WARREN — The CEO of a nonprofit energy-tech incubator based in downtown Warren is stepping down as part of a planned leadership transition, BRITE Energy Innovators announced last week.

Rick Stockburger, who has served as BRITE’s first CEO for nearly eight years, will be assuming “a prominent national role in the energy sector,” the incubator stated in a news release.

BRITE’s current managing director, Jing Lyon, will serve as interim CEO as its board conducts a national search for a permanent leader.

“Rick has been at the heart of BRITE since its early days,” said Michael Stacey, BRITE board chair and managing director at KPMG US. “His leadership has guided the organization’s momentum, and we are grateful for his commitment to our mission.”

Under Stockburger’s leadership, BRITE has helped its portfolio companies raise more than $200 million in capital in 2024. Since its founding in 2010, BRITE has supported more than 650 energy-tech startups, catalyzing more than 2,100 jobs and raising more than half a billion dollars in third-party investment while working with BRITE.

“Leading BRITE has been such a privilege,” Stockburger said. “Together with our incredible team and trailblazing startups, we’ve built a place where proud Midwestern grit meets innovation.

Lyon is a Case Western Reserve-trained chemical engineer and early team member at battery technology startup Stratum Energy. She joined BRITE in 2022. Under her leadership, BRITE’s startup programs have tripled in scale, including the launch and rapid growth of its flagship CXO Program, which embeds fractional executives into startup teams.

Stockburger will remain at BRITE in an advisory capacity through June 30, with Lyon assuming leadership July 1.