Omar Blayton is the Chief Financial Officer at Sunwealth, where he is responsible for creating and structuring the company’s investment portfolios for maximum financial performance and social impact. Prior to joining Sunwealth, Omar was Managing Director of Project Finance at Innova Energy Partners; before that, he was Vice President of Structured Finance at Greenskies Renewable Energy, a leading commercial and industrial solar developer. Earlier in his career, he was a Vice President with Reznick Capital Markets Securities and an associate in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Leveraged Finance Group. Before entering finance, Omar was an attorney with Reed Smith LLP in its Investment Management group. A recent transplant to Boston, he has begun to be civically engaged as a member of the Council of the Friends of the Public Garden. Omar holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School, and a B.A. from Cornell University.
Event Overview
Throughout December, the Cornell Energy Connection will host a series of virtual events featuring experts sharing their perspectives on key issues impacting the sector, such as new technologies, energy challenges for data centers, and the ongoing evolution of energy storage.
In the first session, our panel of professionals will focus on energy justice, exploring the innovative business models and prudent policy making that is working to create a more equitable energy transition.
Participants looking for internship or full-time opportunities are welcome to send their resumes to sa872@cornell.edu. Resumes will be shared with sponsors.
What You'll Learn
- An understanding of the factors that lead to inequities in energy access and security
- How proactive and innovative businesses can promote energy justice
- An overview of some of the policy and legal initiatives creating a more equitable future
- A preview of the rest of the Cornell Energy Connection series, Cornell’s premiere energy event
Speakers
Raya Salter is an attorney, educator, and clean energy law and policy expert with a focus on energy and climate justice. She is a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, which is developing New York’s plan to reach the nation’s leading climate action goals, and the Policy Director for the NY Renews climate justice coalition. In previous roles, Raya was a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund. She has practiced in several jurisdictions, including New York, California, and Hawaii, and taught as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School. Raya is the co-editor of “Energy Justice: U.S. and International Perspectives” (2018) and sits on the board of directors of the Energy and Environmental Study Institute as well as the advisory board of Evergreen Action.
As a faculty member in resource policy and management, Richard Stedman’s teaching, outreach, and research focus on the interaction between social and ecological systems. His training is in sociology, and he uses the theories and methodologies of this discipline as a lens for examining a broad array of human/environment conflicts. Professor Stedman is particularly interested in the challenges that rapid social and ecological changes pose for the sustainability of forested ecosystems, watersheds, and human communities.
Omar Blayton is the Chief Financial Officer at Sunwealth, where he is responsible for creating and structuring the company’s investment portfolios for maximum financial performance and social impact. Prior to joining Sunwealth, Omar was Managing Director of Project Finance at Innova Energy Partners; before that, he was Vice President of Structured Finance at Greenskies Renewable Energy, a leading commercial and industrial solar developer. Earlier in his career, he was a Vice President with Reznick Capital Markets Securities and an associate in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Leveraged Finance Group. Before entering finance, Omar was an attorney with Reed Smith LLP in its Investment Management group. A recent transplant to Boston, he has begun to be civically engaged as a member of the Council of the Friends of the Public Garden. Omar holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School, and a B.A. from Cornell University.
Raya Salter is an attorney, educator, and clean energy law and policy expert with a focus on energy and climate justice. She is a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, which is developing New York’s plan to reach the nation’s leading climate action goals, and the Policy Director for the NY Renews climate justice coalition. In previous roles, Raya was a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund. She has practiced in several jurisdictions, including New York, California, and Hawaii, and taught as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School. Raya is the co-editor of “Energy Justice: U.S. and International Perspectives” (2018) and sits on the board of directors of the Energy and Environmental Study Institute as well as the advisory board of Evergreen Action.
As a faculty member in resource policy and management, Richard Stedman’s teaching, outreach, and research focus on the interaction between social and ecological systems. His training is in sociology, and he uses the theories and methodologies of this discipline as a lens for examining a broad array of human/environment conflicts. Professor Stedman is particularly interested in the challenges that rapid social and ecological changes pose for the sustainability of forested ecosystems, watersheds, and human communities.
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