Our Team
AI infrastructure is outpacing the power systems built to support it. Our mission is to close that gap.
David Oteman
Founder, CEO
Dave founded Morel in 2024 to develop the next generation of power management systems for critical energy/power infrastructure. Previously, Dave was the co-founder and P/L owner of the D-VAR VVO medium voltage power electronics product line at American Superconductor. For six years, he led the product from the idea stage to product development and business growth and today it is widely adopted by utilities.
Prior to founding Morel, he was director of engineering at Generac for 3 years leading the development of advanced lithium ion batteries. During his leadership, the team developed a unique patented high power battery pack and advanced BMS firmware.
Earlier in this career, he spent 14 years in engineering roles developing advanced power electronics systems for automotive electrification and renewable energy applications. He is the inventor or co-inventor of 8 issued patents and 4 patents pending. Dave holds an MBA from Babson College and an MSEE from UW Madison.
Ray Hohenstein
Chief Commercial Officer
Ray is a commercial and product leader with over a decade of experience in clean energy technology. He serves as Morel Energy’s Chief Commercial Officer (Fractional), and is also the CEO of Green Peak Advisory LLC, an energy storage consulting firm advising clients on commercial strategy, M&A diligence, and procurement. Ray was previously part of the founding team at Fluence Energy, where he led product management and commercial strategy teams and helped to close some of the largest deals at the time in the nascent energy storage industry.
Earlier in his career, Ray was a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company, serving clients in the Tech and Electric Utility sectors. He is co-inventor of 2 issued patents in the field of energy storage. Ray holds an M.B.A from Duke University and a B.A. from Harvard University.
Chaitanya Baone
Business Advisor
Chaitanya Baone serves as Business Advisor at Morel Energy. He is a seasoned product and engineering leader with over 14 years of experience in power and energy management, spanning grid planning and operations, microgrids, EV smart charging, and energy storage optimization. Chaitanya is currently the Head of Product at ThinkLabs AI, where he works at the intersection of AI and grid infrastructure to advance trustworthy, physics-informed solutions for the energy sector.
He is a co-inventor of over 35 patents and holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His background also includes leadership roles at Itron, Rivian, Eaton, and GE
Core Values
Our Core values guide us every day.
Respect
We listen to and respond to each other, our clients, and partners.
Excellence
We are always learning and do what it takes to continually deepen our domain expertise.
Dependable
We follow through on our customer commitments and help each other when needed.
Efficiency
We make the right decisions and continuously improve our processes.
We Build Better
We pivot around the best solution in order to be indispensable to our customers.