Lance Schneier possesses over five decades of experience in several fields, including law, business, academia, and technology. During this period, he has held diverse roles, including attorney, entrepreneur, senior corporate executive, venture capitalist, inventor, lecturer, mentor, and business advisor.

Schneier’s professional journey commenced at Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease in Columbus, Ohio, where he practiced utility, energy, communications, and corporate law. In 1979, he authored a seminal law journal article advocating for open access to natural gas transportation. That article has been widely cited as the genesis of the competitive alternative retail energy marketing industry.

In 1982, Schneier became a partner at the law firm and left shortly thereafter to establish Yankee Resources, Inc., which is considered the nation’s first independent retail energy marketing company. Yankee’s efforts were critical to developing the competitive energy marketing industry, including as the first non-utility supplier to commercial natural gas end users, the first exporter of natural gas to Canada, and, in 1984, launching the first online natural gas trading platform. Schneier concluded a management buyout in 1988, with the support of a Wall Street investment bank, and Yankee Resources underwent a name change to Access Energy.

In 1989, the New York Mercantile Exchange appointed Schneier to its Natural Gas Advisory Committee, tasked with creating and launching a natural gas futures contract. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the distinction of making the inaugural trade of that contract. Lance and his investors sold Access Energy to Enron Corporation in 1992. Access had substantially grown at the time, with annual revenues exceeding $300 million, a workforce of 125 employees in four cities, and a customer base spanning 30 states.

In 2001, Schneier created a second retail energy marketing company, Accent Energy, in partnership with a private equity firm and a hedge fund. Accent Energy amassed over 125,000 customers before Schneier sold the company in 2010.

Beyond the energy sector, Schneier holds three patents and has developed several consumer products. He created a groundbreaking wireless internet information and transaction platform, which PC Magazine recognized as an Editor’s Choice and was an early Google content partner.

He served as an instructor in the MBA program at the Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University, teaching Business Strategy and Government Regulation, a course he created. Lance continues to assist organizations and individuals in developing and implementing financial and marketing strategies and critical thinking skills.

Schneier is a native of Canton, Ohio, a 1971 graduate of the College of Business Administration at The Ohio State University, and a 1974 cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. Lance was a national finalist for the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has been active in many civic activities, including having served on the Ohio Oil & Gas Board of Review, the City of Columbus, Ohio Community Shelter Board, as Solicitor for the Village of Riverlea, Ohio, and on the City of Dublin, Ohio, Planning and Zoning Commission.

Lance resides in Dublin, Ohio, with his wife, Sue, and Arthur, their sizeable golden retriever. They have six grown children and nine grandchildren.

And, the ae2.com domain name? Lance registered it in 1999. Predicting that easy-to-remember domain names would become important, he registered a series of them, including ae2, which was one of the few three-character ones still available.