Our team is comprised of passionate and innovative practitioners, who are experienced in structuring and managing complex financial transactions.
Leadership
Niels ZellersChief Executive Officer
Jesse McKinnellChief Operating Officer
Lydia AtwoodVice-President of Finance and Accounting
Niels Zellers
Chief Executive Officer
30 Federal StreetBrunswick, ME 04011info@brightcommcap.com
Niels Zellers is the Chief Executive Officer of Bright Community Capital. Prior to his current positon, Niels served as an investment officer for CEI Capital. Niels is a student of the social capital markets and has held a variety of roles in management, finance, strategy and investment consulting, working with small businesses, large financial services companies, foundations and nonprofits. He earned a B.A. in mathematical computer science from Lewis & Clark College, an M.S. in sustainable systems from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A. from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Jesse McKinnell
Chief Operating Officer
30 Federal StreetBrunswick, ME 04011info@brightcommcap.com
Jesse McKinnell is the Chief Operating Officer of Bright Community Capital. Prior to his current position, Jesse served as an asset and relationship manager for CEI Capital and as a risk analyst at PowerPay, a credit card processing company, where he monitored the company’s 250 largest accounts. Jesse received his B.A. from the University of Southern Maine and his J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law.

Lydia Atwood
Vice-President of Finance and Accounting
Lydia Atwood is BCC’s Vice-President of Finance and Accounting. Lydia comes to BCC with over 25 years of professional finance and accounting experience. Lydia has held roles as the Director of Finance and Administration for iCST, Chief Financial Officer for Criterium Engineers, Valuation Services Group Manager at Berry Dunn, Finance Manager at Artel, Inc. and most recently Lydia held the role of Director of Finance/Controller for Ransom Consulting. Lydia also was a former Board member and Treasurer for The Telling Room in Portland and SMART Child and Family Services serving greater Southern Maine.
Lydia is a native of Massachusetts but chose to make Maine her home since 2003. Lydia holds a B.A. in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from the Boston University School of Management.
We're Hiring!
Interested in joining an entrepreneurial, highly motivated, collegial team working to address climate change while enjoying your life in a way you didn’t think might be possible at a start-up?
We are always looking to expand our team and we want to hear from you!
Bright Community Capital (“BCC”) is an impact investment company currently bringing several sustainable infrastructure investment strategies to market, with an emphasis on high impact US projects, particularly ones that benefit underserved communities and groups. BCC’s goal is to accelerate the mobilization of capital to address some of our country’s most pressing environmental and social issues. BCC was founded by Coastal Enterprises Inc., a 40-year Maine based impact investor community development financial institution with roots in natural resources-based sectors in Maine.
