Though a self-described “techie’s techie” when he began at MIT, David Danielson has a way of inspiring people of all types to come together. While at MIT, Danielson invited classmates from his sustainability course to discuss energy topics outside of class, giving the MIT Energy Club its humble beginnings over pizza and beer at the Muddy Charles Pub. Now more than a thousand students strong, the Energy Club makes up the largest student group at MIT- and one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
Danielson believes “you need all types of people to come to the table to do good problem solving- people who understand technology and science, and people who understand public policy and business.” After MIT, Danielson channeled an entrepreneurial spirit as a clean energy venture capitalist, and then became the first program director for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
Now, as the assistant secretary for energy efficiency at the Department of Energy, Danielson is leading efforts to make clean energy cost-competitive. He brings together innovators and entrepreneurs in the industry to lead high-impact research, development, and demonstration to make things like cellulosic ethanol and solar power commercially viable.