen & Hamilton, where he was a leader of the practice focused on enhancing corporate innovation. Steve received an MBA degree from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College where he is currently on the board of the Center for the Study of Venture Capital & Private Equity. He received degrees in economics and mathematical sciences from Stanford University.
Brian Sabina
Senior Vice President of Economic Transformation
NJEDA
Steve Socolof
Managing Partner Tech Council Ventures Fund
The first in a series of events the NJEDA is sponsoring around the state in coming months on clean and sustainable technology innovation