Team – We Share Solar

We Share Solar Team

HAL ARONSON, PH.D

Co-Founder and Director of Technology and Education

HAL ARONSON, PH.D

Co-Founder and Director of Technology and Education

Hal holds a Ph. D. in sociology and has spent his career working for social justice. More interested in action than in academics, Hal has worked continuously to provide opportunities in solar energy for California’s youth.

Ever the evangelist, Hal co-created the Solar Schoolhouse to spread the message of clean solar energy to students and teachers. He later founded California Youth Energy Services, now Rising Sun Energy Center to train and employ youth as energy-efficient retrofitters.

Hal created the first We Care Solar Suitcase. (Read more about the We Care Solar story here.) Together, the We Care Solar Suitcase and Hal’s commitment to students are the heart of the We Share Solar service-learning program.

GIGI GOLDMAN, M.B.A.

Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor

GIGI GOLDMAN, M.B.A.

Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor

Gigi brings her product-centric strategic business savvy to We Share Solar, honed from years in corporate management and entrepreneurial experience.

After nearly a decade in product management at General Mills and Minnetonka Corporation, Gigi launched her own international products company which supplied leading US department stores for over 20 years. Extensive travel to remote corners of the world turned her attention to the many challenges others face.

In 2010 she began pursuing initiatives to address these challenges, including product sourcing for a UN world food program as well as developing and launching We Share Solar.

WENDY CROSS

Program Director

WENDY CROSS

Program Director

Wendy began her international work while living in rural South Africa, where she developed and managed sustainable development projects with grassroots organizations.

Her career in international development and non-profit management includes over a decade of experience in grant-writing for The Global Fund for Children and serving as Director of Programs and Operations for Teach With Africa.

She holds a Master of Art in Sustainable Development from SIT Graduate Institute. Wendy’s work at We Share Solar sits at the intersection of her passion and her expertise.

ALLI PEMERL

Program Manager

ALLI PEMERL

Program Manager

Alli Pemerl brings ten years of teaching experience in elementary and secondary schools in Washington State, Thailand and Tanzania to the We Share Solar team. She spent half a year interning with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots, a community-based environmental education program in Tanzania, where she worked with school clubs to implement community and environmental projects.

She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Humanities and a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Education. Since moving to the Bay Area, Alli has transitioned to a career focus in organizational capacity building and program management with non-profit organizations.

She is excited to continue her passion for educating youth and her desire to bring renewable energy sources to communities with We Share Solar.

The We Share Solar team is supported by We Care Solar‘s management, finance, engineering, and development staff and governed by the Board of Directors of We Care Solar.

Solar Trainers

CHRIS BROOKS

CHRIS BROOKS

Chris’ primary area of interest is in the development and implementation of small, community-based PV systems and capacity building programs in developing communities.

For the past 13 years, Chris has been working as a consultant, project manager, designer, installer, and educator for renewable energy projects in many parts of the world. As a licensed electrician he also designs and installs residential grid-tied and off-grid PV systems in his home state of Washington in the US.

Chris has served in the US Peace Corps, has an MSc in Renewable Energy, and is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified professional PV installer.

Chris is a co-founder, curriculum developer and instructor for the non-profit Remote Energy.org. He also works as a PV instructor for Solar Energy International (SEI). Chris conducts PV trainings in Spanish and English- in the US, abroad, and in cyberspace.

BRAD BURKHARTZMEYER

BRAD BURKHARTZMEYER

Brad is an experienced solar system designer and installer. He founded Sun’s Eye Power Company, a solar energy and electrical contracting company in 1993.

Brad is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified PV Installer, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) certified PV Master Trainer®, and licensed electrician who has spearheaded efforts to bring solar electric systems worldwide. He works with the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), Solar Energy International (SEI), and Rotary International.

He trains installers and also teaches classes for community groups wishing to know more about solar possibilities for their own homes. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

JASON LERNER

JASON LERNER

Jason Lerner specializes in remote battery-based solar electric systems and is a licensed electrical contractor and electrician. He has worked for Solar Energy International (SEI) as an educator, installer, and trainer and enjoys the opportunity to provide an avenue for hands-on learning.

In 1994, he founded Waldron Power and Light Co. (WAPALCO), an electrical contracting company specializing in off grid solar electric system design, maintenance, and installation. Far from normal distribution channels, his island office and home have run entirely off solar and wind power (without possibility of the grid) for over 25 years.

He brings his experience to projects and trainings in remote locations worldwide. Jason gesticulates wildly in many languages.

LAURA WALTERS

LAURA WALTERS

Laura authored We Share Solar’s first teachers’ curriculum guide, making hands-on humanitarian science accessible to every classroom.

Using this curriculum, she co-taught the first WSS Professional Development Workshop and the National Science Foundation funded “Educational Pathways Into College and Career” (EPICC) program.

CAROL WEIS

CAROL WEIS

As an international photovoltaics technical trainer and curriculum developer, Carol has brought her knowledge of solar electricity and classroom teaching to create a dynamic We Share Solar train-the-trainers program.

ABOUT REMOTE ENERGY

Remote Energy is committed to providing access to education and clean energy to under-served communities worldwide. We Share Solar and Remote Energy have collaborated over several years to offer solar training workshops and develop curriculum for teachers, technicians, and high school students in the United States, Kenya, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

www.remoteenergy.org

Our Contributors

SILVIA STRAUSS-DEBENEDETTI

SILVIA STRAUSS-DEBENEDETTI

A middle school science and math teacher and former 5-12 science department head at Princeton Day School, Silvia attended first WSS teacher training in 2013 and has been involved with the Solar Suitcase since then, teaching students, presenting at professional meetings, training teachers, and writing curriculum.

SHANNON FULTON

SHANNON FULTON

With many years of solar industry leadership, technical experience, and education outreach Shannon is a valuable and multi-faceted Team Contributor with the We Share Solar team.

LINDA GAFFNEY

LINDA GAFFNEY

In addition to being a Solar Suitcase Ambassador, Linda is a mechanical engineer and teaches science to children and adults.

KARINA GARBESI

KARINA GARBESI

Karina is the director of the environmental studies program at CSU East Bay and a founding member of the We Care Solar board of directors.

Together with Hal Aronson and Erik Helgren of CSU East Bay’s physics department, Karina developed the award-winning “Social Impact through Sustainable Solar Design” course which uses the We Share Solar Suitcase to teach, solar design, sustainability, and social justice.

ANNA GOMBERG

ANNA GOMBERG

Anna Gomberg, a passionate Oxford-trained Environmental Science teacher, has played a key role in both the creation of our classroom curriculum and in our professional development workshop content.

She has worked closely with Hal Aronson to develop the EPICC summer program. In the process, they also developed a delightful repartee that keeps our workshops entertaining.

ALAN JENSEN

ALAN JENSEN

Alan Jensen was a team member of the We Share Solar program from its inception. Bringing his teaching and construction skills, he has led numerous We Share student workshops and has led students on deployments to Kenya and Peru.

CARLOS MAGAN

CARLOS MAGAN

Carlos has many years of experience in the solar and electric industry, as well as experience as a Spanish instructor and soccer coach for children.

He brings a passion for the vision and purpose of We Share Solar, has been a dedicated volunteer at workshops and coordinating deployment and installation in his native country, Peru.

CHRIS MOYNIHAN

CHRIS MOYNIHAN

Chris is a software engineer who has worked on datacenter power systems and medical devices.

He has contributed by assembling Solar Suitcase components, helping students build Solar Suitcases, and editing instructional videos.

MOLLY NAUGHTON

MOLLY NAUGHTON

Leveraging her years in film production management, Molly served as We Share Solar’s first program coordinator bringing structure, creative leadership and digital dexterity to every aspect of the program.

AMINY OSTFELD

AMINY OSTFELD

Aminy began volunteering with We Share Solar while working on her PhD in solar energy system engineering. Since then, she has contributed to teaching, grant writing, and the construction of countless solar suitcase components.

JOHNNY WEISS

JOHNNY WEISS

Johnny brings over 40 years of expertise in solar energy education. He is the co-founder of Solar Energy International and has collaborated on solar projects in over 30 countries.

As a champion of We Share Solar, Johnny has advised our program development and helped install several WSS systems in Tanzania.