October 5, 2015 [Evanston, IL.] -- Dick Co, Managing Director of the Solar Fuels Institute, Director of Operations and Outreach for the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research (ANSER) Center, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern and Samir Mayekar, CEO of Sinode Systems, are among those named "40 Under 40" by Midwest Energy News.
In coordination with its fifth anniversary, Midwest Energy News announced a 40 Under 40 award program to highlight emerging leaders throughout the region and their work to accelerate America’s transition to a clean energy economy. Award recipients were chosen from hundreds of nominations— Midwest-based leaders and innovators from all sectors —industry, government, regulatory, business, academic, and advocacy.
Dick T. Co, Managing Director, Solar Fuels Institute
Dick Co is a research associate professor of chemistry at Northwestern. He studies the interaction between light and matter to discover better solutions for solar energy conversion. He is a founding member and managing director of the Solar Fuels Institute (SOFI), a global consortium dedicated to commercializing a carbon neutral solar fuel. Co received his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard. He is an Executive Scholar at the Kellogg School of Management in Non-profit Management.
Samir Mayekar, Co-founder and CEO, SiNode Systems
Samir Mayekar is the co-founder and CEO of SiNode Systems, a Chicago-based, venture-backed company developing advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry. Mayekar previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government's development finance institution, where he coordinated over $1 billion in financing for energy projects in emerging markets. He also served as the National Security Director of the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House. Mayekar holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern (summa cum laude) and an M.B.A. with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management.