Our Challenge:
The Grid Needs Support
Every year, hundreds of millions of American citizens face the real risk of running out of power due to increased storms and rising electrical demand. Revamping our power grid is not just a technical challenge; it's an epic saga of transformation.
For over a century, our grid has clung to an outdated script, favoring the production of dirty electricity hundreds of miles from where that energy is actually consumed. As we forge ahead into the 21st century, our power grid is engaged in a battle it cannot win. Intensifying storms are causing increased power outages, rising electrical demand from EVs and buildings is straining utilities, and cyber-attacks threaten the disruption of vital economic systems.
This convergence of forces has pinned us to a critical crossroads, demanding a modernization effort with a staggering trillion-dollar price tag. But America’s infrastructure is being colonized by a new logic: small, flexible, fast, adaptive, and local—or what we like to call microgrids.
A Powerful Mission
Grid Discovery aims to assist in our transition to a more energy-resilient world. We’re doing this by providing tools and analytics to help engineers manage and plan microgrid projects quickly.
Imagine entire neighborhoods immune to extreme weather events and critical facilities blanketed with the assurance of uninterruptible power. This isn’t just a vision; it’s the world we’re helping to create at Grid Discovery.
Team
Matt Cristaldi
Cofounder & Executive Officer
It began when Matt was deployed in Afghanistan in 2009 with the legendary 101st Airborne Division. Having to rely on Afghan fuel trucks for their operations, Matt and his unit often experienced fuel shortages. After completing a decorated tenure in the Army, Matt dedicated his career to electrical reliability, specifically, bridging the gap of power delivery and producing energy exactly where it’s being consumed.
Philip Odonkor, PhD
Cofounder & Science Officer
Philip is an Assistant Professor for the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. Philip has more than 10 years of research experience in smart cities and energy optimization and holds a number of publications for data-driven design of distributed energy systems.
Our Values
Mission first, planet centric
Business-as-usual has told us that we should not let our work define us. Well, the existential threat of climate change has changed the narrative, and we believe more than ever that we should let work define us and band together to fight climate change with teamwork, dedication, and the insatiable desire to use technology to solve our greatest problem.
Embrace curiosity, lean into innovation
The world is changing at a rapid pace, and the only way to keep up is to adapt by embracing a child’s sense of curiosity and not being afraid to ask difficult questions. The last thing we want to do is freeze when the world changes.
Challenge yourself, make mistakes
We are not challenging ourselves if we’re not making mistakes. True character and growth come in the face of adversity, and it’s imperative to embrace the idea that we learn the most about ourselves when we push the boundaries and make mistakes.
One team,
one challenge
Bear allegiance toward each other and the mission. When one person struggles, we all struggle. When one person succeeds, we all succeed. This is how we will accomplish our mission and support the transition to a more resilient world.