Gia Schneider was inspired at a young age by her father, an inventor of novel renewable energies, and has spent more than 20 years working in the energy industry. A passionate believer in finding ways to mitigate the climate change and biodiversity loss crises using renewable water power, Schneider co-founded Natel Energy in 2009 with her brother, Abe Schneider.
Schneider leads and operates Natel’s portfolio of hardware and software hydro solutions, which include the design and build of fish-safe turbines, oversight of hydropower project developments and river restorations, and remote water sensing and forecasting through the company’s Upstream Tech brand, acquired by Natel in 2017.
Schneider received Chemical Engineering and Economics degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and currently serves as a board member of the Fresh Water Trust and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) National Council.