Independent judgment for the decisions the playbook does not cover.

Escend's founder brings a board three things: financial oversight in a market that is changing faster than its rules, an operator's read of regulatory and commercial risk, and a growth executive's test of management's plan. He currently serves as Vice Chair of PLMA and as a board member of All In Energy, and is available for corporate, advisory and non-profit board roles in energy, infrastructure and technology.

Boards I am seeking

I am seeking independent director and advisory board roles with growth-stage and mid-market companies in energy, infrastructure and technology, including utilities, solution providers and the investors behind them, alongside continued service to mission-driven non-profits.

Board biography

Dain Nestel is an executive and board leader with more than twenty years of experience driving growth, innovation and financial performance across the energy, technology and consumer sectors. As Founder and Fractional Growth Officer of Escend, he advises utilities, energy innovators and investors on commercialization, customer engagement and strategic expansion.

He serves as Vice Chair of the Peak Load Management Alliance (PLMA), where he contributes financial governance and strategic direction to advance distributed energy resources, load flexibility and grid modernization, including data center energization solutions. He also serves as a board member of All In Energy, a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accelerates an inclusive clean energy economy by bringing energy efficiency and renewable energy to underserved communities and expanding career pathways for diverse talent in the clean energy industry.

Previously, as Head of Growth and Commercialization at Portland General Electric, a $2B investor-owned utility, he led data center negotiations, business customer sales, program development and regional energy partnerships, doubling program participation and directing the top-ranked renewables program in the United States. Earlier he built CLEAResult's demand response business line to 250% year-over-year growth, led West-region utility sales at ecobee, and held general management and P&L roles in Thailand and the United States.

He holds an Executive MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and Sasin Graduate Institute, and a BA from the University of Oregon. He speaks nationally on the data center market, virtual power plants and customer engagement.