Alex Laskey

Alex Laskey is a Harvard-educated entrepreneur and clean energy leader recognized for co-founding Opower, a company that transformed how utility companies engage with their customers. Opower, based in Arlington, Virginia, was established by Dan Yates and Laskey, both graduates of Harvard University. Before founding Opower, Laskey worked on a political campaign focused on energy issues and studied behavioral science through books such as "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini, which explores factors influencing energy conservation.

Prior to his work in clean energy technology, Laskey built a career in politics and policy, serving as a campaign manager, strategist, and public-opinion analyst for various candidates. He also provided strategic consulting on statewide ballot measures for organizations including The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, and The League of Conservation Voters. Earlier in his career, Laskey produced the feature film "Assisted Living" and served as director of new business and strategy for The Romann Group, a New York-based advertising agency.

As president and founder of Opower, Laskey led the development of smart grid and energy efficiency software that partners with utilities to drive measurable reductions in energy usage through behavioral science and data analytics. Under his leadership, Opower grew from a two-person startup to a 600-person publicly traded company before its acquisition by Oracle. Utility customers using Opower's recommendations have saved more than 32 terawatt hours of energy and $3.3 billion on energy bills. Opower received recognition on the CNBC Disruptors 50 List and was named the fastest-growing tech company in the DC region by Deloitte.

Laskey has contributed to the clean energy sector as a speaker and advisor. He was invited to the White House to meet with President Obama and discuss innovation and job creation in the green economy and testified before the U.S. Senate. Laskey served as a commissioner on the Alliance National Commission on Energy Efficiency Policy and was included in Fortune's "40 Under 40" list. The World Economic Forum named Opower a Technology Pioneer, and Laskey delivered a widely viewed TED Talk describing Opower as "the largest behavioral science experiment in the world."

After his tenure at Oracle, Laskey co-founded Rewiring America, an organization focused on electrification and climate change solutions, and served as executive chair. He also co-founded Carecubes, which develops deployable isolation units to help hospitals manage infectious patients. As CEO of Carecubes, Laskey has advanced the use of negative pressure units to reduce infections and expand hospital capacity. Throughout his career, Laskey has applied behavioral science, data, and policy to drive change in energy, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and innovation.