Enerdigm is led by a deep and diverse leadership team.
Ken Shimada, General Partner
Ken is a financial strategist and founding partner at Enerdigm, bringing over two decades of comprehensive experience in finance, operations, and capital formation within the energy and technology sectors. His expertise lies in driving financial growth, securing substantial investments, and optimizing operational efficiencies for high-growth companies.
Prior to establishing Enerdigm, Ken served as the CFO at VWI, a leading holding company managing diverse operational assets. In this role, he successfully oversaw financial strategies and governance, ensuring sustained profitability and growth across the company’s portfolio.
Ken previously served in a tenure as COO at Energy Industries Corporation, where he managed all aspects of administration, finance, and operations. His strategic oversight contributed significantly to the company’s expansion and operational excellence in a highly competitive industry.
Earlier in his career, Ken held the position of VP of Finance at Solar Power Technology where he was instrumental in orchestrating over $90 Million in capital formation, fueling the company’s innovative projects and market expansion. His adeptness in securing and managing large-scale investments has been a hallmark of his career.
At Hoku Scientific (NASDAQ: HOKU), a publicly traded fuel cell and polysilicon manufacturing company, Ken played a pivotal role in raising over $700 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art polysilicon plant in Idaho. He not only oversaw the successful construction of the facility but also actively participated in the company’s IPO underscoring his capability in navigating complex financial landscapes and regulatory environments.
Ken began his career as an analyst at MN Capital, a private equity firm, where he developed a strong foundation in investment analysis and financial management. His academic credentials include a BBA from the University of Hawaii, equipping him with the fundamental knowledge and skills that have underpinned his successful career.
Duane Ashimine, General Partner, Chief Technology Officer
Duane is a distinguished chief technologist with a deep background in energy engineering and innovation. His career began in 1989 in the energy sector, where he worked as an energy engineer at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, focusing on the intricate systems of nuclear submarines. Duane’s technical expertise and leadership abilities quickly became evident as he transitioned to Alakai Mechanical, one of the nation’s largest mechanical contractors, and later to Hawaiian Electric’s Power Corp., where he continued to make significant contributions as an energy engineer.
Duane’s career trajectory took a pivotal turn when he became the Chief Technology Officer at Energy Industries Corporation. In this role, he spearheaded the development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies that revolutionized energy efficiency and management solutions. His visionary approach earned him the prestigious recognition as the State of Hawaii’s Technology Leader of the Year in 2007.
With a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii, Duane brings a rigorous analytical and engineering mindset to his work. He holds multiple certifications, including Certified Energy Manager, Certified Demand Side Manager, Certified Cogeneration Specialist, and Licensed Hawaii C52 Mechanical Contractor, underscoring his comprehensive expertise in the energy domain.
Thomas Fitzgerald, General Partner, Chief Information and Security Officer
Tom is a seasoned cybersecurity expert and venture investor with over 18 years of experience in IT Security Operations. Hailing from Maryland, Tom launched his career by founding a successful web development firm at the age of twenty-two, which led him to New York City, where he developed cutting-edge web applications for law firms.
Tom’s deep technical expertise was further honed during his tenure at the Department of Defense, where he served as an intrusion analyst, safeguarding the Global Information Grid through advanced Computer Network Defense and Cyber Network Exploitation. This experience provided him with a unique perspective on the evolving threat landscape and the critical need for robust cybersecurity solutions.
Recruited by Google, Tom joined their Detection team, playing a pivotal role in protecting Google’s vast network infrastructure from sophisticated cyber threats. He also spearheaded the launch of several security products on Google Cloud Platform, empowering customers to secure their data in an increasingly complex digital environment. His expertise was further sought after by Meta, where he contributed to their Security Operations and Incident Response team.
As a thought leader in the cybersecurity space, Tom has published several open-source security tools, providing valuable resources for analysts to investigate and respond to emerging threats. Now, as a venture investor, Tom leverages his deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience to identify and support innovative cybersecurity startups that are poised to make a significant impact in the field.
Jeremy Yeung, Operations
Jeremy is a seasoned leader in business operations with over 10 years of experience driving efficiency and scalability for high-growth technology companies. Jeremy’s career began at LiveAction, where he honed his expertise in operational strategy. He has since led operations at several innovative SaaS companies, including Spin Technology and SlashNext, where he established the foundational systems and processes that enabled rapid growth and scale.
Jeremy’s deep understanding of business operations is complemented by his technical expertise, as he is a Certified Salesforce Advanced Administrator. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, bringing a strong analytical and process-oriented approach to every organization he supports.
Grover Righter, Entrepreneur in Residence
Grover is focused on Science-Based Marketing programs and runs a backplane of analytic engines measuring email, SEO and social media effectiveness. He has worked on every major know Marketing Automation Platforms, including Eloqua, Marketo, Pardot, HubSpot and Leadformix.
Grover began as a mathematician and design engineer and has been instrumental in the design and development of major technologies at RMS, Inc., AT&T, Unisys and Novell. But every time Grover built a product, he was immediately recruited to ‘sell it’, irrespective of the presence of another sales team within the organization. Eventually Grover used up his lifetime limit of sales meetings as an engineer and was moved into Marketing.
After some formal training at INSEAD, Grover went on to help the Novell marketing team grow from $560M to $970M in revenue in a single year. He then went to SCO, where he was part of the IPO team. He has held many executive marketing and sales positions at public and private companies since then.
Grover has degrees in Math and EE/CS, with minors in Latin and Classical Studies. He has also completed the International Marketing program at INSEAD.