Unreasonable Fellows

Donnel Baird

Founder & CEO at BlocPower

Donnel Baird is the founder of BlocPower, a climate tech company based in Brooklyn, NY, that analyzes, finances and installs clean energy upgrades in buildings in underserved communities. BlocPower creates local jobs, generates energy savings for building owners, reduces carbon emissions and asthma rates and provides financial returns to investors. In 2021, the company announced a historic partnership with Ithaca, New York to decarbonize 100% of the city’s buildings—the first such project in the United States.
BlocPower is backed by Kapor Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and Volo Earth Ventures. Baird is a graduate of Duke University and
Columbia Business School. He has been named Columbia Business School Entrepreneur of the Year, National Venture Capital Associations Startup Innovator of the Year and TIME Magazine’s inaugural Dreamer of the Year.