Our Speakers

Elias leads Cisco's strategy for more efficient and sustainable AI infrastructure, working with energy and technology companies, investors, and startups to advance grid modernization, clean firm power, compute efficiency, and advanced materials. Previously, he co-founded and scaled the Cisco Foundation's $50M+ Regenerative Future Fund, an early-stage energy and climate technology portfolio backing 30 companies and funds. Before joining Cisco, Elias spent a decade in sustainable infrastructure finance, strategy, and policy at British International Investment, EBRD, UNDP, and Microsoft, with work spanning more than 15 emerging markets. Elias advises Trellis Impact, SEMI Sustainable Startups, and Adapt Unbound. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas, a graduate certificate in Environmental Engineering, and dual BAs cum laude from Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris. He was a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg and is a Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellow, where he has served as a capstone judge and guest lecturer. He was named one of Global Corporate Venturing's 2026 Rising Stars.