Samir Mayekar is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SiNode Systems, a venture-backed company developing advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry.

He most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution. At OPIC, Samir helped coordinate agency efforts in advancing priorities of the Obama administration, such as providing over $1 billion in financing for energy projects in emerging markets. He joined OPIC after serving as the National Security Director of the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House, where he oversaw presidential appointments at the Pentagon, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Central Intelligence Agency. Prior to his time at the White House, Samir served as a Budget Manager for Obama for America, where he managed over $800 million for the campaign’s Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as a management consultant in Chicago with Marakon Associates focusing on clients in the industrials sector.

Samir holds a BA from Northwestern University (summa cum laude) and a MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management, where he was a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. He is a guest lecturer on energy and entrepreneurship at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois.  He is a trustee of Northwestern University.