ConnectDER Recruits Former Tesla and SPAN Executive to Lead Product Strategy

Conway brings 15 years of hardware development experience to the Philadelphia-based firm. During his tenure at SPAN, he guided the development of the company’s smart electric panel from initial concept to wide-scale adoption, focusing on reducing field labor for electricians. Prior to that, he spent six years on Tesla’s Energy team, where he managed the transition of the Powerwall from a startup project into a product with over 50,000 annual installations.

ConnectDER’s core business centers on meter socket adapters—devices that bypass the need for expensive, time-consuming panel reconfigurations when adding solar, EV chargers, or home batteries. As electricity prices climb and grid reliability wavers across the U.S., these adapters offer a path to lower installation costs. Ivo Steklac, CEO of ConnectDER, noted that the industry's primary barrier is job site complexity, a challenge Conway is tasked with addressing through his product roadmap. Conway will specifically focus on expanding the capabilities of the IslandDER line, which currently supports integrations with manufacturers like SolarEdge, FranklinWH, and Lunar Energy.