2024 Speakers
See 2023 Speakers.
Stella McCartney
Founder & Creative Director, Stella McCartney House
Stella McCartney is the founder and creative director of Stella McCartney House, a sustainable luxury brand, with collections sold in 77 countries. She is a firm supporter of animal rights and environmentalism and is known for her use of vegetarian and animal-free alternatives in her work.
Stella launched her brand in 2001. Three years later, she entered into a long-term partnership with Adidas, which features leather-free goods, and has designed for the Olympic Team Great Britain several times. In 2019, Stella partnered up with LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, and now serves as a special advisor on sustainability to LVMH’s executive committee.
Stella launched her brand in 2001. Three years later, she entered into a long-term partnership with Adidas, which features leather-free goods, and has designed for the Olympic Team Great Britain several times. In 2019, Stella partnered up with LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, and now serves as a special advisor on sustainability to LVMH’s executive committee.
Katie Rae
CEO & Managing Partner, The Engine Ventures
Katie is the CEO & Managing Partner of The Engine Ventures, which was launched in 2016 to invest into early stage Tough Tech companies translating from lab to commercialization. Since its founding, Katie has raised over $1B in capital commitments for Engine Ventures. She serves as a Board Member for The Engine Ventures’ portfolio companies Boston Metal, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Form Energy, EVOLOH, and Sublime Systems.
Katie has over 10 years of experience as an investor and 25 years as a tech executive helping build Boston into a thriving tech hub. She has invested in nearly 100 companies and advised hundreds of founders from early-stage formation to scale-up. Key investments include Pillpack (acquired by Amazon for $1 billion in 2018), Flywire, Moon, and GrabCAD.
Katie has experience in managing startup accelerators and business-innovation programs — she was a Managing Director of Techstars Boston. She was also a co-founder and Managing Director at Project 11 Ventures.
In addition to her extensive investing career, she has over 20 years of experience in product development, management & operations including holding management positions at Microsoft, Eons, AltaVista, RagingBull, Zip2, and Mirror Worlds.
Katie holds an MBA from Yale and a BA in Biology from Oberlin College. She co-founded the Equity Summit, which convenes leading General Partners and Asset Managers of diversity across the venture capital industry.
Katie has over 10 years of experience as an investor and 25 years as a tech executive helping build Boston into a thriving tech hub. She has invested in nearly 100 companies and advised hundreds of founders from early-stage formation to scale-up. Key investments include Pillpack (acquired by Amazon for $1 billion in 2018), Flywire, Moon, and GrabCAD.
Katie has experience in managing startup accelerators and business-innovation programs — she was a Managing Director of Techstars Boston. She was also a co-founder and Managing Director at Project 11 Ventures.
In addition to her extensive investing career, she has over 20 years of experience in product development, management & operations including holding management positions at Microsoft, Eons, AltaVista, RagingBull, Zip2, and Mirror Worlds.
Katie holds an MBA from Yale and a BA in Biology from Oberlin College. She co-founded the Equity Summit, which convenes leading General Partners and Asset Managers of diversity across the venture capital industry.
Mike Schroepfer
Founder & Partner, Gigascale Capital
Mike Schroepfer is a Founder and Partner at Gigascale Capital. He brings a 25-year track record in technology and science as an executive, entrepreneur, and investor to backing early-stage climate technology companies that are modernizing the world’s biggest sectors and making clean options a no-brainer choice.
As Meta's CTO, he scaled products to billions of users, shipped millions of units of consumer hardware, constructed tens of millions of square feet of data centers, built teams of up to 35,000, and made breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. He’s currently a Senior Fellow focused on AI and developing technical talent.
Schrep’s philanthropic work includes Additional Ventures, the Carbon-to-Sea Initiative, and Outlier Projects, which funds grants aimed at accelerating climate science and policy responses to the climate crisis. He’s a Stanford computer science graduate, led engineering at Mozilla, founded a company acquired by Sun Microsystems, and is a decent skier and mediocre surfer.
As Meta's CTO, he scaled products to billions of users, shipped millions of units of consumer hardware, constructed tens of millions of square feet of data centers, built teams of up to 35,000, and made breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. He’s currently a Senior Fellow focused on AI and developing technical talent.
Schrep’s philanthropic work includes Additional Ventures, the Carbon-to-Sea Initiative, and Outlier Projects, which funds grants aimed at accelerating climate science and policy responses to the climate crisis. He’s a Stanford computer science graduate, led engineering at Mozilla, founded a company acquired by Sun Microsystems, and is a decent skier and mediocre surfer.
Rajesh Swaminathan
Partner, Khosla Ventures
A Partner at Khosla Ventures, Rajesh has two decades of experience assisting and investing in deep tech startups. He manages many of the firm’s investments across renewables generation, storage, hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, plastics, foodtech, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
Previously, Rajesh was the head of Applied Ventures LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, where he managed a portfolio of 85 deep-tech startups globally, as well as two deep-tech funds in Korea and Taiwan. He led investments and helped build companies, many of which had strong exits, including Enphase Energy, Solid Energy, Rockley, Infinite Power Solutions, Adaptive3D, Tango, Inpria and Norsk Ti. Rajesh was recognized amongst the top 100 global CVCs, on the Global Corporate Venture (GCV) Powerlist.
Earlier, he worked at Third Point Ventures and at Lucent’s Bell Labs, where he drove technical assessments and partnerships for several optical, MEMS, and RF device startups, and also led DFR programs for the successful deployment of Lucent’s 10Gb/s and 40Gb/s systems.
While pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, he worked on Deutsche Bank’s cleantech banking team, and also worked with KV on companies in solar and water. Previously, Rajesh earned a master of science degree from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where he was awarded the Shankar Dayal Sharma (President of India) Medal for overall excellence.
Previously, Rajesh was the head of Applied Ventures LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, where he managed a portfolio of 85 deep-tech startups globally, as well as two deep-tech funds in Korea and Taiwan. He led investments and helped build companies, many of which had strong exits, including Enphase Energy, Solid Energy, Rockley, Infinite Power Solutions, Adaptive3D, Tango, Inpria and Norsk Ti. Rajesh was recognized amongst the top 100 global CVCs, on the Global Corporate Venture (GCV) Powerlist.
Earlier, he worked at Third Point Ventures and at Lucent’s Bell Labs, where he drove technical assessments and partnerships for several optical, MEMS, and RF device startups, and also led DFR programs for the successful deployment of Lucent’s 10Gb/s and 40Gb/s systems.
While pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, he worked on Deutsche Bank’s cleantech banking team, and also worked with KV on companies in solar and water. Previously, Rajesh earned a master of science degree from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where he was awarded the Shankar Dayal Sharma (President of India) Medal for overall excellence.
Milo Werner
General Partner, DCVC
Milo plays a leading role in DCVC’s climate investments, identifying and nurturing breakthrough deep tech ventures that address the world’s pressing climate challenges. She focuses on solutions that go beyond emissions reduction to revolutionize value chains, decarbonize high-emitting industries, and advance both mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Milo’s blend of investment insight and hands-on industry experience equips her to effectively identify promising climate technologies and guide them from concept to commercialization. Her investment background includes partner positions at MIT’s The Engine, Ajax Strategies, and Khosla Ventures, while her operational experience is highlighted by her tenure at Tesla, where she contributed to bringing innovative electric vehicles to market, and at Zola, a solar-battery startup providing distributed energy to over a million families in Africa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and civil & environmental engineering from the University of Vermont, and a master’s degree in civil engineering and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Leveraging her extensive industrial experience, Milo founded The NextGen Industry Group to support companies commercializing advanced manufacturing technologies. The group brings together leaders, operators, industry experts, and capital providers to develop thought leadership and best practices in manufacturing strategy, capital stack construction, industrial policy, and strategic partnerships.
Milo’s blend of investment insight and hands-on industry experience equips her to effectively identify promising climate technologies and guide them from concept to commercialization. Her investment background includes partner positions at MIT’s The Engine, Ajax Strategies, and Khosla Ventures, while her operational experience is highlighted by her tenure at Tesla, where she contributed to bringing innovative electric vehicles to market, and at Zola, a solar-battery startup providing distributed energy to over a million families in Africa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and civil & environmental engineering from the University of Vermont, and a master’s degree in civil engineering and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Leveraging her extensive industrial experience, Milo founded The NextGen Industry Group to support companies commercializing advanced manufacturing technologies. The group brings together leaders, operators, industry experts, and capital providers to develop thought leadership and best practices in manufacturing strategy, capital stack construction, industrial policy, and strategic partnerships.
Emmanuel Lagarrigue
Partner & Co-Head of Global Climate, KKR
Emmanuel Lagarrigue joined KKR in 2022 and is the Global Co-Head of the firm’s Climate strategy within the Infrastructure business. In this role, he leads KKR's global investments in climate, showcasing his expertise and commitment to sustainable growth. Mr. Lagarrigue has considerable experience in sustainability, the energy transition, and the transformation of large businesses. Before joining KKR, he was a founding partner of BeyondNetZero, a General Atlantic fund focusing on growth equity opportunities in decarbonization technologies. Before that, Mr. Lagarrigue held various leadership positions at Schneider Electric for over 20 years, including Chief Strategy, Chief Sustainability, and Chief Innovation Officer, as well as P&L and general management roles in Europe, South America, Asia, and the United States. Additionally, he serves as the Chairman of the board of trustees of Menorca Preservation, an NGO dedicated to environmental causes in the Balearic Islands.
Terry Tamminen
President & CEO, AltaSea
Terry Tamminen is the President/CEO of the non-profit “blue economy” hub AltaSea in the Port of Los Angeles. In 2003, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and later Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor. He cofounded the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a public-private partnership working globally to deploy climate solutions at scale, and provides climate policy advice to 7th Generation Advisors, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Pegasus Capital Advisors, and the UN Green Climate Fund. An accomplished author, Terry’s books include “Watercolors: How JJ the Whale Saved Us” and “Cracking the Carbon Code: The Keys to Sustainable Profits in the New Economy”. The Guardian ranked Terry No. 1 in its “Top 50 People Who Can Save the Planet.”
Beth Esponnette
Co-founder & Creative Director, unspun
Beth Esponnette is Co-founder & Creative Director at unspun, a brand that makes custom-fit jeans from body scans and produces apparel on-demand from their proprietary 3D weaving machine. She's previously worked at Mountain Hardwear, Pearl Izumi, TechShop, Ekso Bionics, the NSF as a proposal reviewer, and the University of Oregon as an Assistant Professor of Product Design. She has a BS in Fiber Science & Apparel Design from Cornell and an MFA in Design from Stanford University. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband and kids and can be found skiing or running in the mountains whenever possible.
Chris Levesque
President & CEO, TerraPower
Chris Levesque is president and chief executive officer of TerraPower, and also serves as a member of the TerraPower Board. He was appointed to that position in November 2018 after having served as president of TerraPower since 2015. Levesque leads this nuclear innovation company in the pursuit of next-generation nuclear energy solutions and also oversees TerraPower’s new venture into therapeutic medical isotopes. His proven track record in scoping, planning and implementing complex projects began with his service in the U.S. Nuclear Navy and features more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear field.
Prior to joining TerraPower, Levesque led major new reactor build efforts at both Westinghouse and AREVA, overseeing projects in both the U.S. and Finland. Before his assignment in Finland, he led the formation of AREVA’s joint venture with Newport News Shipbuilding, AREVA Newport News, for which he served as chairman of the Board and president.
Levesque has extensive experience with the nuclear industrial base and nuclear component manufacturing. Earlier in his career, Levesque served as the manager of engineering and manufacturing at Westinghouse’s Newington, New Hampshire, component manufacturing facility, and he has served in multiple management positions at two nuclear-capable shipyards. Levesque began his career as a nuclear submarine officer and served on both the USS Boise (SSN 764) and the USS Will Rogers (SSBN 659). On Boise, he supervised initial criticality and reactor startup testing, and qualified as chief engineer.
Levesque holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and a Naval Engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also serves on the Board of the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Prior to joining TerraPower, Levesque led major new reactor build efforts at both Westinghouse and AREVA, overseeing projects in both the U.S. and Finland. Before his assignment in Finland, he led the formation of AREVA’s joint venture with Newport News Shipbuilding, AREVA Newport News, for which he served as chairman of the Board and president.
Levesque has extensive experience with the nuclear industrial base and nuclear component manufacturing. Earlier in his career, Levesque served as the manager of engineering and manufacturing at Westinghouse’s Newington, New Hampshire, component manufacturing facility, and he has served in multiple management positions at two nuclear-capable shipyards. Levesque began his career as a nuclear submarine officer and served on both the USS Boise (SSN 764) and the USS Will Rogers (SSBN 659). On Boise, he supervised initial criticality and reactor startup testing, and qualified as chief engineer.
Levesque holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and a Naval Engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also serves on the Board of the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Elizabeth Chan
Co-founder & CEO, Neptune Robotics
Elizabeth Chan is the cofounder and CEO of Neptune Robotics. Since 2018, Neptune Robotics has introduced the first robotic hull clean that works in extreme environments, helping vessels worldwide reduce fuel consumption and lower their carbon footprint. Before Neptune Robotics, Elizabeth worked at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a technology company in London. She holds an MA and BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Josh Silverman
Co-founder & CEO, Windfall Bio
Josh Silverman, Ph.D. is the CEO and co-founder of Windfall Bio, a nature-based technology company that transforms harmful methane from any source into valuable outputs, like organic fertilizer. Dr. Silverman has over 20 years of successful entrepreneurial experience in biotech research, innovation and commercialization and is a leading authority on methane transformation technologies. Dr. Silverman serves as an advisor for a number of climate focused biotech companies, and was formerly the CEO for Aromyx, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Calysta, Inc. and Vice President of Drug Development at Amunix, Inc. He has B.Sc. in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Stanford University.
Scott Himmelberger
Director, Decarbonization Partners
Scott Himmelberger is a Director at Decarbonization Partners, BlackRock and Temasek’s joint venture that invests in the next generation of innovative decarbonization solutions and businesses to accelerate global efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. He currently serves on the Board of Antora Energy, a developer of thermal batteries for decarbonizing industrial heat.
Prior to joining BlackRock, Scott was a Principal at Princeville Capital, a global technology-focused growth equity firm. Scott led sourcing and deal execution for Princeville’s Climate Technology Fund, investing in emissions reducing companies across advanced mobility, next generation energy, carbon management, and digital transformation.
Previously, Scott was a Project Leader at BCG where he was a core member of the North American energy practice. He also worked on the tech-to-market team at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier agency for investing in disruptive energy technologies, where he helped launch an investment program for advanced batteries and next-gen fuel cells. Scott holds a PhD and MS in materials science & engineering from Stanford University and earned a BS in chemical engineering from the University of California, Davis.
Prior to joining BlackRock, Scott was a Principal at Princeville Capital, a global technology-focused growth equity firm. Scott led sourcing and deal execution for Princeville’s Climate Technology Fund, investing in emissions reducing companies across advanced mobility, next generation energy, carbon management, and digital transformation.
Previously, Scott was a Project Leader at BCG where he was a core member of the North American energy practice. He also worked on the tech-to-market team at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier agency for investing in disruptive energy technologies, where he helped launch an investment program for advanced batteries and next-gen fuel cells. Scott holds a PhD and MS in materials science & engineering from Stanford University and earned a BS in chemical engineering from the University of California, Davis.
Max Huisman, PhD
Co-founder & CTO, Prolific Machines
Max Huisman, PhD, is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Prolific Machines, the biotechnology innovator using light to unlock unprecedented cellular control. Prolific harnesses light to produce everyday essentials more efficiently — from food and lifesaving drugs to novel biosolutions. Prolific is enabling innovators across therapeutics and advanced nutrition to unlock robust efficiency, quality, scalability, and sustainability advantages.
Along with co-founders Deniz and Declan, in 2020 Max was inspired by the burgeoning field of optogenetics.The team then set out to commercially harness light— an abundant, safe, and versatile input — to control cellular behavior with unparalleled precision and optimize this over time using AI technology.
Prior to co-founding Prolific Machines, Max worked as a PostDoc at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He had previously completed his PhD in Biomedical Sciences there, during which time he conceived, designed and built various novel devices - among which the world’s first cryogenic super-resolution fluorescence microscope. Max speaks five languages, has co-authored 10+ academic publications, and holds several patents.
Max received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Applied Physics from the University of Delft.
Along with co-founders Deniz and Declan, in 2020 Max was inspired by the burgeoning field of optogenetics.The team then set out to commercially harness light— an abundant, safe, and versatile input — to control cellular behavior with unparalleled precision and optimize this over time using AI technology.
Prior to co-founding Prolific Machines, Max worked as a PostDoc at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He had previously completed his PhD in Biomedical Sciences there, during which time he conceived, designed and built various novel devices - among which the world’s first cryogenic super-resolution fluorescence microscope. Max speaks five languages, has co-authored 10+ academic publications, and holds several patents.
Max received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Applied Physics from the University of Delft.
Anders Forslund
Co-founder & CEO, Heart Aerospace
Anders is the founder, and CEO of Heart Aerospace. He founded the company in 2018 together with Klara Forslund with the aim of electrifying short-haul regional aviation.
Before starting Heart, Anders was an aerospace researcher at Chalmers, where he was a driving force behind the research project Elise-Electric Aviation in Sweden, funded by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova. He is also a founding member of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation.
He spent 2013-2014 at MIT, where his work on geometric variation of aerospace components was awarded the Charles M. Manly Memorial Medal. Anders has a Ph.D. in Aerospace Product Development and a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Chalmers. He has a dual M.Sc. in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University and Luleå University, as a part of the SpaceMaster program. He is also a member of the Prince Daniel fellowship for young entrepreneurs.
Before starting Heart, Anders was an aerospace researcher at Chalmers, where he was a driving force behind the research project Elise-Electric Aviation in Sweden, funded by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova. He is also a founding member of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation.
He spent 2013-2014 at MIT, where his work on geometric variation of aerospace components was awarded the Charles M. Manly Memorial Medal. Anders has a Ph.D. in Aerospace Product Development and a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Chalmers. He has a dual M.Sc. in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University and Luleå University, as a part of the SpaceMaster program. He is also a member of the Prince Daniel fellowship for young entrepreneurs.
Ryan Gilliam
Co-founder & CEO, Fortera
Dr. Gilliam is a serial entrepreneur who has founded three companies dedicated to solving climate issues, specifically decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like cement, energy, and petrochemicals. In 2019, Dr. Gilliam co-founded Fortera, where he serves as CEO. Dr. Gilliam also founded and serves on the Board of Directors of Verdagy, a company that has developed a novel green hydrogen technology and is currently building its first gigafactory in California, as well as Chemetry, a company focused on reducing the energy requirements and CO2 emissions associated with the production of essential chemicals.
Dr. Gilliam has also worked as a Venture Partner at 1955 Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in technologies that solve global challenges in areas such as energy, food safety, health, and sustainable manufacturing. Dr. Gilliam received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto. On his work in materials and chemical development, Dr. Gilliam has 10+ peer-reviewed publications resulting in over 3000 citations of his work, and has been an invited speaker at multiple international conferences. He is an inventor with 100+ patents in energy, sustainability, products, and materials spaces.
Uyen Tran
Founder & CEO, TômTex
Uyen Tran, a former fashion and textile designer, is now founder and CEO of TômTex. With a deep passion for innovation, she is committed to revolutionizing the materials industry. Her mission is to create sustainable, accessible, and practical alternatives to traditional commercial materials, addressing the urgent need to mitigate the environmental crisis facing our planet.
Bessie Schwarz
Co-founder & CEO, Floodbase
Bessie Schwarz is the CEO and Co-founder of Floodbase. As Co-Founder, Bessie has helped build the most actionable, advanced, and cost-effective flood data platform on the market for insurers and the public sector. Prior to founding Floodbase, she earned a Masters of Science from Yale University and founded the consulting arm of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications. In 2024, she was named to Bloomberg's list of the 13 Most Influential Climate Leaders to watch. In 2022, she was named to Business Insider’s list of 30 Top Climate Leaders.
Andrew Ponec
Co-founder & CEO, Antora Energy
Andrew Ponec is co-founder and CEO of Antora Energy. Antora Energy is unlocking zero-emissions industrial heat and power, cheaper than fossil fuels. Antora’s thermal batteries convert low-cost, intermittent renewable electricity into reliable industrial energy.
Prior to founding Antora, Mr. Ponec founded the solar energy company Dragonfly Systems. Dragonfly, which was acquired by SunPower in 2014, developed and commercialized novel power electronics for utility-scale solar power plants. Mr. Ponec received his B.S. in energy systems engineering from Stanford University, where he researched advanced photovoltaics and power electronics.
Kendra Rauschenberger
General Partner, Siemens Energy Ventures
Kendra Rauschenberger is General Partner with Siemens Energy Ventures. Since 2020, she has been responsible for building the venturing unit for Siemens Energy which sits at the heart of the company’s innovation strategy. Its mission is to identify, pilot and invest in startups that can drive innovation and deliver tangible impact within the energy industry. Kendra’s commercial economics background combined with her extensive experience in the energy industry has already led to some notable successes in the areas of clean energy, carbon tech and long-duration-energy-storage. She is passionate about corporate venturing and the difference it can make when utilized effectively. She also holds an MBA in New Venture Creation from the University of Louisville.
Janos Pasztor
Fmr. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change
Janos Pasztor has close to 5 decades of work experience in international organizations working on energy, environment, climate change and sustainable development.
During 2016-2023 he was Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and the Executive Director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G). During 2015-2016 he was UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change in New York under Senior Advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Earlier, he was Acting Executive Director for Conservation (2014) and Policy and Science Director (2012-2014) at WWF-International. He directed the UNSG’s Climate Change Support Team (2008-2010) and later was Executive Secretary of the UNSG’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (2010-2012). In 2007 he directed the Geneva-based UN Environment Management Group (EMG). During 1993-2006 he worked, and over time held different responsibilities at the Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), initially in Geneva, Switzerland and later in Bonn, Germany.
His other assignments included: in the Secretariat of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit ’92); Stockholm Environment Institute; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Secretariat of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission); the Beijer Institute; and the World Council of Churches.
He has BSc and MSc degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). High-school diploma from the Nairobi School in Kenya.
During 2016-2023 he was Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and the Executive Director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G). During 2015-2016 he was UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change in New York under Senior Advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Earlier, he was Acting Executive Director for Conservation (2014) and Policy and Science Director (2012-2014) at WWF-International. He directed the UNSG’s Climate Change Support Team (2008-2010) and later was Executive Secretary of the UNSG’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (2010-2012). In 2007 he directed the Geneva-based UN Environment Management Group (EMG). During 1993-2006 he worked, and over time held different responsibilities at the Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), initially in Geneva, Switzerland and later in Bonn, Germany.
His other assignments included: in the Secretariat of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit ’92); Stockholm Environment Institute; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Secretariat of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission); the Beijer Institute; and the World Council of Churches.
He has BSc and MSc degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). High-school diploma from the Nairobi School in Kenya.
Ankit Todi
Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group
Ankit Todi drives sustainability for the Mahindra Group (>$60B market cap), a federation of companies headquartered in India and presence in multiple different sectors including automobiles, farm machinery, information technology, financial services, renewable energy, logistics, hospitality, real estate, etc. His role encompasses multiple areas namely,
a) shaping the group sustainability strategy & providing thought leadership, working closely with the "Group Sustainability CEO Council"
b) partnering and managing all intl. & domestic relations on sustainability, including being the Mahindra Group engagement lead for World Economic Forum, United Nations Global Compact, Sustainable Markets Initiative, etc. & various domestic industry associations,
c) driving green business transition via target setting, roadmap & capability building, transparent reporting & disclosures, etc.
He is passionate about the clean-tech. ecosystem and works to bring new innovations to group companies by engaging with the start-up ecosystem. He’s also part of Mahindra’s groups young leaders’ cohort. His previous experience was in the strategic management consulting space working with Bain & Company for ~7 years, having led projects across multiple industries (e-commerce, logistics, FMCG, real estate, etc.) in strategy, due diligence, and implementation roles. Ankit has a Masters’ degree in ‘Information & Communication Technology’ and a Bachelor’s degree in ‘Electrical Engineering’ from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
a) shaping the group sustainability strategy & providing thought leadership, working closely with the "Group Sustainability CEO Council"
b) partnering and managing all intl. & domestic relations on sustainability, including being the Mahindra Group engagement lead for World Economic Forum, United Nations Global Compact, Sustainable Markets Initiative, etc. & various domestic industry associations,
c) driving green business transition via target setting, roadmap & capability building, transparent reporting & disclosures, etc.
He is passionate about the clean-tech. ecosystem and works to bring new innovations to group companies by engaging with the start-up ecosystem. He’s also part of Mahindra’s groups young leaders’ cohort. His previous experience was in the strategic management consulting space working with Bain & Company for ~7 years, having led projects across multiple industries (e-commerce, logistics, FMCG, real estate, etc.) in strategy, due diligence, and implementation roles. Ankit has a Masters’ degree in ‘Information & Communication Technology’ and a Bachelor’s degree in ‘Electrical Engineering’ from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
David Keith
Professor, Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago
David Keith has worked near the interface between climate science, energy technology, and public policy since 1990. He took first in Canada’s national physics prize exam, won MIT’s prize for excellence in experimental physics, and was one of TIME Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment. David is Professor of Geophysical Sciences and founding faculty director of the Climate Systems Engineering initiative at the University of Chicago.
Best known for his work on the science, technology, and public policy of solar geoengineering, David led the development of Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Research Program before moving to Chicago in 2023. His policy work has ranged from analysis of electricity markets and carbon prices to research on public and expert perceptions of risky technologies. David’s hardware work includes the first interferometer for atoms, a high-accuracy infrared spectrometer for NASA’s ER-2, the development of Carbon Engineering’s air contactor, and the development of a stratospheric propelled balloon experiment for solar geoengineering.
David founded of Carbon Engineering, a Canadian company developing technology to capture CO from ambient air. David teaches science and technology policy, climate science, and solar geoengineering. He has reached >150,000 students worldwide with an edX energy course. David is author of >200 academic publications with total citation count of >20,000. He has written for the public in op-eds and A Case for Climate Engineering. For more details, please visit David’s website here.
Best known for his work on the science, technology, and public policy of solar geoengineering, David led the development of Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Research Program before moving to Chicago in 2023. His policy work has ranged from analysis of electricity markets and carbon prices to research on public and expert perceptions of risky technologies. David’s hardware work includes the first interferometer for atoms, a high-accuracy infrared spectrometer for NASA’s ER-2, the development of Carbon Engineering’s air contactor, and the development of a stratospheric propelled balloon experiment for solar geoengineering.
David founded of Carbon Engineering, a Canadian company developing technology to capture CO from ambient air. David teaches science and technology policy, climate science, and solar geoengineering. He has reached >150,000 students worldwide with an edX energy course. David is author of >200 academic publications with total citation count of >20,000. He has written for the public in op-eds and A Case for Climate Engineering. For more details, please visit David’s website here.
Gabriel Kra
Managing Director, Prelude Ventures
Gabriel Kra co-founded Prelude Ventures in 2013 after almost 25 years as an investor, entrepreneur, scientist, activist, and ski-bum. Prior to launching Prelude Ventures, Gabriel spent four years as an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in its solar and semiconductor groups. He also was an early employee at venture-backed telecommunications and semiconductor start-ups, where he was instrumental in raising money, launching products, developing technology, and getting acquired. Gabriel’s early experience working a summer at Yellowstone National Park and for Greenpeace sparked his lifelong commitment to fighting climate change.
Gabriel holds MBAs from the Columbia Business School and the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, an MS in atmospheric chemistry from SUNY Stony Brook, and a BA in philosophy from Columbia College. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Form Energy, Electric Hydrogen, Mill Industries, Ebb Carbon, Lightship, Meridian Clean Energy, PostScript Media, RedoxBlox, Renew Financial, Ripple Foods, Sense, and Trove and he has oversight for Prelude’s investments in Catalog, Koloma, Metalenz Natron Energy, Nyriad, Scoop, Spark Thermionics and Thrilling. Gabriel also serves on the Board of Directors of The CREO Syndicate, Carbon 180 and the Advisory Board for Prime Coalition.
Gabriel is still an avid skier and spends as much of his free time as possible in the mountains with his wife and four children. Gabriel also now roots for the San Francisco Giants after years as a New Yorker.
Gabriel holds MBAs from the Columbia Business School and the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, an MS in atmospheric chemistry from SUNY Stony Brook, and a BA in philosophy from Columbia College. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Form Energy, Electric Hydrogen, Mill Industries, Ebb Carbon, Lightship, Meridian Clean Energy, PostScript Media, RedoxBlox, Renew Financial, Ripple Foods, Sense, and Trove and he has oversight for Prelude’s investments in Catalog, Koloma, Metalenz Natron Energy, Nyriad, Scoop, Spark Thermionics and Thrilling. Gabriel also serves on the Board of Directors of The CREO Syndicate, Carbon 180 and the Advisory Board for Prime Coalition.
Gabriel is still an avid skier and spends as much of his free time as possible in the mountains with his wife and four children. Gabriel also now roots for the San Francisco Giants after years as a New Yorker.
Matt Jones
Managing Partner, Syensqo Ventures
Matt Jones, Managing Partner of Syensqo's corporate venture capital initiatives, leads efforts to identify and nurture investment opportunities with startups utilizing advanced materials for sustainable solutions. His scope spans multiple sectors, including automotive, aerospace, defense, home & personal care, agriculture, and healthcare. Matt oversees Syensqo Ventures’ investments in iCOMAT, Zeda, and Noble.ai, and played pivotal roles in the successful exits from portfolio companies Solid Power and MultiMechanics. With a diverse portfolio of over 20 startups and positions in five venture capital funds, Syensqo Ventures operates globally with teams in Europe, the USA, and China, managing a $100M evergreen fund to drive and foster innovation and mutual growth. Matt brings 25 years of venture capital experience in power, energy, and chemicals, including 15 years at Nth Power, a San Francisco cleantech venture capital firm. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from UC Davis and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Pete Johnson
Co-founder & CEO, Koloma, Inc.
Pete Johnson is the CEO and co-founder of Koloma, Inc. He has spent most of the last decade working in the clean hydrogen industry. Prior to founding Koloma, Pete was a Partner at Azimuth Capital Management, a private equity firm, where he led their Energy Transition investment strategy.
Before joining Azimuth, Pete was Co-Founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer of Monolith Materials, a leading methane pyrolysis business that produces carbon-free hydrogen and carbon materials from natural gas. Prior to founding Monolith, Pete served as Director of Engineering at Ausra, a solar thermal technology company that was acquired by AREVA.
Pete received a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelors Degree in Physics from the University of Utah. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California and holds multiple patents in various technical fields. He has also been an advisor to the US Department of Energy and State Department for clean hydrogen strategies.
Pete is an avid surfer, mountain biker, and ski mountaineer, but spends most of his free time coaching soccer and enjoying an outdoor oriented family life in Northern California with his wife and four kids.
Before joining Azimuth, Pete was Co-Founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer of Monolith Materials, a leading methane pyrolysis business that produces carbon-free hydrogen and carbon materials from natural gas. Prior to founding Monolith, Pete served as Director of Engineering at Ausra, a solar thermal technology company that was acquired by AREVA.
Pete received a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelors Degree in Physics from the University of Utah. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California and holds multiple patents in various technical fields. He has also been an advisor to the US Department of Energy and State Department for clean hydrogen strategies.
Pete is an avid surfer, mountain biker, and ski mountaineer, but spends most of his free time coaching soccer and enjoying an outdoor oriented family life in Northern California with his wife and four kids.
Hampus Jakobsson
Co-founder & General Partner, Pale blue dot
Hampus Jakobsson is a general partner at climate venture fund Pale blue dot. Prior to starting the fund he was an angel investor with 100+ investments over Europe and the US, and before that he built and scaled two startups. As one got acquired by Blackberry, Hampus worked there running M&A for EMEA.
Mirik Gogri
Sustainability Investor, Spectrum Impact
Mirik leads Spectrum Impact, the family office of one of the promoters of Aarti Industries, which is dedicated to investing in innovative climate solutions. Under his leadership, Spectrum Impact deployed capital over 70 organizations worldwide through a diverse investment strategy that includes grants, equity, and debt financing.
The family office has significantly invested globally in areas of nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, direct lithium extraction, energy efficient appliances, carbon nanotubes, next generation food technologies, bioenergy, plastics circularity, tipping point research, green hydrogen, carbon capture, and low carbon cement. Mirik's strategic investments underscore his steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability.
Mirik's visionary leadership extends to his role with SCALE (Solving Climate Action by Leveraging Ecosystem), an innovative ecosystem-building initiative integrating a climate lens into ChemTech's golden jubilee celebrations. SCALE serves as a platform that helps to scale up cutting-edge climate solutions within the Indian manufacturing sector. At the first edition of the SCALE event in March 2024, approximately 500 attendees, including exhibitors, delegates, speakers, and visitors, participated.
The event featured around 50 exhibitors across the globe, 14 thematic sessions featuring 60 presentations. This comprehensive participation underscores SCALE's commitment to advancing climate action through collaborative efforts.
Mirik's dedication to sustainability extends to his deep involvement in membrane research, a critical field for advancing clean technology solutions. His family's generous grant towards establishing the Gogri Hub for Membrane Research at IIT Bombay reflects his commitment to supporting translational research initiatives. This initiative underscores Mirik's ability to identify and invest in critical areas of environmental research, furthering innovations that tackle pressing global challenges.
The family office has significantly invested globally in areas of nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, direct lithium extraction, energy efficient appliances, carbon nanotubes, next generation food technologies, bioenergy, plastics circularity, tipping point research, green hydrogen, carbon capture, and low carbon cement. Mirik's strategic investments underscore his steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability.
Mirik's visionary leadership extends to his role with SCALE (Solving Climate Action by Leveraging Ecosystem), an innovative ecosystem-building initiative integrating a climate lens into ChemTech's golden jubilee celebrations. SCALE serves as a platform that helps to scale up cutting-edge climate solutions within the Indian manufacturing sector. At the first edition of the SCALE event in March 2024, approximately 500 attendees, including exhibitors, delegates, speakers, and visitors, participated.
The event featured around 50 exhibitors across the globe, 14 thematic sessions featuring 60 presentations. This comprehensive participation underscores SCALE's commitment to advancing climate action through collaborative efforts.
Mirik's dedication to sustainability extends to his deep involvement in membrane research, a critical field for advancing clean technology solutions. His family's generous grant towards establishing the Gogri Hub for Membrane Research at IIT Bombay reflects his commitment to supporting translational research initiatives. This initiative underscores Mirik's ability to identify and invest in critical areas of environmental research, furthering innovations that tackle pressing global challenges.
Zachary Bogue
Managing Partner, DCVC
Zachary’s belief that the systems-level thinking integral to environmental science coupled with Deep Tech can help tackle many of our urgent real-world challenges led him to co-found DCVC in 2010. He brings to bear over 20 years in Silicon Valley as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, adviser, and angel investor.
Zachary is Co-Founder of DCVC and Co-Managing Partner across its family of funds, and his current investments on behalf of the firm span computational drug discovery, nuclear energy, algorithmic finance, synthetic biology, geospatial informatics platforms, and applied AI for global-scale climate impact, including areas like methane abatement and carbon transformation.
The World Economic Forum has named Zachary a Young Global Leader in recognition of his leadership at the intersection of transformative technology and urgent global issues, and he is active in the Davos community, including his annual “Deep Tech in Davos” event. Zachary’s previous venture investments include Square (SQ), AngelList, and Uber (UBER). Zachary received a bachelor’s degree with honors in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University and a JD with honors from Georgetown University’s law school, where he was executive editor for The Tax Lawyer. Zachary serves on the non-profit boards of the East Palo Alto Charter School and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Zachary is Co-Founder of DCVC and Co-Managing Partner across its family of funds, and his current investments on behalf of the firm span computational drug discovery, nuclear energy, algorithmic finance, synthetic biology, geospatial informatics platforms, and applied AI for global-scale climate impact, including areas like methane abatement and carbon transformation.
The World Economic Forum has named Zachary a Young Global Leader in recognition of his leadership at the intersection of transformative technology and urgent global issues, and he is active in the Davos community, including his annual “Deep Tech in Davos” event. Zachary’s previous venture investments include Square (SQ), AngelList, and Uber (UBER). Zachary received a bachelor’s degree with honors in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University and a JD with honors from Georgetown University’s law school, where he was executive editor for The Tax Lawyer. Zachary serves on the non-profit boards of the East Palo Alto Charter School and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Coppelia Marincovic
Partner, Syensqo Ventures
Coppelia is a Partner at Solvay Ventures, the venture capital fund of Solvay. With 160 years of existence, Solvay is a global leader in Materials, Chemicals and Solutions, and brings innovation in aerospace, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, water and air treatment, to solve critical industrial, social and environmental challenges.
Coppelia invests in start-ups developing technologies that leverage chemistry to tackle large climate issues. Topics cover energy transition, sustainable resources, health & wellbeing and future of manufacturing. She sits on the board of companies developing new technologies in batteries (Sepion, Sionic Energy), biotech (DMC), composites manufacturing (Plyable and formerly MultiMechanics), plastic-free personal care (Nohbo), and carbon capture.
Her prior experience in VC was at Sofinnova Partners, a Paris-based VC fund, where she specialized in cleantech and industrial biology.
Before joining Solvay Ventures, Coppelia was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she worked on resource productivity projects and biotechnology manufacturing. With a passion for climate for over 15 years, she was one of the pioneers of Life Cycle Assessment, and guest lecturer at Harvard and MIT on this topic. Coppelia also worked for start-ups in biotech and sustainability software / consulting.
Trained as a chemist, Coppelia specialized in environmental sciences, and worked in the labs of two Nobel Laureates. She holds an MBA from INSEAD, MSc. in Environmental Sciences from Harvard University and MSc. in Chemistry from Chimie ParisTech.
Brandon Sorbom
Co-founder & CSO, Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Brandon Sorbom co-founded Commonwealth Fusion Systems with the goal of commercializing fusion energy in time to combat climate change. As Chief Science Officer, he leads the scientific direction and R&D efforts of the company. In addition, he leads the company’s efforts to advance the design of Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ commercial fusion power plant, ARC.
Sorbom is mission-driven to fight climate change, and believes that commercial fusion power can be a critical solution. He studied fusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) because of its massive potential as a limitless clean energy source. While working on his PhD there, Sorbom was the lead author of the paper that proposed the original design for ARC that inspired the founding of Commonwealth Fusion Systems in 2018.
A regular scientific presenter and academic speaker, Sorbom earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics from Loyola Marymount University and a PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT. He was also named a “35 Under 35” Honoree from MIT Technology Review.
Sorbom is mission-driven to fight climate change, and believes that commercial fusion power can be a critical solution. He studied fusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) because of its massive potential as a limitless clean energy source. While working on his PhD there, Sorbom was the lead author of the paper that proposed the original design for ARC that inspired the founding of Commonwealth Fusion Systems in 2018.
A regular scientific presenter and academic speaker, Sorbom earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics from Loyola Marymount University and a PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT. He was also named a “35 Under 35” Honoree from MIT Technology Review.
Aakash Shah
Partner, Peak Sustainability Ventures
Aakash is excited by the disruptive nature of technology-led innovations in sustainability, and the imminent need to decarbonize sectors. He spends time understanding emerging industries and new technologies, to identify their application to solving complex climate problems in unique ways. At Peak, Aakash leads the investment team and has built domain expertise across Peak’s core sectors - New Energy, Food Systems, Water, and Climate (Green Buildings, Plastics, Carbon Credits). He is actively involved in India's climate space, regularly speaking on panels and at conferences. He has done a TEDx talk on "The 'Hidden Cost' of Everything We Do".
Aakash has been in VC for the past 8 years, across multiple VC funds globally. He is also the co-founder of neonVest - a VC-backed enterprise SaaS startup - which he has operated for the past 6 years. neonVest was acquired in 2024.
Prior to Peak, Aakash headed up the VC arm of Sattva Capital, a leading private investment office based in Mumbai, where he led deals in Energy Web Foundation (now listed on multiple crypto exchanges), Shortlist, and other companies. Prior to Sattva, Aakash co-led the Asia portfolio at Accion Venture Lab, a global fintech fund based in Washington D.C. Aakash embarked on his VC journey at Contrarian Partners, a generalist tech VC in Mumbai.
Aakash started his career on the Investment Research team at Aksia, a $160Bn New York-based hedge fund advisory firm, where he evaluated funds across long/short equity, credit and quant strategies. Aakash holds a B.Sc. from NYU Stern School of Business, majoring in Finance and International Business, with a minor in Philosophy. He is also the Co-President of Bleeker Street Angel Network, an India-focused angel network for NYU Alumni.
Aakash has been in VC for the past 8 years, across multiple VC funds globally. He is also the co-founder of neonVest - a VC-backed enterprise SaaS startup - which he has operated for the past 6 years. neonVest was acquired in 2024.
Prior to Peak, Aakash headed up the VC arm of Sattva Capital, a leading private investment office based in Mumbai, where he led deals in Energy Web Foundation (now listed on multiple crypto exchanges), Shortlist, and other companies. Prior to Sattva, Aakash co-led the Asia portfolio at Accion Venture Lab, a global fintech fund based in Washington D.C. Aakash embarked on his VC journey at Contrarian Partners, a generalist tech VC in Mumbai.
Aakash started his career on the Investment Research team at Aksia, a $160Bn New York-based hedge fund advisory firm, where he evaluated funds across long/short equity, credit and quant strategies. Aakash holds a B.Sc. from NYU Stern School of Business, majoring in Finance and International Business, with a minor in Philosophy. He is also the Co-President of Bleeker Street Angel Network, an India-focused angel network for NYU Alumni.
Takuya Koizumi
GM Decarb Group, NYK Line
Takuya Koizumi is currently the General Manager of the Decarbonization Group at NYK Line, one of the world's largest international shipping companies. He joined NYK in 1992 and has worked in various divisions within the organization, including the liner shipping division, the crude oil tanker division, finance, corporate planning (including M&A), and the technical division. He was stationed in London for over 4 years as a structured finance specialist. Additionally, he was seconded to NYK Group's international logistics company, Yusen Logistics (China) Co., Ltd., for 6 years, where he held management roles in Shanghai HQ and Guangzhou branch. Through these experiences, he has gained extensive knowledge of the international shipping and logistics industries. He assumed his current position in the Decarbonization Group in April 2023.
Gene Berdichevsky
Co-founder & CEO, Sila
Gene Berdichevsky is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sila Nanotechnologies. Prior to co-founding Sila, Gene was the seventh employee at Tesla Motors where he served as Principal Engineer on the Roadster battery, leading the development of the world’s first, safe, mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion battery system.
Gene holds two degrees from Stanford University; an MS in Engineering with a focus on energy and materials, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has co-authored 42 patents and 4 academic publications. Gene has been named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, the MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35, and was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.
Gene holds two degrees from Stanford University; an MS in Engineering with a focus on energy and materials, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has co-authored 42 patents and 4 academic publications. Gene has been named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, the MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35, and was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.
Amy Duffuor
Co-founder & General Partner, Azolla Ventures
Amy Duffuor is a co-founder and General Partner at Azolla Ventures, where she invests in early-stage technology companies with transformative climate impact. Amy is also a Managing Director at Prime Impact Fund, Azolla’s predecessor vehicle. Her professional background spans business, finance, and impact across three continents. Earlier in her career, Amy was a renewables and power investment banker at Bank of America. There, she worked with CEOs of public and private companies to raise investment capital including the IPO of Sunnova (NYSE:NOVA), a residential solar company initially valued at approximately $1 billion. Before her experience on Wall Street, Amy ran early-stage social venture accelerators around Southeast Asia for a Singapore-headquartered impact investing firm called Impact Investment Exchange.
Prior to working in Asia, Amy was a management consultant at State of Flux, a London- based consulting firm that specializes in supply chain and procurement.
She has served as a board member for portfolio companies Clean Crop Technologies, Noon Energy, Ovipost, Heaten, Carbon Reform, VELOZBIO and Oxylus Energy. In addition, Amy serves on the board of the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC); the Leadership Council of Activate, a nonprofit that empowers scientists to bring their research to market to address climate change; the Advisory Council of ReFED, a national nonprofit focused on food waste; and the Advisory Circle of GreenTech Noir, a global community for Black people working in sustainability and climate tech. In 2023, she was recognized by Fortune as a "Top 13 Seed Stage Climate Tech VC to Watch” and is a sought-after speaker and commentator. Amy holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Columbia University, an M.Phil in Migration Studies with Distinction from the University of Oxford, and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to working in Asia, Amy was a management consultant at State of Flux, a London- based consulting firm that specializes in supply chain and procurement.
She has served as a board member for portfolio companies Clean Crop Technologies, Noon Energy, Ovipost, Heaten, Carbon Reform, VELOZBIO and Oxylus Energy. In addition, Amy serves on the board of the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC); the Leadership Council of Activate, a nonprofit that empowers scientists to bring their research to market to address climate change; the Advisory Council of ReFED, a national nonprofit focused on food waste; and the Advisory Circle of GreenTech Noir, a global community for Black people working in sustainability and climate tech. In 2023, she was recognized by Fortune as a "Top 13 Seed Stage Climate Tech VC to Watch” and is a sought-after speaker and commentator. Amy holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Columbia University, an M.Phil in Migration Studies with Distinction from the University of Oxford, and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Nicola Tongue
Associate Director at CCEP Ventures, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Nicola is an Associate Director at CCEP Ventures, an innovation investment programme launched by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, which is working to identify and invest in breakthrough solutions to deliver a lower-carbon future for the business, and the wider industry.
As part of her role, Nicola oversees innovation and sustainability progress, plays a leading role in the development of investment strategy and supports several portfolio companies as a member of the board. She has worked on investments into carbon capture, sustainable crop evolution, and packaging solutions. She is passionate about securing a net zero future for CCEP and supported the launch of a $137.7 million venture capital fund focusing on sustainability investments, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and its global bottling partners.
Nicola has spent her career in the FMCG space, including senior commercial roles at CCEP and Belvoir Farms, with an entrepreneurial background in hospitality.
As part of her role, Nicola oversees innovation and sustainability progress, plays a leading role in the development of investment strategy and supports several portfolio companies as a member of the board. She has worked on investments into carbon capture, sustainable crop evolution, and packaging solutions. She is passionate about securing a net zero future for CCEP and supported the launch of a $137.7 million venture capital fund focusing on sustainability investments, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and its global bottling partners.
Nicola has spent her career in the FMCG space, including senior commercial roles at CCEP and Belvoir Farms, with an entrepreneurial background in hospitality.
Kimberley Smith
Chief Supply Chain Officer, Everlane Inc.
Kim is currently the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Everlane Inc. She oversees Sustainability, Sourcing, Raw Materials, Product Development, Production, and Quality for all categories. Kim's specialty is growing design-driven brands with a focus on sustainability, quality, and transparency, and has also spent several years in logistics and distribution as well as domestic manufacturing.
Max Clarke
Co-founder & CEO, Plover Parametrics, Inc.
Max Clarke is a co-founder and CEO of venture backed insurtech Plover Parametrics, Inc. Plover is a tech-enabled specialty brokerage helping retailers obtain solutions for climate and emerging risks. Plover focuses on bringing specialty products to disrupted markets, specializing in wildfire, flood, wind and other perils where admitted carriers continue to pull back. Before co-founding Plover, Max practiced corporate law and sold software to the Department of Defense.
Shuo Yang
Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
Shuo Yang is a Partner at Lowercarbon Capital. A serial entrepreneur and Y Combinator alum, Shuo has founded and operated companies in both the United States and China. He will always be an entrepreneur at heart, and he brings a strong founders-first mentality to every aspect of his work as an investor.
Shuo’s obsession with startups is deeply personal, which he channels into an intense focus on the human element of building companies. From his own experiences leading early stage startups, he intimately knows how quickly a business plan can change. About the only thing that stays constant in early companies is the team, and thus Shuo loves helping founders discover and hone their superpowers. This is particularly vital in climate tech where the stakes couldn’t be higher. Helping founders learn and succeed quicker could have a direct and measurable impact on Earth’s climate systems. Just as important is helping them shoulder the immense burden of this work that at times can be overwhelming. Shuo is passionate about helping founders balance this tension between personal wellbeing and professional success in the course of building companies to help the planet thrive.
His obsession with climate is just as deeply felt. Growing up, Shuo lived out sustainability. It was about a lot more than just conserving water or saving electricity. Sustainability was how he could help his family make sure there was money left at the end of the month for rent. Against this backdrop of scarcity, Shuo fell in love with technology and its promise of sustainable abundance for all. The experience of making more with less also taught him to recognize that ordinary people have the potential to do improbable things – a key insight in our line of work.
Shuo loves working with his hands, whether it’s crafting furniture, building cars, or just working in the garden. He digs building LEGO castles and is physiologically unable to pump the brakes when buying books. Shuo has two energetic little boys, two friendly cats, and is always working on how to be a better husband and father.
Shuo’s obsession with startups is deeply personal, which he channels into an intense focus on the human element of building companies. From his own experiences leading early stage startups, he intimately knows how quickly a business plan can change. About the only thing that stays constant in early companies is the team, and thus Shuo loves helping founders discover and hone their superpowers. This is particularly vital in climate tech where the stakes couldn’t be higher. Helping founders learn and succeed quicker could have a direct and measurable impact on Earth’s climate systems. Just as important is helping them shoulder the immense burden of this work that at times can be overwhelming. Shuo is passionate about helping founders balance this tension between personal wellbeing and professional success in the course of building companies to help the planet thrive.
His obsession with climate is just as deeply felt. Growing up, Shuo lived out sustainability. It was about a lot more than just conserving water or saving electricity. Sustainability was how he could help his family make sure there was money left at the end of the month for rent. Against this backdrop of scarcity, Shuo fell in love with technology and its promise of sustainable abundance for all. The experience of making more with less also taught him to recognize that ordinary people have the potential to do improbable things – a key insight in our line of work.
Shuo loves working with his hands, whether it’s crafting furniture, building cars, or just working in the garden. He digs building LEGO castles and is physiologically unable to pump the brakes when buying books. Shuo has two energetic little boys, two friendly cats, and is always working on how to be a better husband and father.
Tim Latimer
CEO, Fervo Energy
Tim Latimer is the CEO of Fervo Energy. Fervo delivers 24/7 carbon free energy through development of next-generation geothermal power. Fervo's technology incorporates proven, cost-effective technologies, such as horizontal drilling and fiber optic sensing, to unlock the potential of geothermal energy. Tim began his career as a Drilling Engineer with BHP Billiton where he worked in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins. With a growing appreciation of the urgency and importance of climate change, Tim left the oil and gas industry in 2015 to pursue an MBA and an MS in Environment and Resources from Stanford University where he co-founded Fervo. Tim has also worked as a Consultant for the Boston Consulting Group and as a consultant for startups Biota Technology and McClure Geomechanics. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa.
Ryan Orbuch
Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
Ryan Orbuch is a Partner at Lowercarbon Capital and leads the firm's work in carbon removal. In addition, Ryan closely follows the emerging field of sunlight reflection, and hopes to apply lessons learned from scaling carbon removal to direct climate intervention broadly.
Prior to joining Lowercarbon, Ryan helped initiate and led Stripe's carbon removal procurement program, the predecessor to the Frontier advanced market commitment. He has been invited to speak to groups including the National Academy of Sciences and the California Air Resources Board and he was a contributor to the CDR Primer.
With visibility into both scientific and practical operational challenges in scaling up carbon removal, Ryan is a trusted advisor to the foremost entrepreneurs and founders working to take CO2 out of the Earth's carbon cycle.
Ryan grew up in Boulder, CO, where thunderstorms and blizzards inspired an interest in weather and climate from a young age. Ryan has worked in restaurant kitchens on two continents, is an enthusiastic scuba diver, a temporarily-lapsed skier, and insatiably curious. Ryan is based in San Francisco.
Prior to joining Lowercarbon, Ryan helped initiate and led Stripe's carbon removal procurement program, the predecessor to the Frontier advanced market commitment. He has been invited to speak to groups including the National Academy of Sciences and the California Air Resources Board and he was a contributor to the CDR Primer.
With visibility into both scientific and practical operational challenges in scaling up carbon removal, Ryan is a trusted advisor to the foremost entrepreneurs and founders working to take CO2 out of the Earth's carbon cycle.
Ryan grew up in Boulder, CO, where thunderstorms and blizzards inspired an interest in weather and climate from a young age. Ryan has worked in restaurant kitchens on two continents, is an enthusiastic scuba diver, a temporarily-lapsed skier, and insatiably curious. Ryan is based in San Francisco.
Siddhartha Jha
Founder & CEO, Arbol
Siddhartha Jha is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Arbol, a global climate risk solutions company specializing in parametric insurance. Before founding Arbol, Sid served as a Cross-Commodities Quantitative Strategist and Director at Citadel. Earlier in his career, he launched an agriculture futures trading portfolio, managing over $100 million. He was the first analyst at a startup commodity hedge fund that eventually managed over $600 million in assets. He previously held senior positions at Castleton Commodities International and JP Morgan.
Sid is also the author of "Interest Rate Markets," a well-received book published in English and Mandarin. He has shared his expertise as a teacher of financial markets at NYU and has been actively involved in non-profit work, focusing on supporting inner-city youth. Sid graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. Cum Laude in Applied Mathematics and an M.A. in Statistics as part of a 4-year combined degree program.
Allie Garfinkle
Senior Finance Reporter, Fortune
Allie Garfinkle is a senior finance reporter at Fortune, covering venture capital, private equity, startups, and M&A. She writes Fortune’s daily deals newsletter Term Sheet. Previously, Allie covered Big Tech at Yahoo Finance for print and broadcast, and started her career at Financial Times Specialist, The Deal, and Forbes. Additionally, Allie has helped produce a number of PBS Frontline’s business documentaries, including Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover and The Power of the Fed. She's also moderated at conferences such as SXSW, Collision, and Shoptalk. She received her master’s in business and economic reporting from New York University, and her bachelor’s from the University of Chicago.
Riddhima Yadav
Vice President, Brookfield Asset Management
Riddhima is Vice President at Brookfield Asset Management where she partners closely with Brookfield’s Renewables and Transition Business to advance key initiatives on global decarbonization with stakeholders and clients. Prior to that Riddhima was part of the founding team of the Sustainable Finance Group at Goldman Sachs where she helped build group-level strategy on sustainable finance including the firm’s inaugural private markets sustainability fund and public-private partnerships. She holds a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics from Yale University.
Fabian Erici
Principal, Norrsken VC
Fabian Erici is a Principal at Norrsken VC, Europe’s leading early stage impact investor. With experience at Boston Consulting Group and an education as an industrial engineer, he dedicates his time to seeking, supporting and ultimately backing top-tier founders poised to disrupt the energy sector.
Sandeep Nijhawan
Co-founder & CEO, Electra
Sandeep Nijhawan is co-founder and CEO of Electra, a clean iron company radically reducing the environmental impact of the iron and steel industry. Nijhawan has been at the center of deep-technology and venture investments for over 20 years, advancing climate-focused technologies including LEDs, electrolyzers for the hydrogen economy, and distributed energy storage solutions. Leveraging his entrepreneurial background and experience with electrochemical systems, Nijhawan founded Electra in 2020 with the vision of using electricity and chemistry to produce the iron metal necessary for steelmaking without the emissions and environmental impact.
He has a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur, India, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the International Institute of Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
He has a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur, India, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the International Institute of Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Leah Ellis
Co-founder & CEO, Sublime Systems
Leah Ellis is the CEO and co-founder of Sublime Systems, a company revolutionizing the cement industry through its breakthrough process to produce low-carbon cement. Leah and her co-founder, Yet-Ming Chiang, developed the technology while she was an NSERC/Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Leah earned a PhD in Prof. Jeff Dahn’s lab at Dalhousie University, where she optimized lithium-ion battery chemistry in partnership with 3M and Tesla. Leah was named among MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators under 35, Boston Globe‘s Tech Power Players, and the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers.
Martin Lewerth
Group CEO, Aira
Martin Lewerth is the Group CEO of Aira, a Swedish clean energy-tech company on a mission to take Europe off gas by empowering people to join the clean energy revolution, one home at a time. Martin is a strategic and innovative leader with a growth mindset and significant experience in building high-impact, global companies. Previously, he launched one of Europe’s first broadband television services in the 2000s; co-founded Viaplay, part of Modern Times Group, which is known as the “Netflix of Scandinavia”; brought fixed broadband to Latin American homes with the telecommunications company, Millicom and accelerated transformation within mobility as EVP of Scania Group, the world-leading provider of commercial vehicles.
At Aira, Martin is tackling one of Europe’s largest sources of CO2 emissions - residential heating - with a fully vertically integrated business model and a commitment to delivering affordable and accessible clean energy-tech solutions to 5 million households across Europe.
At Aira, Martin is tackling one of Europe’s largest sources of CO2 emissions - residential heating - with a fully vertically integrated business model and a commitment to delivering affordable and accessible clean energy-tech solutions to 5 million households across Europe.
Caroline Golin, Ph.D.
Global Head of Energy Market Development and Innovation, Google
Dr. Caroline Golin is a global expert in energy markets and product design. In her current role, she leads a global team working closely with executives and teams across Europe, Asia, and North America, to meet Google’s energy and business growth needs, including its most ambitious sustainability moonshot yet; complete decarbonization of its operations by 2030. Through the development of new business models, partnerships, and market reforms, Caroline and her team are working to accelerate the decarbonization of the grid across the globe and make Google’s infrastructure the cleanest and most efficient industrial fleet in the world. Caroline holds a Masters and PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and four children.
Phoebe Wang
Investment Partner, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund
Phoebe Wang serves as the investment partner at the $2bn Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. She is passionate about bending the world’s emission curve and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and leads Amazon Female Founder Initiative. Her investment focus area covers climate tech companies in transportation & logistics, energy generation, storage, and utilization, buildings, manufacturing & materials, circular economy, food & agriculture, and carbon removal. She has over a decade experience in climate-tech investing, and started her career as engineer and later startup founder.
Sophie Bakalar
Partner, Collaborative
Sophie is a Partner at Collaborative, leading the firm’s venture investments in the climate space, including Collab SOS, a $200M+ Series A & B fund fueling a more sustainable economy across materials, ingredients, energy, and supply chains. Sophie joined Collaborative in 2016 to lead consumer brand investments and invested in early stage consumer businesses focused on health and sustainability, including Daily Harvest, Square Roots, and OLIPOP. She’s been published and/or quoted in Fortune, TechCrunch, Financial Times, and the Economist, and was named a Top Consumer Dealmaker and Influencer by Forbes.
Prior to joining Collaborative Fund, Sophie co-founded di8it, a B2B SaaS company specializing in software that reverse-engineered chart images. The company was acquired in 2016 by thinkCell Software. Prior to di8it, Sophie spent 10 years trading credit derivatives for III Capital Management, a $5+ billion fixed income hedge fund, and concurrently earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Tufts University.
Prior to joining Collaborative Fund, Sophie co-founded di8it, a B2B SaaS company specializing in software that reverse-engineered chart images. The company was acquired in 2016 by thinkCell Software. Prior to di8it, Sophie spent 10 years trading credit derivatives for III Capital Management, a $5+ billion fixed income hedge fund, and concurrently earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Tufts University.
Rich Powell
CEO, Clean Energy Buyers Association
Rich Powell is the CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association and the Clean Energy Buyers Institute. CEBA’s 400 member companies represent more than $15T in market cap and as of Q2 2024 have contracted for 84GW of new clean energy. He leads their vision to cultivate a global community of energy customers driving a clean energy future for all and to solve the toughest market and policy barriers to a carbon-free energy system.
He was previously CEO at ClearPath, advising policymakers on investing in breakthrough energy innovation and removing roadblocks to building and exporting U.S. clean technology. He frequently testified before Congress and was deeply engaged in the wave of bipartisan Federal clean energy legislation in recent years. Before leading ClearPath, he worked for McKinsey & Company in its energy and sustainability practices, focusing on corporate clean energy strategy, government low-carbon growth strategy, and clean tech market entry.
Rich serves on the board of ClearPath, and is a strategic advisor to the Silverado Policy Accelerator and a fellow at the Institute. Washingtonian has named him to its list of the “Most Influential People in Energy” from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, he delivered a TED Talk on updating permitting systems to build much more clean energy, much faster. Rich served on the Advisory Committee to the Export Import Bank of the United States from 2019 to 2021.
He was previously CEO at ClearPath, advising policymakers on investing in breakthrough energy innovation and removing roadblocks to building and exporting U.S. clean technology. He frequently testified before Congress and was deeply engaged in the wave of bipartisan Federal clean energy legislation in recent years. Before leading ClearPath, he worked for McKinsey & Company in its energy and sustainability practices, focusing on corporate clean energy strategy, government low-carbon growth strategy, and clean tech market entry.
Rich serves on the board of ClearPath, and is a strategic advisor to the Silverado Policy Accelerator and a fellow at the Institute. Washingtonian has named him to its list of the “Most Influential People in Energy” from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, he delivered a TED Talk on updating permitting systems to build much more clean energy, much faster. Rich served on the Advisory Committee to the Export Import Bank of the United States from 2019 to 2021.
Julia Attwood
Industrial Decarbonization Specialist, Bloomberg NEF
Julia Attwood is a specialist modelling industrial decarbonization at BloombergNEF. She writes about pathways to decarbonisation for heavy industry, focusing on the circular economy, CCUS, and direct air capture. Prior to this, she led BNEF’s sustainable materials team, wrote research on grids, digital technologies and electric vehicles, and was BNEF's expert in lithium-ion battery technologies, costs and supply chain. Before joining BNEF, Julia researched advanced polymer composites. She has a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Akshat Rathi
Senior Climate Reporter, Bloomberg News
Akshat Rathi is an award-winning senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News. He is the host of Zero, a weekly climate podcast for Bloomberg Green and writes a weekly newsletter on climate solutions.
He has a PhD in chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. He has worked for Quartz and The Economist. His work has been cited in widely read global publications, including New York Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
Akshat lives with his wife in London, UK. You can follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
He has a PhD in chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. He has worked for Quartz and The Economist. His work has been cited in widely read global publications, including New York Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
Akshat lives with his wife in London, UK. You can follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Yin Lu
Partner, MCJ
Yin Lu is a partner at MCJ, a venture capital firm with $100M+ AUM that backs founders driving the transition of energy and industry while solving the enormous challenge of climate change. She oversees portfolio support and platform strategy at the firm as well as leading deals to back resilient and opportunistic founders. Yin is a Khan Academy, Google, and Microsoft alum.
Alfred Johnson
Co-founder & CEO, Crux Climate
Alfred I. Johnson is Co-Founder and CEO of Crux Climate – the ecosystem for developers, tax credit buyers, and financial institutions to transact & manage transferable tax credits.
Before founding Crux, Alfred served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Janet Yellen at the US Department of the Treasury. Prior to Treasury, Alfred was Co-Founder and CEO of Mobilize, the events management platform and network acquired by EveryAction in 2020.
Earlier in his career, Alfred was a Vice President in Financial Markets Advisory at BlackRock, Senior Advisor for Financial Markets at the US Treasury, and Special Assistant to the White House Chief of Staff.
Alfred is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford University.
Before founding Crux, Alfred served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Janet Yellen at the US Department of the Treasury. Prior to Treasury, Alfred was Co-Founder and CEO of Mobilize, the events management platform and network acquired by EveryAction in 2020.
Earlier in his career, Alfred was a Vice President in Financial Markets Advisory at BlackRock, Senior Advisor for Financial Markets at the US Treasury, and Special Assistant to the White House Chief of Staff.
Alfred is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford University.
Sean O'Sullivan
Managing General Partner, SOSV
After Sean O’Sullivan’s first startup went public in 1994, he founded SOSV in 1995 as a “super angel”. In 2007, based off the success of two dozen investments that had done remarkably well, Sean began aggressively expanding SOSV, transitioning it from a personal investment vehicle into an organization which today has over 110 staff supporting investments in over 120 new startups every year. In 2022, SOSV has 12 general partners operating globally, with SOSV’s major offices in San Francisco, New York City, Newark, Taipei, Cork and Tokyo.
Sean got his entrepreneurial start in 1985 as a founder of MapInfo, bringing street mapping technology to personal computers. MapInfo went on to become a $200 million revenue public company with over 1,000 employees worldwide. In 1996, while at the helm of his second company, NetCentric, he created “software for inside the Internet” and is credited with co-creating the term “cloud computing” alongside George Favaloro from Compaq.
Sean continued as an entrepreneur and investor, creating and supporting a range of business, humanitarian and educational endeavors. A major promoter of economic and social development, he founded JumpStart International in 2003. JumpStart was a leading humanitarian engineering organization based in Baghdad and which operated throughout Iraq during the post-war period of 2003-2006. He spent a few years running JumpStart, which for a time had a staff of over 3000, running up to 80 projects at a time in Baghdad, Fallujah, and Najaf. As benefactor of the O’Sullivan Foundation, Sean has also been a primary funder of organizations such as the Khan Academy, Mathletes and CoderDojo.
As the founding Chairman of the Irish Entrepreneurship Forum and founder of Open Ireland, he was a leader and influencer of Irish government policy in fueling economic growth and recovery in the technology sector. Sean was a regular investment panelist on the popular RTÉ TV show Dragon’s Den, and an occasional columnist for Ireland’s Sunday Business Post.
Sean holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California.
Sean got his entrepreneurial start in 1985 as a founder of MapInfo, bringing street mapping technology to personal computers. MapInfo went on to become a $200 million revenue public company with over 1,000 employees worldwide. In 1996, while at the helm of his second company, NetCentric, he created “software for inside the Internet” and is credited with co-creating the term “cloud computing” alongside George Favaloro from Compaq.
Sean continued as an entrepreneur and investor, creating and supporting a range of business, humanitarian and educational endeavors. A major promoter of economic and social development, he founded JumpStart International in 2003. JumpStart was a leading humanitarian engineering organization based in Baghdad and which operated throughout Iraq during the post-war period of 2003-2006. He spent a few years running JumpStart, which for a time had a staff of over 3000, running up to 80 projects at a time in Baghdad, Fallujah, and Najaf. As benefactor of the O’Sullivan Foundation, Sean has also been a primary funder of organizations such as the Khan Academy, Mathletes and CoderDojo.
As the founding Chairman of the Irish Entrepreneurship Forum and founder of Open Ireland, he was a leader and influencer of Irish government policy in fueling economic growth and recovery in the technology sector. Sean was a regular investment panelist on the popular RTÉ TV show Dragon’s Den, and an occasional columnist for Ireland’s Sunday Business Post.
Sean holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California.
Dennis Nobelius
CEO, Syre
Dennis Nobelius, CEO at Syre – a textile impact company on a mission to dewaste and decarbonize the textile industry at hyperscale. Prior to joining Syre, Dennis was Chief Operations Officer for the premium electric car brand Polestar, CEO of Zenuity, and held several VP positions at Volvo Cars. He holds a PhD in R&D Management, is passionate about high technology environments, sustainability, and leadership.
Dr. Brandy Kinkead
Co-founder & CTO, Ayrton Energy
Dr. Brandy Kinkead is a Canadian materials scientist, with an undergraduate in physical chemistry from the University of Manitoba and a PhD in fuel cell electrocatalysis from Simon Fraser University. Brandy has been based in Calgary, AB for nearly a decade, initially studying multiphase fluids during her postdoctoral studies in chemical engineering at the University of Calgary, before delving into the start-up community. Brandy is currently the CTO and co-founder of Ayrton Energy, a hydrogen transport solutions provider based in Calgary.
Maria Gallucci
Senior Clean Energy Reporter, Canary Media
Maria Gallucci is a senior clean energy reporter at Canary Media, where she covers hard-to-decarbonize sectors and efforts to make the energy transition more affordable and equitable. She was most recently a contributing writer for Grist and IEEE Spectrum, and was previously a staff reporter for InsideClimate News, Mashable, and Mexico City newspapers. Her reporting has taken her across the Americas and inside cargo ships, power plants, and nuclear waste facilities. She was the 2017-2018 Energy Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and a 2021 TED speaker. Maria now resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Andy Gollach
Partner, HAX
Andy Gollach is a Principal on the team at SOSV's HAX where he leads investment operations and focuses on innovation in energy and heavy industry. Prior to joining SOSV Andy spent nearly a decade on large capital projects in the O&G and CCU industries all over the world. He was the site lead on LanzaTech's First-of-a-Kind commercial unit in China, where the facility went from a greenfield site to on-spec product in 18 months. Andy earned an MBA from Carnegie Mellon and during that time focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in the energy sector, launching his own climate tech venture and also interning at ARPA-E where he helped develop an early thesis around maritime decarbonization. Andy also holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Dr. Susan Schofer
Partner & Chief Science Officer, HAX
Susan Schofer is a Partner at SOSV global venture capital firm and serves as Chief Science Officer at HAX, the world’s premier venture program accelerating early stage hard tech startups. She works with new startups via early stage investment, defining key milestones and go-to-market strategies, and is responsible for scientific oversight and building capabilities to support portfolio companies.Prior to joining HAX, Susan served as SVP Business Development for Modern Meadow and a member of the executive leadership team for over 7 years, developing new sustainable materials inspired by leather without any animals, where she led product, partnership, and go-to-market strategy and execution from early ideation through to commercialization.
Before that, Susan spent 10 years in Silicon Valley working in roles spanning R&D, product development, product management, and business development for Amyris, a pioneer in synthetic biology, and Symyx Technologies, utilizing proprietary high-throughput robotic workflows to accelerate polymer and material discovery and development. Susan also worked as an analyst for management consulting company Mitchell Madison Group. Her passion is working closely with scientific and technical innovation to craft product and business strategy and partnering with founders and the broader ecosystem to implement and commercialize solutions to make a positive impact on people and planet. Susan was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Stockholm and Uppsala Universities, where she worked to develop catalyst systems for artificial photosynthesis. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech and an Sc.B. in chemistry from Brown.
Before that, Susan spent 10 years in Silicon Valley working in roles spanning R&D, product development, product management, and business development for Amyris, a pioneer in synthetic biology, and Symyx Technologies, utilizing proprietary high-throughput robotic workflows to accelerate polymer and material discovery and development. Susan also worked as an analyst for management consulting company Mitchell Madison Group. Her passion is working closely with scientific and technical innovation to craft product and business strategy and partnering with founders and the broader ecosystem to implement and commercialize solutions to make a positive impact on people and planet. Susan was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Stockholm and Uppsala Universities, where she worked to develop catalyst systems for artificial photosynthesis. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech and an Sc.B. in chemistry from Brown.
Sabriya Stukes
Partner, SOSV & Chief Scientific Officer, IndieBio NY
Sabriya is Chief Scientific Officer at IndieBioNY. Prior to joining, she was Operations Director for Stellate Therapeutics, a biotech company developing microbiome-derived therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative diseases. After earning her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she was the founding Associate Director for the Master’s in Translational Medicine (MTM) program at The City College of New York, NYC’s first and only graduate degree that educates and trains scientists and engineers in the hands-on process of medical technology commercialization and healthcare innovation.
A microbiologist, educator, and science communicator, her expertise is in working with individuals to identify unmet community needs, design sustainable clinical solutions, think critically about the world around them, and craft compelling scientific narratives. She also has worked for over a decade in fostering equitable and inclusive environments in the STEM disciplines and thinks deeply about how we can build sustainable healthcare solutions that work for all and not just some.
A microbiologist, educator, and science communicator, her expertise is in working with individuals to identify unmet community needs, design sustainable clinical solutions, think critically about the world around them, and craft compelling scientific narratives. She also has worked for over a decade in fostering equitable and inclusive environments in the STEM disciplines and thinks deeply about how we can build sustainable healthcare solutions that work for all and not just some.
Vikas Gupta
Co-chair, Power Investment Vertical, Shell Ventures
Vikas has extensive experience in investment management, business development & product management. He has been investing for more than a decade in the Climatech domain. He currently co-chairs the Power Investment vertical at Shell Ventures ($1.4B Fund) and his investment interests range from identifying new technologies and business models in the Power, Mobility, and the Industrial decarbonization space.
Before joining Shell, he led strategic marketing and corporate development at First Solar. He led several venture investments, divestures, and M&A deals. While at First Solar, he also led several corporate strategy, market incubation & operations improvement initiatives.
Before switching to the investment side, he has been an operator at several startups ranging from semiconductors to design & e-collaboration software to cleantech. He has launched several software and hardware products, developed & implemented go-to-market strategies and assisted with fund raising.
Vikas has an MBA in Finance from University of British Columbia and spent a semester at the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands. In addition, he has a MS from University of Cincinnati, and a B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in Materials Science & Engineering. He is also a joint inventor for two (2) US Patents.
Before switching to the investment side, he has been an operator at several startups ranging from semiconductors to design & e-collaboration software to cleantech. He has launched several software and hardware products, developed & implemented go-to-market strategies and assisted with fund raising.
Vikas has an MBA in Finance from University of British Columbia and spent a semester at the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands. In addition, he has a MS from University of Cincinnati, and a B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in Materials Science & Engineering. He is also a joint inventor for two (2) US Patents.
Dr. Rachel Slaybaugh
Partner, DCVC
Rachel is an investor at DCVC, focused on climate, sustainability, and energy investments. Before joining DCVC, Rachel was an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where she held leadership roles in several data science and entrepreneurship efforts. Concurrent to being a professor, Rachel was a Division Director at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she ran the Cyclotron Road Division. She served as a Program Director at the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, where she created the nuclear fission program and managed the agriculture portfolio as well as solar and virtual reality teams. Rachel received a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Pennsylvania State University, where she served as a licensed nuclear reactor operator, and a master’s degree and PhD in nuclear engineering and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Outside of DCVC, Rachel co-founded the Good Energy Collective and currently serves on its board. She is also an independent director for Radiant, a microreactor company.
Outside of DCVC, Rachel co-founded the Good Energy Collective and currently serves on its board. She is also an independent director for Radiant, a microreactor company.
Po Bronson
General Partner, SOSV & Managing Director, IndieBio
Po is passionate about reconceptualizing complex challenges into more elegant forms, to broaden understanding and highlight priorities. He’s been at IndieBio SF since 2018.
Po is a longtime science journalist honored with nine national awards, and author of seven bestselling books that are available in 28 languages worldwide. His work has been cited in 185 academic journals and 503 books. His background is in Economics. He learned finance at Credit Suisse and consulting at a division of Arthur Andersen. Prior to IndieBio he spent four years as a Futurist with Attention Span Media, consulting corporate innovation efforts for globally-recognized brands.
Most recently, Po is the author of Decoding the World: A Roadmap for the Questioner, published by Twelve Books, a division of the Hachette Publishing Group.
Duncan Turner
General Partner, SOSV & MD HAX
Duncan is a General Partner at SOSV, and the Global Managing Director of HAX, the world’s first and largest VC-backed program for hard tech, based in Newark, NJ. He has invested in over 100 hard tech companies and serves on multiple boards in the climate, industrial and healthcare sectors.
Duncan has an extensive entrepreneurial background and deep experience fundraising and growing businesses across the globe. He has taken numerous technologies to market in various industries. Before joining SOSV, he led design and engineering strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies at the global innovation firm IDEO.
Duncan obtained his Master’s from the Royal College of Art & Imperial College. His design and engineering work has won multiple awards and is included in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art. He has a deep passion for new technologies and engineering breakthroughs that can benefit our planet.
Duncan has an extensive entrepreneurial background and deep experience fundraising and growing businesses across the globe. He has taken numerous technologies to market in various industries. Before joining SOSV, he led design and engineering strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies at the global innovation firm IDEO.
Duncan obtained his Master’s from the Royal College of Art & Imperial College. His design and engineering work has won multiple awards and is included in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art. He has a deep passion for new technologies and engineering breakthroughs that can benefit our planet.
Dr. Pae Wu
General Partner, SOSV & CTO, IndieBio
Pae is a General Partner at SOSV and CTO at IndieBio, where she is responsible for portfolio management and technical oversight.
Prior to joining IndieBio, Pae served as the Scientific Director of Telefónica’s moonshot factory, Alpha (in Barcelona). She was Science Director at the US Office of Naval Research – Global (out of Singapore), and technical consultant at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Her whole career, Pae has been investing in high risk solutions to intractable problems for national defense, humanity, and the planet. Pae earned her PhD at Duke in Electrical Engineering and her BSE from Princeton.
Greg Rieker
Co-founder & CTO, LongPath Technologies
Over the past decade, Greg Rieker has led the technical team transitioning Nobel-prize-winning frequency comb laser technology from a complex laboratory device to an automated, regional-scale methane leak detection system. The team formed LongPath Technologies, Inc. to commercialize the system into the first broadly scalable continuous monitoring system for oil and gas infrastructure. Through the ARPA-E SCALEUP program, LongPath and its industry partners a 1000 square mile continuous monitoring network in the active oil and gas production regions of the western US. The network reduces methane emissions in the monitored region by 60+%. Greg Rieker is Co-founder and CTO of LongPath Technologies, Inc. and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. His work garnered the Colorado governor’s award for high-impact research, and induction as a senior member to the National Academy of Inventors.
Sanjeev Mankotia
Founder & CEO, GaeaStar
Sanjeev Mankotia is a Founder and CEO of GaeaStar. He started his career as a mechanical engineer followed by almost two decades in banking and management consulting. His work as an engineer spanned the bicycle and automotive industries where he focused on product research and development. In financial services, he has held executive and department head positions responsible for managing risk. A consummate inventor and maker, he has multiple patents and is a published author in industry journals. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and Masters of Science in Financial Markets degrees from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He has also completed an executive program in risk management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mohsen Asad
Co-founder & CEO, Hyperlume
Mohsen Asad is the co-founder and CEO of Hyperlume, a company he helped establish in 2022. Hyperlume is pioneering a low-energy optical interconnect platform, revolutionizing chip-to-chip optical communication to enable efficient, low-power AI infrastructures. Mohsen holds a PhD in electrical engineering and leads Hyperlume's scaling and development efforts, drawing on his deep expertise in optical communication and quantum computing.
Dr. Shreya Dave
Co-founder & CEO, Via Separations
Dr. Shreya Dave is the Co-Founder & CEO of Via Separations, working to intensify manufacturing, and eliminate the energy used in industry. Via was recognized as one of C&EN’s 10 startups to watch in 2019, and has received awards from ARPA-E, NSF, and MassCEC. Shreya was awarded Technology Review’s 35 Innovators under 35 in 2018. Shreya holds Bachelors, Masters’ and Doctoral degrees from MIT in Mechanical Engineering and Technology & Policy. She also enjoys serving on MIT’s Corporate Development Committee, the board of directors for Greentown Labs, and mentoring in MIT’s product design and development course, 2.009.
Kira Noodleman
Partner, Bee Partners
Kira Noodleman is a Partner at Bee Partners. She has spent the past six years investing and growing startups with a focus on go-to-market and minimum-viable product as a product manager in San Francisco and South America. Kira holds an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Growing up in Silicon Valley, she was captivated by startup innovation, which has translated to focusing on Founders solving the unsolvable. For her, business is all about people. She co-organizes various female VC Communities such as Femme VC in Colorado and FemaleFunders in San Francisco. She’s active in her vision for Bee Partners to continue to provide the rails for building the most impactful empires at the center of human and machine convergence, fully acknowledging the responsibility and trust building required to do so.
Kira fine-tuned her ability to be nimble, adaptable, curious, and creative for contributing to sourcing top deal flow and founded Bee Partners’ Denver office by pursuing the often overlooked burgeoning non-coastal innovation ecosystems. This move also reinforced the growing acceptance of remote/hybrid workforce which enables and integrates the vast global tech community.
Growing up in Silicon Valley, she was captivated by startup innovation, which has translated to focusing on Founders solving the unsolvable. For her, business is all about people. She co-organizes various female VC Communities such as Femme VC in Colorado and FemaleFunders in San Francisco. She’s active in her vision for Bee Partners to continue to provide the rails for building the most impactful empires at the center of human and machine convergence, fully acknowledging the responsibility and trust building required to do so.
Kira fine-tuned her ability to be nimble, adaptable, curious, and creative for contributing to sourcing top deal flow and founded Bee Partners’ Denver office by pursuing the often overlooked burgeoning non-coastal innovation ecosystems. This move also reinforced the growing acceptance of remote/hybrid workforce which enables and integrates the vast global tech community.
Alex Rappaport
Co-founder & CEO, ZwitterCo
Alex is a visionary entrepreneur on a mission to address the global water crisis by transforming how water is treated and reused at scale. He co-founded ZwitterCo to develop cutting-edge membrane technologies that empower industries to unlock the potential of unconventional water sources and support the growth of the low-carbon economy. Under Alex’s strategic leadership as CEO, ZwitterCo has raised over $100 million in financing and solidified its position as a leader in water treatment.
Alex’s strength lies in his ability to foster a culture of empowerment, creativity, and dedication to ZwitterCo’s mission, encouraging his team to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and work toward the common goal of preserving and managing industrial and agricultural water and wastewater. Alex holds a master’s degree in innovation and management and a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Tufts University, where he founded the school’s first venture incubator and remains an active mentor to the next generation of innovators and changemakers.
Alex’s strength lies in his ability to foster a culture of empowerment, creativity, and dedication to ZwitterCo’s mission, encouraging his team to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and work toward the common goal of preserving and managing industrial and agricultural water and wastewater. Alex holds a master’s degree in innovation and management and a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Tufts University, where he founded the school’s first venture incubator and remains an active mentor to the next generation of innovators and changemakers.
Jon Glass
Technology Commercialization Leader, ARPA-E
Jonathan (Jon) Glass serves as the Technology Commercialization Leader at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). He brings over twenty years of executive experience in business development, venture capital, technology commercialization, new business creation and IP licensing.
From 1998 to 2014, Jon served in multiple executive roles at General Electric. He was the business development leader at GE Licensing, a managing director at GE Equity, and a managing director at GE Capital’s commercial lending business. After GE, Jon co-founded two technology start-up companies, Wise Labs and Vener8 Technologies, where he led strategic partnership, product development and revenue generation activities. Most recently, Jon was the Director of Venture Accelerations at National Grid Partners, where he oversaw the NextGrid Alliance, a collaboration network of over 80 power utilities to foster industry-wide innovation and collaboration to accelerate the energy transition.
Jon received an MBA, with honors, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an AB, magna cum laude, from Harvard College. He is a co-inventor on two US patents and a former member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Electric Power Research Institute.
From 1998 to 2014, Jon served in multiple executive roles at General Electric. He was the business development leader at GE Licensing, a managing director at GE Equity, and a managing director at GE Capital’s commercial lending business. After GE, Jon co-founded two technology start-up companies, Wise Labs and Vener8 Technologies, where he led strategic partnership, product development and revenue generation activities. Most recently, Jon was the Director of Venture Accelerations at National Grid Partners, where he oversaw the NextGrid Alliance, a collaboration network of over 80 power utilities to foster industry-wide innovation and collaboration to accelerate the energy transition.
Jon received an MBA, with honors, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an AB, magna cum laude, from Harvard College. He is a co-inventor on two US patents and a former member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Electric Power Research Institute.
Malia Lym
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Mantel
Malia Lym is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Mantel. With a strong background in engineering and technical leadership, Malia has held roles at Infineum, PSEG, and Chevron, and holds a Master's in Engineering Management from USC and dual Professional Mechanical Engineer licenses.
Dr. Will Knapp
Co-founder, Cocoon
Will is the co-founder of Cocoon, a start up aiming to decarbonise two heavily emitting foundation industries. Steel and cement. Previously, Will read for a PhD at the University of Cambridge, and during that time published papers on large scale carbon removal technologies, tracing carbon in natural systems and utilizing industrial waste streams for decarbonisation. Will joined HAX with Cocoon in Nov '23, and during the 6 months in NJ developed POC prototypes and closed a successful funding round. Cocoon and Will are now based in London, working toward deploying a demonstrator plant for their technology.
Daniel Kopp
Co-founder & CEO, Queens Carbon
Daniel Kopp is the CEO and Co-founder of Queens Carbon, Inc - a climate-tech startup that is on a mission to decarbonize the cement industry. Daniel received his PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from Rutgers University with a focus on cement chemistry, carbon-capture, and hydrothermal processing. Daniel is passionate about inventing technologies that can help ensure a brighter world for future generations!
Katherine Morille
Head of Business Development, Vaulted Deep
Katherine Morille is the BD Lead at Vaulted Deep, a carbon removal company focused on reversing climate change by vaulting carbon deep underground. Prior to Vaulted, Katherine led business growth at Persefoni AI, a carbon accounting enterprise software company, and received her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
Alexa Dennett
Head of Marketing & Communications, Heirloom
Alexa Dennett is the Head of Marketing and Communications at Heirloom, a company building Direct Air Capture technology that harnesses the natural properties of limestone to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at billion-ton scale removal. Alexa most recently led marketing and communications for Wing, Alphabet’s autonomous drone delivery company providing last-mile goods delivery for Walmart and Doordash. Prior to Wing, she ran teams at Google X and Dropbox.
Danielle Rapson
Co-founder & COO, Mantel
Danielle Rapson is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Mantel. Mantel is a point source carbon capture tech for C&I industries.
Danielle brings over 10 years of engineering, business operations, and startup experience to Mantel team and previously managed operations at natural gas combined cycle power plants at NextEra Energy. Danielle holds her MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University.
Danielle brings over 10 years of engineering, business operations, and startup experience to Mantel team and previously managed operations at natural gas combined cycle power plants at NextEra Energy. Danielle holds her MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University.
Judy Su
Co-founder & Director of Biology, Windfall Bio
Judy is a co-founder and Director of Biology at Windfall Bio. She wears many hats at Windfall Bio including leading the initial development of mems (methane eating microbes), managing bioanalytical & application group, and overseeing scientific operations. As a biochemist by training, she started her career in the biofuel industry and then moved into sustainable chemicals and food space. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new boba milk tea places.
Casey Crownhart
Senior Climate Reporter, MIT Technology Review
Casey Crownhart is a senior climate reporter for MIT Technology Review, where she covers topics from renewable energy and transportation to food and climate policy. She is the author of The Spark , a weekly climate technology newsletter. Her work has also appeared in outlets including Popular Science and Atlas Obscura, and she is a regular contributor to Science Friday.
Melissa Ball
Associate Director of Technology, Energy Impact Partners
Dr. Melissa Ball is an Associate Director of Technology at Energy Impact Partners (EIP). She focuses on technical diligence, assessing technologies and companies for deep decarbonization potential.
Prior to joining EIP, she was a Ph.D. Fellow at Goldman Sachs in New York City, focusing on power electronics. She spent three years at Princeton University as a Presidential Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Her research has spanned chemical synthesis and device fabrication with an emphasis on designing complementary technologies to silicon photovoltaics.
Melissa worked on building-integrated photovoltaics, where she pioneered the development of transparent, color-neutral devices for integration into color-sensitive applications. She also developed broadband solar technology using perovskite materials and studied the impact of molecular design on both the material properties and device performance on these systems. She has co-authored sixteen peer-reviewed articles on chemical synthesis, light-matter interactions, and solar technology.
Melissa holds a MSc in European Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University.
Prior to joining EIP, she was a Ph.D. Fellow at Goldman Sachs in New York City, focusing on power electronics. She spent three years at Princeton University as a Presidential Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Her research has spanned chemical synthesis and device fabrication with an emphasis on designing complementary technologies to silicon photovoltaics.
Melissa worked on building-integrated photovoltaics, where she pioneered the development of transparent, color-neutral devices for integration into color-sensitive applications. She also developed broadband solar technology using perovskite materials and studied the impact of molecular design on both the material properties and device performance on these systems. She has co-authored sixteen peer-reviewed articles on chemical synthesis, light-matter interactions, and solar technology.
Melissa holds a MSc in European Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University.
Dr. Etosha Cave
Co-founder and CSO, Twelve
Etosha Cave is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Twelve, the carbon transformation company creating a future through the science of electrochemistry. At Twelve, Etosha leads efforts applying her research skills in electrocatalysis to convert captured carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals, fuels and other essential products typically made from fossil fuels. Her discoveries in electrochemistry have led to groundbreaking technology with applications that can disrupt traditional supply chain models across a variety of global industries including automotive, aviation, fashion and consumer-packaged goods, among others.
Etosha has been recognized as a visionary by the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as media like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. She has spoken at summits including the Jeff Bezos-hosted MARS Conference, Fortune Brainstorm, and Aspen Ideas Festival. Most recently, CNBC ranked her as a notable woman transforming business on their 2024 Changemakers list. Etosha is a graduate at Stanford University with both a Masters in Engineering and a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering.
Etosha has been recognized as a visionary by the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as media like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. She has spoken at summits including the Jeff Bezos-hosted MARS Conference, Fortune Brainstorm, and Aspen Ideas Festival. Most recently, CNBC ranked her as a notable woman transforming business on their 2024 Changemakers list. Etosha is a graduate at Stanford University with both a Masters in Engineering and a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering.
Maija Palmer
Editor, Global Corporate Venturing
Maija Palmer is the editor of Global Corporate Venturing, helping to build up the editorial presence of the world's only media and events company focused on corporate venture — all about corporates investing in, building and partnering with startups.
Before that she helped launch Sifted, the FT-backed news site focused on European tech. Before Sifted Maija was a journalist at the Financial Times for 19 years as technology correspondent. In her last role as acting deputy editor of Special Reports she helped launch projects such as Europe's Road to Growth and 50 Ideas to Change the World. Before joining Special Reports she was part of the team that took the FT's social media presence into the millions.
Maija attended SOAS University of London and Goldsmiths, University of London.
Before that she helped launch Sifted, the FT-backed news site focused on European tech. Before Sifted Maija was a journalist at the Financial Times for 19 years as technology correspondent. In her last role as acting deputy editor of Special Reports she helped launch projects such as Europe's Road to Growth and 50 Ideas to Change the World. Before joining Special Reports she was part of the team that took the FT's social media presence into the millions.
Maija attended SOAS University of London and Goldsmiths, University of London.
Parikshit Sharma
Partner, IndieBio
As a Partner at SOSV’s IndieBio, Parikshit is engaged in investments and operations at all stages of the fund, from sourcing to growth. Parikshit started his career at IndieBio and has seen firsthand what it takes to build a deep tech startup, sitting right next to the founders, in the trenches. Observing recurring dichotomies, the hard decisions, and human costs when it comes to prototyping, company building, and market discovery at the earliest stages has been foundational in defining his investment and operational lenses. To that end, he works in high resolution with founders on milestone mapping, building data rooms, indication selection, and techno-economic modeling.
Parikshit actively tracks the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning, with a deep interest in novel computation architectures and foundation models for deep tech startups. He is fascinated by value, volume, and velocity tradeoffs in markets and researches how different capital and corporate structures can be exploited to fine-tune the means of production and distribution. Parikshit is a graduate of Bowdoin College where he studied Mathematics and Economics and attended the General Course at the London School of Economics.
Parikshit is big into personal knowledge management and curates his learnings and readings in a library: Structure Function
Parikshit actively tracks the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning, with a deep interest in novel computation architectures and foundation models for deep tech startups. He is fascinated by value, volume, and velocity tradeoffs in markets and researches how different capital and corporate structures can be exploited to fine-tune the means of production and distribution. Parikshit is a graduate of Bowdoin College where he studied Mathematics and Economics and attended the General Course at the London School of Economics.
Parikshit is big into personal knowledge management and curates his learnings and readings in a library: Structure Function
Alex Wilhelm
Journalist
Alex Wilhelm is a journalist who covers technology and business. He co-hosts the popular This Week in Startups podcast, and is the founder of Cautious Optimism, a new publication focus on tech, money, and power.
Candice Ammori
Founder & CEO, The Climate Vine
Candice Ammori is the founder and CEO of Climate Vine. Before that, she was the founding Director of the On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship which brought together 650+ people across the climate ecosystem in multiple cohorts. Fellows raised a combined $350M+ in venture funding, more than two dozen companies emerged, and hundreds of emerging contributors transitioned to the climate innovation space.
Candice's methodology for Climate Vine brings together her 10 years of experience and learnings in collaborative strategy. She maintains deep vertical knowledge as an active investor and advisor to emerging climate tech companies. Candice holds degrees in environmental policy and business and an MS in biostatistics, focused on the ethics of AI, from the University of Michigan. She has lived and worked globally in microfinance, business and tech in places ranging from Cambodia to Singapore and London.
Candice's methodology for Climate Vine brings together her 10 years of experience and learnings in collaborative strategy. She maintains deep vertical knowledge as an active investor and advisor to emerging climate tech companies. Candice holds degrees in environmental policy and business and an MS in biostatistics, focused on the ethics of AI, from the University of Michigan. She has lived and worked globally in microfinance, business and tech in places ranging from Cambodia to Singapore and London.
Cat Clifford
Senior Science and Economics Correspondent, Cipher
Cat Clifford is Cipher's senior science and economics correspondent, based in New York City. She has been a journalist for almost two decades and for more than half of that time, she has reported on the startup, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Most recently, she has focused her reporting on the new technology being developed to respond to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Before joining Cipher, Cat helped launch the climate desk at CNBC.com, where she was the climate technology and innovation reporter. In that role, Cat was best known for explaining the science behind a new technology or innovation in uncomplicated and precise language. She pairs her rigorous scientific reporting with an uncompromising economic lens, explaining the costs and benefits associated with a new technology or innovation being deployed and potentially operated at scale.
In November, Cat received the Darlene Schmidt Science News Award, given to her by the American Nuclear Society, for her leading coverage of the nuclear industry, both fission and fusion. Other climate technology topics Cat has covered include the burgeoning clean hydrogen economy and related policy, transmission lines and the grid’s importance in the deployment of clean energy resources, the debate over deep sea mining for minerals used in clean energy manufacturing, the development of carbon removal and sequestration technologies, battery technologies and the evolving sentiment around various solar geoengineering strategies, among other topics.
Cat completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Clean Air Task Force's extended education course on nuclear energy in 2021, participated in the Columbia Energy Journalism Initiative in 2022 and was a member of the first cohort of the Climatebase fellowship in 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University.
Before joining Cipher, Cat helped launch the climate desk at CNBC.com, where she was the climate technology and innovation reporter. In that role, Cat was best known for explaining the science behind a new technology or innovation in uncomplicated and precise language. She pairs her rigorous scientific reporting with an uncompromising economic lens, explaining the costs and benefits associated with a new technology or innovation being deployed and potentially operated at scale.
In November, Cat received the Darlene Schmidt Science News Award, given to her by the American Nuclear Society, for her leading coverage of the nuclear industry, both fission and fusion. Other climate technology topics Cat has covered include the burgeoning clean hydrogen economy and related policy, transmission lines and the grid’s importance in the deployment of clean energy resources, the debate over deep sea mining for minerals used in clean energy manufacturing, the development of carbon removal and sequestration technologies, battery technologies and the evolving sentiment around various solar geoengineering strategies, among other topics.
Cat completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Clean Air Task Force's extended education course on nuclear energy in 2021, participated in the Columbia Energy Journalism Initiative in 2022 and was a member of the first cohort of the Climatebase fellowship in 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University.
Dawn Lippert
Founder & CEO, Elemental
Dawn Lippert is the Founder & CEO of Elemental, a nonprofit investor focused on scaling climate technologies with deep community impact. In addition to leading Elemental, Dawn serves as Founding Partner of Earthshot Ventures, a $90M venture capital fund that spun out of Elemental in 2021. She is also Senior Climate Advisor at Emerson Collective, the investment and philanthropic platform led by Laurene Powell Jobs.
Dawn has spent her career building solutions at the nexus of technology companies, capital and communities. Under Dawn’s leadership, Elemental has invested in 160 startups, and those companies have gone on to raise over $10 billion in follow-on funding. Elemental has pioneered a new model for investing in climate solutions that centers social equity in companies’ cultures, products and technology deployments. Over half of Elemental’s portfolio companies are serving customers in disadvantaged communities, and the technologies are deployed in 50 states and more than 100 countries. Elemental is supported by organizations such as Rockefeller Foundation, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Waverley Street Foundation, Emerson Collective, the U.S. Navy, Amazon, United Airlines, and others.
Dawn has contributed her insight on climate investing and the energy transition in publications such as the Economist, Politico, Bloomberg, Axios, and Canary Media. She was invited to give a TED talk on how “Community investment is the missing piece of climate action,” which has garnered 1.5m views.
Dawn grew up in Washington state and graduated from Yale University and the Yale School of the Environment. You can find her on the soccer field, enjoying the ocean and riding bikes with her husband, daughter and son.
Dawn has spent her career building solutions at the nexus of technology companies, capital and communities. Under Dawn’s leadership, Elemental has invested in 160 startups, and those companies have gone on to raise over $10 billion in follow-on funding. Elemental has pioneered a new model for investing in climate solutions that centers social equity in companies’ cultures, products and technology deployments. Over half of Elemental’s portfolio companies are serving customers in disadvantaged communities, and the technologies are deployed in 50 states and more than 100 countries. Elemental is supported by organizations such as Rockefeller Foundation, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Waverley Street Foundation, Emerson Collective, the U.S. Navy, Amazon, United Airlines, and others.
Dawn has contributed her insight on climate investing and the energy transition in publications such as the Economist, Politico, Bloomberg, Axios, and Canary Media. She was invited to give a TED talk on how “Community investment is the missing piece of climate action,” which has garnered 1.5m views.
Dawn grew up in Washington state and graduated from Yale University and the Yale School of the Environment. You can find her on the soccer field, enjoying the ocean and riding bikes with her husband, daughter and son.
Benjamin Joffe
Senior Partner, SOSV
Benjamin Joffe is a Senior Partner at SOSV, a global deep tech fund focused on planetary and human health. SOSV has been the most active investor in climate tech since 2017 with over 150 startups backed. Benjamin works on deal flow, strategy and the annual SOSV Climate Tech Summit (www.sosvclimatetech.com - Sept 26-27), a virtual and free event featuring top VCs and founders like Bill Gates and Chris Sacca, that attracts thousands every year. Born in France, Benjamin graduated with two MSc in Engineering, and worked in consulting, telecom, gaming for over a decade in China, Japan, South Korea and more, and was the founder of a cross-border consultancy on digital innovation. He is an angel investor in 20 startups including one unicorn. He has lectured at top universities including Berkely Haas, National University of Singapore and Zhejiang University where he gave a course on Deep Tech Ventures. He has written for TechCrunch, Forbes, VentureBeat and IEEE Spectrum, been featured on Bloomberg TV, WSJ, The Economist, Nature, Wired and spoke at tech events in over 30 countries.
Ji Ke
Partner & CTO, HAX
As a partner and program director at SOSV HAX, Ji Ke is responsible for driving the content and delivery of the HAX program in Shenzhen. He oversees all elements of recruitment, application review and due diligence, curriculum development, mentorship development and program execution. He also provides ongoing mentorship and support for teams in-program and HAX alumni.
Ji is a mechanical engineer by training, who comes to HAX most recently from IDEO. He brings with him a unique combination of experience in factory automation, product design and high speed machinery. He is skilled in designing complex mechanisms for a wide range of industries. His patent portfolio includes DMLS, machine vision, nursery products, industrial machineries, air compressors and diesel engine components.
In his spare time, Ji enjoys tinkering with machines and electronics and frequently visits his workshop in South China to produce and test out new inventions.
Steve LeVine
Editor, The Electric
Steve is editor of The Electric, a publication on batteries and electric vehicles owned by The Information. He is author of The Powerhouse: America, China and the Great Battery War, and a senior fellow with SAFE, a renewable energy think tank.
Previously, Steve was a foreign correspondent in the former Soviet Union, running a bureau covering the Caucasus and Central Asia for The Wall Street Journal, and before that covering the region for The New York Times. Prior to that, he was based as a correspondent in Pakistan for Newsweek, and before that was posted to the Philippines. Before launching The Electric, Steve conceived and launched the Future newsletter at Axios.
The Powerhouse is Steve's third book, and was long-listed for FT Book of the Year in 2015. Previously, his book The Oil and the Glory, chronicling the struggle for fortune and power on the Caspian Sea, was selected by BusinessWeek as a Top 10 book for 2007. In 2008, Random House published Putin's Labyrinth, a profile of Russia through the life and death of a half-dozen Russians.
Previously, Steve was a foreign correspondent in the former Soviet Union, running a bureau covering the Caucasus and Central Asia for The Wall Street Journal, and before that covering the region for The New York Times. Prior to that, he was based as a correspondent in Pakistan for Newsweek, and before that was posted to the Philippines. Before launching The Electric, Steve conceived and launched the Future newsletter at Axios.
The Powerhouse is Steve's third book, and was long-listed for FT Book of the Year in 2015. Previously, his book The Oil and the Glory, chronicling the struggle for fortune and power on the Caspian Sea, was selected by BusinessWeek as a Top 10 book for 2007. In 2008, Random House published Putin's Labyrinth, a profile of Russia through the life and death of a half-dozen Russians.
Tim De Chant
Senior Climate Reporter, TechCrunch
Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch and the founder of Future Proof, a publication covering climate and energy. He is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing and has written for Wired magazine, The Wire China, the Chicago Tribune, and NOVA Next, among others. De Chant was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, and he received his doctorate in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.
Amy Harder
Executive Editor, Cipher
Amy Harder is executive editor of Cipher by Breakthrough Energy. Amy is one of the top national energy and climate change reporters in the country, having built up a reputation of being a uniquely balanced and influential journalist with respect across the spectrum. She joined Breakthrough Energy in early 2021 to help launch Cipher, a publication covering the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition.
Before joining Breakthrough, Amy was with Axios full time since shortly after it launched in 2017, based in Washington DC. In that role, Amy reported on trends and exclusive scoops, while also distilling into understandable formats complex energy and climate issues. Harder has interviewed some of the most well-known leaders in this space, and at the same time bridges the gap between what leaders say and what everyday people care about.
She was the inaugural journalism fellow for the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute for the 2018-2019 school year, where she moderated events and took part in other university initiatives. Previously, she covered similar issues for The Wall Street Journal, based out of its Washington, DC, bureau. Earlier in her career, she wrote for National Journal, also in Washington DC. She has appeared on PBS' NewsHour, CSPAN, MSNBC, CBS, and NPR, among many other media outlets. She is regularly sought out to speak and participate in events, including moderating and participating in panel discussions, and giving speeches around the country and world. Amy is originally from Washington State and moved back in 2020, after a dozen years in the other Washington. She received a BA in journalism with honors from Western Washington University. She loves running and cross-country skiing the Pacific Northwest’s best trails.
Before joining Breakthrough, Amy was with Axios full time since shortly after it launched in 2017, based in Washington DC. In that role, Amy reported on trends and exclusive scoops, while also distilling into understandable formats complex energy and climate issues. Harder has interviewed some of the most well-known leaders in this space, and at the same time bridges the gap between what leaders say and what everyday people care about.
She was the inaugural journalism fellow for the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute for the 2018-2019 school year, where she moderated events and took part in other university initiatives. Previously, she covered similar issues for The Wall Street Journal, based out of its Washington, DC, bureau. Earlier in her career, she wrote for National Journal, also in Washington DC. She has appeared on PBS' NewsHour, CSPAN, MSNBC, CBS, and NPR, among many other media outlets. She is regularly sought out to speak and participate in events, including moderating and participating in panel discussions, and giving speeches around the country and world. Amy is originally from Washington State and moved back in 2020, after a dozen years in the other Washington. She received a BA in journalism with honors from Western Washington University. She loves running and cross-country skiing the Pacific Northwest’s best trails.
Alison Snyder
Managing Editor, Axios
Alison Snyder is a managing editor at Axios, where she oversees the newsroom's science, health and world coverage.
Kim Zou
Co-founder & CEO, Sightline Climate
Kim is the CEO and Co-founder of Sightline Climate, the market intelligence platform bringing clarity to the new climate economy. Sightline Climate provides data, tools, and frameworks to help investors, corporates, and governments build and finance the new climate economy and powers CTVC, the industry-leading free newsletter trusted by 60,000 climate leaders. She was previously a climate tech investor at Energy Impact Partners, a $3B AUM venture capital firm investing in a sustainable future backed by a coalition of 40+ energy & industrial companies. Prior to joining EIP, Kim was an investment banker at JPMorgan and graduated from Johns Hopkins University.
Ben Tauber
Founding Partner, Velocity
Ben is a coach, speaker, and experience organizer. He specializes in working with startup founders and VCs to unlock their full leadership and performance potential. Ben’s methodology was formed through two decades of meticulously curating a collection of best-in-class coaches across the full-stack of individual and organizational performance.
Ben is a coach, entrepreneur, engineer and seed investor. He specializes in coaching investors, startup founders and building leadership programs for their organizations and portfolios.br/>
Previously: Ben was founder and CEO of Velocity, a top CEO coaching firm. CEO of Esalen Institute, the premiere research/retreat center for the Human Potential Movement, Co-Founder/COO of Scoopler (acq. Google ‘11). Product Manager at Adobe and Google.
Ben is a coach, entrepreneur, engineer and seed investor. He specializes in coaching investors, startup founders and building leadership programs for their organizations and portfolios.br/>
Previously: Ben was founder and CEO of Velocity, a top CEO coaching firm. CEO of Esalen Institute, the premiere research/retreat center for the Human Potential Movement, Co-Founder/COO of Scoopler (acq. Google ‘11). Product Manager at Adobe and Google.
David Brekke
Partner, Goodwin Procter
David Brekke is a partner in the firm’s Technology group where his practice focuses on corporate formations, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic transactions, and corporate governance for clients operating primarily in the climate technology and sustainability innovation spaces. David advises founders, investors, and companies at all stages as they bring technologies that improve our world to the market, to scale and to profitability. David also serves as a co-chair of Goodwin’s Climate Technologies practice.
Andrew Sparks
Partner, Goodwin Procter
Andrew Sparks is a partner in the firm’s Technology group and is a member of the firm’s Technology Knowledge Management Committee and Business Development Committee. Andrew is Co-Chair of the firm’s Climate Technology practice. His practice focuses on representing fast-growing emerging technology companies and the entrepreneurs who build them. Andrew has a broad range of experience in venture capital financings and corporate matters, including counseling founders in starting new businesses, capitalization structures, fundraising, strategic issues, negotiations with investors and acquirers, mergers and acquisitions, and other legal matters. He has worked for technology companies across a spectrum of industries including fintech, climate technology, artificial intelligence, SaaS, robotics, IoT, security, deep tech, crypto, and digital health. Andrew also maintains an active pro bono practice.
Matthew Zeitlin
Reporter, Heatmap News
Matthew Zeitlin is a correspondent for Heatmap where he covers energy and economics. He's written about policy and economics for the New York Times, New York, Barron's, and The Guardian.
More to come
