Sessions
Growth of the Green Banks
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Tue
Nellie Gorbea has over 30 years of leadership experience across government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. Known for her ability to drive innovation, diversity, and organizational change, she has consistently transformed organizations.
In 2024, she became the founding President and CEO of the Puerto Rico Green Energy Trust, dedicated to ensuring clean, affordable, and reliable energy to all in Puerto Rico. The Trust funds research, development, and infrastructure projects focused on renewable energy.
As Rhode Island's Secretary of State (2015–2023), Gorbea led technological advancements, increased business incorporations by 70%, boosted civic engagement, and achieved record voter turnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2014, she became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in New England.
Previously, she was the founding executive director of HousingWorks RI, a community economic development program officer at The Rhode Island Foundation, an associate at Fleet Securities, and an economic advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico.
Gorbea has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), United Way of RI, and Women's Fund of RI. She is currently on the advisory boards of The Ascend Fund, Grupo 21, and a Board member of the Touro Synagogue Foundation in Newport, RI.
A native of Puerto Rico and mother of three, Gorbea holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University and a bachelor’s from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs. She is enrolled in Yale’s Certificate Program in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy.