The WexEnergy Team
Vision
To provide an accessible, affordable and effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so we can leave a healthier planet for our children—and theirs.
Ron Wexler, Ph.D., CTO/CPO
Co-Founder, WexEnergy
Dr. Ron Wexler is the science teacher you wish you’d had back in high school. And he’s an inventor who is also approachable. Ron loves solving important problems but is also passionate about helping you learn.
Ron’s developed technologies that can save you time and money because he has the vision, scientific education, and industrial business experience needed to bring reliable solutions to market
Rachel N. Rosen, CEO
Co-Founder, WexEnergy
Rachel Rosen is a recovering landlord who understands the real estate challenges property owners face today. She’s also ready to help solve them. Since 2017, she’s been WexEnergy’s CEO.
With her 27 years of experience in commercial and multifamily real estate, Rachel has walked many miles in your shoes. Until June 2017, she was President of Norry Management Corp., a privately-owned property development and management firm in Rochester, New York.
Advisors
Ted Axelrod
Trusted C-Suite Advisor
Mr. Axelrod was an independent consultant to WexEnergy from May 2016 through June 2017. He now serves on the Advisory Board of WexEnergy. Ted is the Principal and Co-Founder of TME Innovations, LLC, a start-up provider of patient communication tools for the national healthcare market.
Ted has served in senior executive roles at a number of public and private companies, including the investment banking subsidiary of BNY Mellon, where as Managing Director he led the M&A practice. Skilled at transforming companies, Ted has extensive experience working with start-ups, successfully acquiring and merging companies, and integrating people and technologies all with the goal of creating shareholder value and positioning businesses for growth.
Ted holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Alexandra Jackiw
COO – Hayes Gibson Property Services
Alexandra Jackiw joined Hayes Gibson Property Services in January 2019 as their Chief Operating Officer responsible for management and oversight of all corporate and property operations. She participates in the leadership team responsible for the long term growth and strategic direction of the company. Prior to joining Hayes Gibson, Ms Jackiw served as President of Milhaus Management from 2014-2018 and Chief Experience Officer from August –December 2018. Prior to joining Milhaus, she worked for several privately-held regional companies as well as large publicly traded investment management firms. Ms. Jackiw has experience managing the full range of residential and institutional properties as well as all aspects of property and asset management.
Alexandra Jackiw is a respected industry speaker, presenting programs to industry trade groups throughout the U.S. Ms. Jackiw received the NAAEI Apartment Career and Education (ACE) Award in 2011. In 2012 Real Estate Forum Magazine named Jackiw a “Woman of Influence in Real Estate” and in 2013 the Institute of Real Estate Management named her as one of the “Women Changing the Face of Property Management.” She was honored in 2015 as a “Woman of Influence” by the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Jackiw is a graduate of the University of Rochester and received her M. Ed. from Ohio University. She is a licensed real estate broker and holds both the Certified Property Manager (CPM®) and Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) designations.
Dennis Kessler, S.J.D.
Director of Entrepreneurship, University of Rochester Simon Business School
Professor Dennis Kessler is the Edward J. and Agnes V. Ackley Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester, Simon Business School. He is also the co-owner (with his brother) of Kessler Restaurants LLC, a Rochester, NY-based owner and operator of franchised restaurants and a real estate developer. In his role as a
Professor Kessler joined The WexEnergy team as an adviser in April 2017. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Excellus Blue Cross/Shield of Western New York, President of the Rochester Police Foundation and an Advisory Board Member to Junior Achievement and an inductee in the Rochester Business Hall of Fame Class of 2006. He has held many positions of leadership throughout Monroe County, NY, and is active in the Rochester VC Community.
Professor Kessler holds an MA from John Jay College, a law degree from Yale University Law School, LL.M. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (with honors) and an S.J.D., Doctor of Juridical Science also from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Michael Rosen
Independent Consultant & Advisor
Mr. Rosen is a seasoned executive in the forefront of technology for the financial industry: He was a member of the original team that developed POSIT, the first Alternative Trading System; Managed a team spread over multiple locations; Managed a major NYSE DOT execution firm, supervising all of the employees and managing the systems development effort. Michael guided a firm through Reg NMS, refocusing its strategic direction. He has extensive experience in managing system transitions from one platform to another and has worked with major banks in operational risk assessment.
Mr. Rosen is experienced in guiding start-up businesses. He has worked with several startups, both entrepreneurial and firm sponsored projects. Presently, he is actively involved in several startups in various stages of development and funding. Mr. Rosen is a Board Member of Townspot Inc.
Mr. Rosen holds an MBA from New York University and an AM from Brown University.
Dan Harel
Principal, Invision Design Partners, LLC & Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design, R.I.T.
Dan is a professional designer with over three decades of passion for creating successful user experiences through user understanding, design thinking methodologies and product innovation. His career spans multiple fields of design including design of consumer and commercial products and interiors and research related to home and workplace of the future.
At Eastman Kodak Company where he spent most of his career, Dan focused on inspiring a vision for the future via research, design innovation, and defining new business opportunities for the corporation. As an Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design at RIT, Dan teaches advanced studio courses. He is the recipient of the Edline M. Chun Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service in the College of Imaging Arts & Sciences (2016). In addition, he leads the IdeaLab at the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at RIT. Dan is also the principal and co-owner of Invision Design Partners, LLC, a residential and business interior design firm established in 2008 in Rochester, NY.
Dan is the inventor of over 20 US and international patents and holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Industrial Design.
Rami Katz
COO – Excell Partners, Inc.
Rami Katz, COO for Excell Partners, Inc., manages Excell’s due-diligence and investment processes. Prior to joining Excell, Rami served as the Director of Technology Commercialization at High Tech Rochester where he worked closely with entrepreneurs, researchers and startups to evaluate the commercial potential of new technologies.
Rami, an attorney, led a litigation, banking and corporate law practice in Israel, managing a legal team that directed the restructure of over $14M in corporate and asset backed debt annually, while growing the group’s revenues by over 300%. After launching his own legal and management consulting practice in Israel, Rami was one the founding members of a seed stage investment group. The group launched 12 high-tech startups focused on advanced materials, internet technologies, consumer electronics and medical devices.
Rami earned his MBA from the University of Rochester and his law degree from the Tel-Aviv University in Israel.
Robert Burch, Ph.D.
Independent Consultant, Retired Dupont Research Fellow
Dr. Robert Burch is a versatile and interdisciplinary Research Scientist who is widely sought out as an Expert Problem Solver and Technical Innovator. After a 31-year career, Bob retired from DuPont as a Research Fellow. He currently works as an Independent Consultant reviewing new R&D proposals and R&D program milestones and helps solve interesting manufacturing problems.
Bob is an inventor on 27 patents, including an invention of a novel reversible adhesive for medical applications. He is sought out for his experience relating to adhesives, improved manufacturing processes and commercialization of novel materials.
Dr. Burch received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. And he was a National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow.