Emily O’Connor
Emily helps organizations identify and secure funding for innovative energy initiatives. She specializes in navigating complex Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunities and building strategic partnerships with national laboratories, research institutions, and collaborators.
With a focus on emerging technologies — including clean energy production, storage, transmission, and industrial decarbonization — Emily works closely with clients to refine project concepts, align them with national and state policy priorities, and position them for competitive funding. Her work empowers innovators to unlock resources that support breakthrough energy technologies.
Background
Emily has been a principal at Lincoln Park Group since 2018, where she has advised a wide range of energy-sector clients — including investor-owned utilities, global automotive suppliers, and energy trade associations — on funding strategy, public policy, and strategic partnerships.
Previously, she worked at a leading grants and government relations consultancy, supporting higher education institutions in securing competitive federal funding. She has extensive experience engaging agency program officers to help clients shape strong, responsive proposals and build early alignment with funding priorities.
Emily began her career in Washington, D.C. as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she advised a Member of Congress on energy, environment, advanced technology, and innovation policy. She is a graduate of Indiana University.