Cindy Zhu

Gridium is a venture-backed SaaS application provider with a mission to bring cost-effective energy savings to commercial real estate. Responsible for all customer success and strategic account expansion matters, including renewals and expansion. Directs the commercial focus and mentorship/management of the Customer Success team, responsible for the work product of a team of Energy Managers and Energy Analysts.

Mentoring and advising early stage entrepreneurs through a DOE tech-to-market program that advances building decarbonization technologies to market

Researcher in the Energy Technologies Area - Buildings & Industrial Energy Systems Division. Focused on grid-edge and energy management technologies that enable demand flexibility and scale distributed energy resources (DERs) in the built environment for affordability, reliability, and resilience Conducts market and regulatory analysis on Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), DERMS platforms, advanced building controls and grid services business models — with a focus on enabling coordinated controls and behind-the-meter DER assets Develops strategic insights into scaling demand flexibility opportunities; advise OEMs, utilities, and technology partners on market positioning and scalable program design

Volunteer alumni lead facilitating the recruitment and selections for a flagship fellowship training program in clean energy policy, technologies, and leadership

Volunteer curriculum lead for flagship fellowship training program, developing curriculum material around decarbonizing buildings, industrial/manufacturing, agriculture industries, sourcing subject matter experts, and more.

Volunteer program coordinator for a 16-week signature Fellowship program that has trained over 600 clean energy professionals from 450+ orgs, topics ranging from clean energy project finance, technology innovation, policy, deep decarbonization, and social adaptation

Head of Customer Success Account Management and Technical Support Engineering teams, responsible for ensuring client retention and renewals, ongoing engagement and customer training, collaborating with internal software development & data science teams, and resolving customer issues involving building automation systems, HVAC, metering, IOT sensors, IT & software incident management

Team lead who conceived of and implemented a new business unit within Customer Success whose function is to help customers integrate components of grid-interactive, efficient buildings (GEBs) via software by providing a centralized command center that can communicate bi-directionally with the electric grid. The Grid Services team helps customers understand and take advantage of the benefits that Nantum OS provides for grid flexibility to meet their energy & carbon reduction goals.

Technical sales engineer supporting an enterprise SaaS product that incorporates machine learning to optimize building operations and reduce energy consumption & carbon emissions Leads site scoping and development of project objectives, implementation scopes of work, and financial models in collaboration with Customer stakeholders and internal Account Executives Leads partnership opportunities with key utility and energy R&D programs to advance adoption of leading-edge carbon reduction technologies Utilizes building energy efficiency and real estate sustainability expertise to inform strategic decisions around growth opportunities focused on development of new smart utility & grid products

co-founding team member for a purpose-driven technology company that makes the social and environmental performance of companies accessible and shareable for ordinary Americans led market development & discovery efforts, beta product testing, user interviews, social media; resulted in a successful exit via acquisition

Energy efficiency specialist focused on building technologies R&D and effective market-based solutions, with subject matter expertise in commercial and multifamily real estate and hospitality industries. Led strategic engagement with commercial buildings owners and operators in DOE's Better Buildings Initiative, a national platform for engaging with private sector to set energy, water, and waste reduction goals. Managed a research portfolio with DOE's National Labs focused on smart, connected building technologies, cybersecurity, and understanding the financial performance of high performing, energy efficient buildings.

Developed content for and executed a web-based, visual modeling educational tool for teaching topics in undergraduate chemistry.

Minor in Fine Arts, Outstanding Undergraduate Research

Deans Merit Scholarship