New Energy Process Engineering Center (NEPEC) Manager, SLB
Bio
Wael Abdallah joined Schlumberger in 2005 as a research scientist at DBR Technology Center, Canada. Currently, he is managing the New Energy Process Engineering Center in North America. In the current role, I’m establishing the first technology/engineering center for SLB NE with the needed laboratory resources and people skills within multiple themes including Carbon Capture, Energy Storage, Critical Minerals, and Hydrogen. Prior to this role, Wael was the Managing Director of Schlumberger Dhahran Carbonate Research Center in Saudi Arabia working closely with Saudi ARAMCO on topics related to Reservoir Characterization and Production. In a different assignment, he managed commercial service studies investigating reservoir fluids phase behavior and flow assurance at DBR Technology center in Canada. Wael was an instructor for Reservoir Fluids at NeXT.
Wael holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta majoring in Heterogeneous Catalysis and Surface Science. He also holds M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology majoring in fluid phase behavior and thermodynamics.
Wael received the Alberta Ingenuity Award in 2005. He has published and co-authored 90+ peer-reviewed and conference papers in addition to 26 granted patents in different technology areas. He holds a professional Engineering Status in Canada, an active member of SPE and SPWLA societies.
Nora Ankrum
Strategic Communications Manager, Good Energy Collective
Bio
Nora Ankrum is the Strategic Communications Manager at Good Energy Collective, a policy research organization focused on the alignment of the clean energy space—particularly in the area of advanced nuclear energy technologies—with environmental justice and sustainability goals.
Prior to joining Good Energy Collective, Ankrum served as Director of Special Projects at the Energy Institute at The University of Austin, where she facilitated strategic collaboration on cross-disciplinary initiatives to support energy literacy, education, and research. In that role, in addition to supporting the Institute’s research programs, she also oversaw two of the Institute’s signature events, UT Energy Week and EnergizeUT; facilitated strategic partnership-building in the Houston/Gulf Coast region; served as UT’s Ecosystem Builder in Residence for the Texas Exchange for Energy and Climate Entrepreneurship (TEX-E) program; and founded the Institute’s Student Hub, UT’s portal for student opportunities, resources, and events related to energy, sustainability, and innovation.
Ankrum has a Bachelor of Arts in English from UT Austin and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she studied energy and environmental policy. She has more than 20 years of experience as an editor and journalist. Currently, her article “Texas: The Energy State” is the feature story in the 2024-2025 edition of the 148-year-old Texas Almanac.
Mark Arnold
Associate Vice President, Discovery to Impact, UT Austin
Bio
Mark Arnold leads UT Austin’s Discovery to Impact, driving research commercialization and startup creation. He oversees tech transfer, licensing, and Texas Startups, fostering innovation in life sciences, energy, and deep tech. With 25+ years of experience, he has scaled companies, navigated venture investments, and led business development. Previously, he founded The Resilience Fund, a deep-tech venture firm. He also held leadership roles at Forcepoint, Goldman Sachs, and Cisco Systems. Arnold holds degrees from the Wharton School of Business.
Brent Austgen
Decision Scientist & Power System Analyst, Sandia National Laboratories
Bio
Brent G. Austgen is a Senior Member of Technical Staff in the Electric Power Systems Research Department at Sandia National Laboratories. He attained his Ph.D. degree (2024) and M.S. degree (2019) in operations research at The University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. degree (2014) in mathematics, electrical engineering, and computational science at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He previously held positions at Intel and Samsung, where he led computing platform enabling projects. Since entering graduate school, he has leveraged his computing and math optimization expertise to advance power system analytics. His research is focused on the intersection of power systems planning and operation, uncertainty modeling, and decision analytics and optimization.
Kathleen Baireuther
Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, CERT Systems
Bio
Kathleen Baireuther designs and implements go-to-market strategies for deep tech entrepreneurs in regulated industries. She has spent her career at the intersection of the public and private sectors in a wide range of contexts, including consulting, think tanks, venture-backed startups, and large corporations. For the past 15 years, Baireuther has worked with mobility and climate technology companies to understand the voice of the market, develop trusted partnerships, and raise capital to help grow their businesses. Most recently, Baireuther served as VP, New Markets and Products, at Our Next Energy (ONE). Previously, she completed a two-year fellowship with Breakthrough Energy, led Ford’s autonomous vehicle division in Austin, and held positions at the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Austin Technology Incubator. She earned her MA from the University of Cambridge and her BA from the University of Virginia.
Jack Balagia
Executive Director, KBH Energy Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Jack Balagia currently serves as Executive Director of the KBH Energy Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University and clerked for Chief U.S. District Judge W.M. Taylor Jr. in Dallas, Texas. He was elected Vice President and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil in January 2010, where he led a law department of 450 lawyers and 350 support professionals in 31 offices around the world. Following mandatory retirement in November of 2016, he joined the UT Law School as an adjunct professor, and maintained a law practice focused on litigation, mediations, and arbitrations. Mr. Balagia served four years as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Texas Law School Foundation and is a former President of the Law School Alumni Association Executive Committee. He received the Law School’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2014.
Sindhu Balan is an Investment Manager in Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV). CTV addresses Chevron’s business needs through the identification and integration of innovative externally developed technologies that strengthen Chevron’s business now and in the future. Sindhu joined Chevron in 2009 as a business analyst and has held several positions in Strategy and Planning, Upstream, Downstream, Technology Ventures and the Technical Center. Sindhu’s work experience external to Chevron spans IP, investments, and R&D for the pharma industry.
Sindhu holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in technology (Bioprocessing / Downstream) from the University of Mumbai (India), a doctoral degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics and an MBA from the University of Houston.
Michael Baldea
Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering; Core Faculty Member, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences (ECES), The University of Texas at Austin; CTO, EPIXC
Bio
Michael Baldea is the Kenneth A. Kobe Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, and a core faculty member in the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at The University of Texas at Austin. He serves as Chief Technology Officer for EPIXC, a DOE-sponsored Clean Energy Manufacturing Institute focused on process electrification and is the Editor in Chief of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, the oldest general chemical engineering journal in print. He obtained his diploma and MSc in Chemical Engineering from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Prior to joining UT Austin, he held an industrial research position with Praxair (now Linde) Technology Center in Tonawanda, NY. He has received several research and service awards, including the AIChE Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology, the Outstanding Young Researcher Award from the Computing and Systems Technology Division of AIChE, the NSF CAREER award, the Moncrief Grand Challenges Award, the ACS Doctoral New Investigator award, and the Model-Based Innovation Prize from Process Systems Enterprise (twice). He was also recognized with referee awards by the Journal of Process Control and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. His research interests include the dynamics, optimization, and control of process and energy systems, areas in which he has published three books and over 200 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles. Baldea served on the advisory boards of several commercial and nonprofit entities.
Molly Bales
Director of Origination, Wood Clean Energy; Lecturer, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Molly Bales is a Lecturer at UT Austin, where she teaches energy entrepreneurship on behalf of Texas Venture Labs and the UT Energy Institute. She is also Wood Clean Energy’s Director of Origination, leading strategic consulting and advisory services for project conceptualization and development. She has over 14 years of experience in energy project development, enterprise sales, and entrepreneurship. In her career, she has helped scale multiple high-growth cleantech startups and developed hundreds of megawatts of utility-scale assets in multiple ISO territories. She holds an MBA from MIT and a BA from Harvard University.
Paul Barbour
Business Development Professional, Devon Energy
Bio
Paul Barbour earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness with a minor in Finance from Oklahoma State University. Barbour began his career at Koch Industries, where he served as a Market Analyst focusing on the petrochemical industry. In this role, he honed his analytical skills and gained valuable insights into market dynamics and trends within the petrochemical sector. Barbour joined Devon Energy as a Category Manager. At Devon, he managed a diverse portfolio of categories, including frac sand, hydraulic horsepower, wireline, coil tubing, completions chemicals, and other critical components essential to the company’s operations. Following the merger of Devon Energy and WPX Energy in 2021, Barbour transitioned to the newly established New Ventures, which focused on evaluating energy transition opportunities. Two years ago, Barbour was tasked with evaluating alternative disposal options for produced water at Devon. In 2024, Devon successfully executed a field trial of this technology, marking a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to manage produced water more effectively. Currently, Barbour is spearheading the evaluation of building Devon’s first desalination plant in the Permian Basin, a project that underscores his leadership in advancing environmentally responsible practices within the industry.
Ana Baskharone
Director, Energy Efficiency, CenterPoint Energy
Bio
Ana Baskharone has over 30 years of experience in the energy industry. She has worked at CenterPoint Energy, an electric and gas utility, in Gas Operations, Rates & Regulatory, Marketing & Sales, and Strategic Business Growth & Engagement. In her current role as Director Energy Efficiency, she leads a team focused on delivering a comprehensive suite of residential and commercial energy efficiency programs designed to reduce electric consumption. She is also responsible for research and development projects, policy, and regulatory compliance. Prior to this role, she was responsible for strengthening relationships with the most valuable commercial & industrial customers to deliver a comprehensive and targeted set of solutions.
A Houston native, Ana holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from LeTourneau University and a master’s in finance from Our Lady of the Lake University. She currently serves as a board member of Rebuilding Together Houston. She is also past board member of Collaborative for Children, Greater Houston Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance, and Houston Tomorrow. She is a founding council member and past chair of the Hispanic & Latin Professional Network and council member of Women in Leadership, both employee resource groups at CenterPoint Energy.
Sanjay Bishnoi
CEO, Entropy Inc.
Bio
Sanjay Bishnoi is the Chief Executive Officer of Entropy Inc., a private equity backed operator of low-carbon power and carbon capture systems. He is responsible for leading the talented team at Entropy as they originate, design, build, own, and operate energy systems to produce low-carbon power and decarbonize existing industrial infrastructure. Bishnoi has over a decade of experience as a C-suite executive, mainly as Chief Financial Officer and co-founder of Caprock Midstream, CFO of Enerflex and Parex Resources. His 30-year career has focused on the energy value chain from E&P to infrastructure and services, and he has held various engineering, operating, and financial roles. Bishnoi holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, an MBA from The University of Chicago, and a BSc from The University of Calgary.
Robin Bodtmann
Managing Director, Americas, Capsol Technologies
Bio
30+ years of experience in the energy industry. Strong background in delivering EPC projects and engineering services globally. Founded the first US Offshore Wind Transportation and Installation Company, focused on custom vessel designs. Held senior positions at Wood Group, Amec, and Air Liquide. BS in Biological Sciences, UNC Chapel Hill. BS in Construction Management, East Carolina University. MBA, Rice University.
Harrison Bolling
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, LandBridge
Bio
Mr. Bolling has more than 15 years of experience in energy industry, with an emphasis on advising on mergers and acquisitions, midstream commercial agreements and surface land transactions. He has served as the General Counsel of LandBridge since October 2021 and joined WaterBridge as General Counsel in 2018. Prior to WaterBridge, he served as assistant general counsel at PennTex Midstream Partners LP, a publicly-traded natural gas gathering and processing master limited partnership. He began his practice at Bracewell LLP, where he focused on capital markets and M&A transactions. Mr. Bolling holds a J.D. from the University of Texas and a B.S. in economics and history from Vanderbilt University
Roger T. Bonnecaze
Dean, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Roger T. Bonnecaze is the dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. An internationally recognized expert in rheology and nanomanufacturing modeling and simulation, he joined the engineering faculty at UT Austin in 1993. Bonnecaze served as chair of the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering from 2005 to 2013. He then co-founded the Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Energy Technologies (NASCENT) Center, the first National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center led by the Cockrell School.
In 2018, Bonnecaze launched SandBox Semiconductor, a startup based on research and led by a former Ph.D. student in his research group. He has won numerous awards, including the NSF Young Investigator Award, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship, the AIChE Thomas Baron Award and several teaching awards. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Society of Rheology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his master’s degree and doctorate from the California Institute of Technology, all in chemical engineering. Prior to joining Texas Engineering, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and the Institute of Theoretical Geophysics at the University of Cambridge.
Andy Bowman
Andy Bowman, Chief Executive Officer, Jupiter Power LLC
Bio
Andy Bowman has been a serial clean energy entrepreneur since the late 1990s. Over his nearly 30 year career in clean energy he has had executive responsibility for more than 3,600MW of wind and solar projects and 2,400 MWh of energy storage projects now operating and in construction. Bowman is CEO and founder of Jupiter Power LLC, a pioneering energy storage company with 12GW currently in development and over 1,400MWh dispatched daily. Prior to starting Jupiter in 2017, Bowman was CEO and founder of Pioneer Green Energy (2009-15), Chief Development Officer at E.On Climate & Renewables (now RWE Clean Energy) (2007-2009), SVP Development at Airtricity (2004-2007), and CEO and founder of Renewable Generation Inc. (2001-2004). He is also author of The West Texas Power Plant That Saved the World, the updated second edition of which was published in November 2023.
Joshua Busby
Professor of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Joshua Busby is a Professor of Public Affairs and a Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. From 2021-2023, he served as a Senior Advisor for Climate at the U.S. Department of Defense.
He originally joined the LBJ School faculty in fall 2006 as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer. In 2016, Dr. Busby also joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as a non-resident fellow. In 2018, he joined the Center for Climate & Security as a Senior Research Fellow.
Prior to coming to UT, Dr. Busby was a research fellow at the Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs (2005-2006), the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s JFK School (2004-2005), and the Foreign Policy Studies program at the Brookings Institution (2003-2004). He defended his dissertation with distinction in summer 2004 from Georgetown University, where he also earned his M.A. in 2002.
His first book entitled Moral Movements and Foreign Policy was published by Cambridge University Press in July 2010. In his book, Busby seeks to explain why some countries are willing to take on new international commitments championed by principled advocacy groups and others are not. Substantively, he explores the politics of climate change, developing country debt relief, HIV/AIDS, and the International Criminal Court in selected country cases in the advanced industrialized world.
His second book AIDS Drugs for All: Social Movements and Market Transformationswith Ethan Kapstein was published by Cambridge University Press in fall 2013. The book is the winner of the 2014 Don K. Price award, APSA’s prize for the best book on science, technology, and environmental politics. This book seeks to explain the conditions under which social movements can transform markets to achieve to their ends.
Busby is the author of numerous studies on climate change, national security, and energy policy that have been published by peer-reviewed academic outlets and various think tanks. Busby was one of the lead researchers in the Strauss Center project on Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS), a $7.6 million grant funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. He was also the principal investigator of a Complex Emergencies and Political Stability in Asia (CEPSA), a 3-year $1.9 million project, also funded by the Department of Defense. He has also written on U.S.-China relations on climate change for CNAS, Resources for the Future, and the Paulson Institute.
Busby is a Life Member in the Council on Foreign Relations. Busby served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador (1997-1999), worked in Nicaragua (Summer 1994, Spring 1996), and consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank (2000). Prior to working with the Peace Corps, he was a Marshall Scholar at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, England), where he completed a second B.A. (with Honors) in Development Studies (1993-1995). He completed his first B.A. (with Highest Distinction) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Political Science and Biology.
Andres Carvallo
CEO, CMG Consulting LLC
Bio
Andres Carvallo is the founder and CEO of CMG Consulting, a strategic planning and advisory firm focused on Smart Grids, Smart Utilities, Smart Cities, and Smart Buildings. Additionally, Carvallo has three key roles at Texas State University. Carvallo is a Materials Applications Research Center (MARC) Fellow, Professor of Innovation in the College of Science and Engineering, and Co-Director of Connected Infrastructure for Education, Demonstration and Applied Research (CIEDAR) Center. CIEDAR has 100 plus faculty, 250 students, 32 traditional labs, and nine living labs focus in 5G/IoT, Mobility, Utilities, Cities, Infrastructure and Buildings, Energy, Water & Wastewater, Sensors, and BigData/Software.
Carvallo is known as the “Godfather of the smart grid” for designing and building the very first smart grid in the US at Austin Energy, the author of “The Advanced Smart Grid” and has published 40 titles in Power Engineering, Telecom/IoT, and Building Technologies. Carvallo has received 36 industry awards since 2005. Carvallo has held c-suite and senior executive roles at Austin Energy, Philips Electronics, Digital Equipment Corp, Borland, six IoT, telecom and Internet startups. Carvallo started his career as a Windows Product Manager at Microsoft in Redmond, WA. At Austin Energy, Carvallo was the CIO/CTO and led a storied four billion dollars deployment of technology, in 2,500 projects, with a 98% on-time and on-budget transformation from 2003 to 2010. Carvallo received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering degree from The University of Kansas with a concentration in Robotics and Control Systems and has received post-graduate certificates in Business Management from Stanford University, in Quality Management from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, and in Power Utility Management from The University of Idaho.
Kenath Carver
Director, Compliance Assessments Texas Reliability Entity, Inc.
Bio
Mr. Carver is the Director of Compliance Assessments for Texas Reliability Entity, Inc. (Texas RE) with over 15 years of dedicated experience towards the reliability and security of critical infrastructure. Mr. Carver directs and oversees all activities of the Compliance Monitoring and Risk Assessment departments responsible for administering the ERO Enterprise Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program, emphasizing monitoring of compliance and internal control assessment with the NERC Reliability Standards (Critical Infrastructure Protection and Operations & Planning) within the Energy Sector (Electricity). Mr. Carver performs and contributes to a significant amount of outreach and collaboration activities at zero cost to the industry, and actively participates on many industry working groups and task forces within Texas and the United States. Prior to joining Texas RE, Mr. Carver’s experience included the physical and cyber security protection of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) infrastructures within the Financial Services Sector.
Mr. Carver has earned a Master of Science degree in Information Systems from Texas A&M University – Central Texas, Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems Software Engineering at Tarleton State University and has an Associate Degree in Information Technology from Central Texas College. Mr. Carver also holds numerous industry recognized certifications.
Sergio Castellanos
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Sergio Castellanos is an assistant professor at UT Austin’s Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, where he leads the RESET (Rapid, Equitable & Sustainable Energy Transitions) Lab, analyzing just decarbonization pathways for emerging economies, data-driven sustainable transportation approaches, and equitable local energy transitions. With collaborators, his interdisciplinary projects have been awarded international prizes, won national competitions in México, and gathered media attention. He received the 2023 Cesar Chavez “Si Se Puede” Award from PODER, an environmental justice organization in East Austin, TX, in recognition of his leadership and transformative work to help better communities in Austin. Castellanos holds an Engineering PhD from MIT.
Lucy Caudill
(Moderator), Finance Student
William Charlton
Director, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory; Professor, John J. McKetta Energy Professorship in Engineering, Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bio
In January 2018, Dr. William (Bill) Charlton joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) as the John J. McKetta Energy Professor in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program within the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering. He also serves as the Director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) at UT-Austin which in addition to other research laboratories houses the newest nuclear research reactor in the U.S. He is an expert in the application of nuclear science and engineering to national security including nuclear nonproliferation, counter-proliferation, security, and deterrence. He has taught courses (specifically from a technical aspect) on nuclear nonproliferation and deterrence, nuclear security system design and analysis, nuclear forensics, and nuclear detection. Additionally, he has over 15 years of technical expertise in the design, development, testing, and evaluation of technological solutions for nuclear threats.
From 2015-2018, Dr. Charlton was the Research Director for the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska. NSRI is the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) for the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Department of Defense for Combatting Weapons of Mass Destruction. Dr. Charlton had sponsor engagement, faculty interaction, and technical oversight responsibility for all NSRI research programs for combatting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons (with a total contract value in excess of $42M). He also served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. As Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, he worked with the administration and faculty to develop strategic research initiatives in support of the U.S. Department of Defense and other national security agencies.
From 2003-2015, Dr. Charlton served on the faculty of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and was the founding Director of the Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute (NSSPI) from 2006-2015. NSSPI is a multi-disciplinary research and education organization focused on combatting threats from the malicious uses of nuclear and radiological materials. NSSPI is primarily funded through grants and contracts from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of State. In addition to conducting research in the area of nuclear security and nuclear nonproliferation, he taught courses on nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear security system design, nuclear forensics, consequence management, and nuclear materials measurements. Under his supervision, the first Student Chapter of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management was formed at TAMU in the over 50-year history of that organization.
He previously served as an Assistant Professor at UT-Austin from 2000-2003 and as a Technical Staff Member in the Nonproliferation and International Security Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) from 1998-2000.
Dr. Charlton led the development of technical education and research in U.S. academia in the area of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security and was awarded the Special Service Award from the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management in 2010 for his leadership in this area. He was also named the George Armistead Jr. ’23 Faculty Fellow at TAMU in 2005, was awarded the Dwight Look College of Engineering Faculty Fellow in 2007, was recognized as the Advisor of the Year by the TAMU Division of Student Affairs in 2009, was named the Barbara and Ralph Cox ’53 Faculty Fellow for the TAMU College of Engineering in 2013, and was given the Distinguished Research Award from NSRI in 2017.
Dr. Charlton earned B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1995, 1997, and 1999, respectively. He has over 200 technical publications in referred journals and conference proceedings. He currently holds TOP SECRET and SCI security clearances.
Kevin Clarno
Associate Professor, Charlotte Maer Patton Centennial Fellowship in Engineering, Nuclear and Radiation Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Clarno is a tenured Associate Professor in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering program at the University of Texas at Austin with a research focus on computational nuclear energy, including algorithm development for radiation transport and reactor multiphysics. Dr. Clarno worked 15 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and was also assistant professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as joint faculty member in nuclear engineering. He has led national, multi-institutional high-performance computing (HPC) research programs, including the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) as Interim Director; the CASL Physics Integration (PHI) Focus Area; modernization of the SCALE nuclear analysis software; development of the Advanced Multi-Physics (AMP) fuel performance code; and a portfolio of ORNL laboratory-directed strategic research projects. As a technical contributor at ORNL, Dr. Clarno has developed high-performance computing software, researched new algorithms for SCALE, and performed analyses of nuclear reactors for a diverse set of US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and DOE projects.
William Cockerill
VP, Business Development, Essential Knowledge Systems
Bio
Bill Cockerill is VP of Business Development for Essential Knowledge Systems. After earning his undergrad in engineering at the Univ of IL Urbana-Champaign, Bill spent the bulk of his career in semiconductor, initially working in lithography in the fabs. He went on to the business side in the capital equipment and supplier space to semiconductor. After a couple decades in that space he moved on to the leading edge B2B software space and for the last decade has been doing fractional business development for startups in ML, quantum, (business) process intelligence, and advanced AI.
Carolyn Comer
President & CEO, Shell Energy North America
Bio
Carolyn Comer is President, Shell Energy North America and Senior Vice President, Shell Energy Americas, bringing more than two decades of experience to her current role, where she holds accountability for Shell’s gas, power and environmental products trading business in the Americas.
Carolyn joined Shell in 1998, subsequently holding commercial leadership positions in Global Commercial Lubricants, Specialities, Commercial Fuels and Trading & Supply. In 2009, Carolyn became General Manager, Commercial Fuels UK/Nordics, where she led a large commercial team through a major business transformation. Following that she was appointed as Global Leader Marine Fuel Sales, responsible for leading the international marine fuels business, where she once again led a major transformation effort. Carolyn moved to Houston in 2015, when she took over all commercial non-trading activities for Shell Energy Americas, where she was instrumental in driving key strategic growth initiatives such as successful new market entries in Brazil and Mexico.
Prior to her current role, Carolyn was Vice President Downstream Strategy & Portfolio, where she played a critical role in the transformation of Shell’s strategy – to purposefully and profitably deliver more and cleaner energy solutions.
Carolyn is married with three teenage children and, when not spending time with family, is an enthusiastic golfer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Marketing & Languages (French and German) and has a Masters in IT Management.
Gabriel Cossio
Founder & CEO, Nanoscale Labs
Bio
Gabriel Cossio is Founder and CEO of Nanoscale Labs. Gabriel is leading the development of a new low-cost and high-throughput nanomanufacturing system capable of creating nanostructures as small as 100 nm at $1 per sq meter manufacturing costs. This new manufacturing paradigm is unlocking new opportunities across scientific disciplines such as advanced heat exchangers, biomimetic anti-fouling nanostructures, and low-cost light trapping structures to increase photovoltaic system efficiency. For the first time, functionally superior nanodevices may become cost-competitive with less sophisticated technologies and accelerate our transition to a zero carbon economy. Previously, Gabriel was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas’ Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials. Gabriel earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and has a B.S. in physics.
Sophia Cunningham
Vice President, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Greater Houston Partnership
Bio
Sophia Cunningham is vice president of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) at the Greater Houston Partnership, the principal business organization for the greater Houston region. HETI promotes economic growth in Houston by convening energy industry members in support of technology, policy, and market initiatives for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future. At HETI, Sophia is responsible for efforts related to carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), methane management, community engagement, climate equity, and stakeholder activation through the Initiative’s Advisory Board.
Prior to joining HETI, Sophia was director of public policy at the Partnership. The Partnership’s public policy team advances Houston’s position as a great global city through policy that fosters economic growth and opportunity for all. Sophia was responsible for the Partnership’s energy, sustainability, transportation and infrastructure policy portfolio.
Prior to joining the public policy team, Sophia worked for the Partnership’s regional workforce development initiative, UpSkill Houston. During her time at UpSkill Houston, Sophia supported the development of employer-led programs that cultivate quality talent in the industries that drive Houston’s regional economy.
Sophia received her Master of Science in Energy from Texas A&M University. She graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She is an alum of the Center for Houston’s Future Leadership Forum.
Shashwati daCunha
PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin; President, Longhorn Energy Club
Bio
Shashwati da Cunha is a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at UT Austin. She models electrolyzers that convert CO2 into chemicals, researching the intersection of energy infrastructure, the chemicals industry, and climate change. Her work has been published in Nature Communications and PNAS. She was awarded the Chevron Graduate Energy Fellowship for outstanding innovation in energy systems, and the Eastman Graduate Fellowship for research benefiting the chemical process industry. She is passionate about broadening engagement with research, including by leading UT’s Chemical Engineering Women organization and serving as the graduate representative on UT’s Presidential Sustainability Steering Committee. As the current President of the Longhorn Energy Club, she also focuses on connecting students with opportunities in energy and climate.
Marc Cutler
President, Geolith
Bio
Marc Cutler is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of global leadership experience across the oil and gas, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Currently serving as President of Geolith North America, Marc is driving the implementation of sustainable Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies, a critical innovation in the renewable energy space. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions at industry-leading companies such as Halliburton, Newsco, and Trican Well Service Ltd., where he led large-scale operations, spearheaded international expansions, and transformed underperforming divisions into high-growth enterprises. At GT Engineering, where he served as Chief Operating Officer, Marc was responsible for guiding business strategy, optimizing operations, and securing new market opportunities, playing a pivotal role in the company’s expansion. Known for his financial acumen and strategic foresight, he has successfully raised capital, guided companies through divestitures, and built sales organizations that have driven significant revenue growth, including doubling Trican’s U.S. sales to over $1 billion within a year.
Marc’s leadership is characterized by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability, aligning his work with the global energy transition. His expertise in both traditional and renewable energy makes him a valuable voice in shaping the future of the industry. With a degree in Earth Sciences from Memorial University of Newfoundland and advanced leadership training from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, Marc is a sought-after advisor. He is deeply invested in fostering the next generation of energy leaders and is dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of industrial processes through the adoption of clean technologies. Marc’s work at Geolith, coupled with his extensive experience in oil and gas, positions him as a forward-thinking leader, passionate about leveraging new technologies to meet the world’s evolving energy needs.
Jim Davis
Interim President, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Jim Davis is Interim President of The University of Texas at Austin. A resident of Austin since 1974, Jim has served the University since 2018 as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Business Strategies. Across those roles, Jim’s leadership and impact has spanned a number of UT Austin’s transformational projects.
Jim has played central roles in development of a new academic medical center for the Dell Medical School and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Texas Institute for Electronics semiconductor consortium, infrastructure planning for the redevelopment of I-35 adjacent to campus, the Tower restoration project, the East Mall Precursor Commemoration project and the development of Innovation Tower in the Austin Innovation District. Jim led plans to build new undergraduate and graduate housing to address affordability challenges, founded the University’s Discovery to Impact research commercialization program to support faculty innovation, established the University’s first commercial investment fund and proof of concept fund to provide critical resources to faculty entrepreneurs and managed the launch of the West Campus Ambassador program to improve safety and security for students, staff and faculty.
Prior to assuming a leadership role at UT, Jim served his country with distinction as a cryptologist in the United States Navy. Jim was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and Commanding Officer Commendation for Outstanding Service During the Gulf War.
After military service, Jim attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with highest honors in 1996. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and awarded the Ferguson Honors Thesis Prize for excellence in the study of history. In 1999, Jim earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Texas.
Jim built a distinguished law practice as a partner in the Austin office of Locke Lord. He later served as a Texas Deputy Attorney General, where he led the civil litigation division and advised the leadership of state agencies, boards and commissions, including the University of Texas System and UT Austin. Jim has been a frequent continuing legal education lecturer with a focus on governmental regulatory issues and legal ethics.
Jim’s earliest memories of UT stem from when his father joined the UT Austin faculty as Chair of Radio, Television and Film. Jim and his wife of more than 35 years, Teresa, met while attending Austin High School. They have two adult children.
Zachary Dell
Co-Founder & CEO, Base Power Company
Bio
Zach is the CEO and Co-Founder of Base, an energy company working to fix the power grid. He was previously an investor at Thrive Capital, a multi-stage investment firm. Zach started his career as a private equity analyst at The Blackstone Group, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Psychology and Economics.
Becky Diffen
Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
Bio
Becky Diffen is a partner based in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office where she focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, power generation, and transmission projects—including wind, solar, battery storage, green hydrogen, carbon capture, geothermal, waste-to-energy, RNG, and other technologies. She also has experience advising clients on Texas regulatory law.
Becky has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry and previously worked as a utility-scale wind power developer.
Becky is a co-author of Wind Law, the first and only legal treatise focused on the wind industry, and her new treatise, Wind and Solar Law, was published in late 2021. She has been recognized annually by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, was honored as a 2021 Law360 Project Finance MVP, and in 2019 was named the C3E Law and Finance award winner by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Becky serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the national Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) organization, as well as serving as a member of the Advisory Board of the WRISE Austin Chapter.
Becky is a magna cum laude graduate of Carleton College and earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of Volume 4 of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, & Energy Law and now teaches a seminar on renewable energy law as an adjunct professor.
Becky is a founding member and former President of the Texas Energy Law Association (TJOGEL’s alumni association), where she currently serves as Endowments Chair.
Lucy Darago
Chief Commercial Officer, XGS Energy
Bio
As Chief Commercial Officer at XGS Energy, Lucy Darago is responsible for XGS’s global project pipeline, financing, and business development. Darago joined XGS in 2022 as VP Strategy, and prior to XGS served as a Principal at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she specialized in the Energy, Climate & Sustainability, and Public Sector practices. At BCG, Darago led clean energy studies and investment strategies for renewable energy developers, utilities, and large-scale energy consumers globally. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where she authored over 25 technical papers in materials science for energy and computing applications.
Paul Edgar
Associate Director, Clements Center for National Security, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Paul Edgar is the Associate Director of the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of Texas and studies the historical origins of diplomacy, war, and strategy in pre-classical antiquity. He is also a philologist of several ancient languages. As a graduate student, he was a fellow in the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Engaged Scholar Program and also with the Clements Center. Prior to beginning work on his PhD, Paul had been an Olmsted Foundation Scholar at Tel Aviv University where he studied for his master’s degree, focusing on early Israelite and Jewish literature from the Iron Age through the Crusades. Previously, Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Saint Mary’s University. His public writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Task & Purpose, and Capital Commentary. He is currently finishing his first book, an international diplomatic history of the Late Bronze Age.
Before entering academia, Paul served more than 22 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, beginning as a platoon leader in Korea and then in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He commanded an airborne company in Vicenza, Italy, deploying in support of numerous contingency and training operations throughout Europe and North Africa. He first deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom I in the capacity of security advisor to Vice Admiral (Ret.) John Scott Redd in the Coalition Provisional Authority. Paul returned to Iraq during the 2006-2007 surge, serving as an infantry battalion operations and executive officer, conducting counterinsurgency and combat operations in both Fallujah and South Babil Province. In 2008-2009, as an infantry brigade operations officer, he deployed to Afghanistan and conducted counterinsurgency operations in Paktika, Paktia, and Khost provinces.
After returning from Afghanistan, Paul served as the executive assistant to the commander of the Kingdom of Jordan’s Special Operations Command. He then commanded 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry in The Old Guard where he supported official ceremonies and provided security for the President of the United States and other senior civilian, military, and foreign officials. In that capacity, Paul also supervised the Sentinel Platoon that guards the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. In his final assignment for the Army, Paul was the political advisor for Israeli affairs to the United States Security Coordinator in Jerusalem. He liaised with senior Israeli civilian and military officials to ensure that the Government of Israel was aware of all U.S. efforts to train and equip the Palestinian Security Forces.
Brayden “Thomas” Edman
Electrical & Computer Engineering, Math, Philosophy, Vanderbilt University
Bio
Brayden “Thomas” Edman is a senior at Vanderbilt University where he majors in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Math, and Philosophy with Honors. He is the Chief Technology Officer of the Vanderbilt Fusion Project, an NSF-funded computational physics researcher, and the Founder of Alexandrian. His work is heavily motivated by his Philosophy of Technology and Sustainability. He is dedicated to developing interdisciplinary and global solutions to modern challenges in energy and computing. In his free time, Thomas is a National Champion and All-American Olympic Weightlifter, and is deeply interested in literature, music and fashion.
Teague Egan
Founder & CEO, EnergyX
Bio
Teague Egan founded EnergyX in 2018 and is the acting Chairman and CEO. He is responsible for all aspects of building the company into a world leader in clean energy technologies, and specifically lithium production. Under his leadership, EnergyX has developed cutting-edge technologies aimed at improving lithium extraction and refinery. The company has secured over 120 patents and embarked on major projects like Project Black Giant in Chile, a large-scale lithium mining operation, and Project Lonestar in the US Smackover region.
Teague’s background is one of serial entrepreneurship, innovation, investing, and philanthropy. He has been investing in public sector energy assets and sustainable technologies since 2013 with a flagship investment in Tesla. Prior to EnergyX, in 2010 he started an entertainment business highlighted by a #1 iTunes artist release. In 2012, Teague founded Innovation Factory, a venture capital fund focused on tech, life sciences, real estate, and consumer products. Teague has been featured both personally and professionally in esteemed outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNBC. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in lithium, the clean energy transition, and the development of disruptive technologies.
Teague is an alumnus of University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business receiving his BA in Entrepreneurship, and went on to complete the Executive Program in exponential technology including artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology at Singularity University.
Ryan Eslicker
Director, EDF
Bio
Ryan Eslicker is a member of the EDF Inc. renewable energy and clean fuels investment and development team in Houston, TX. Ryan’s primary responsibility is originating investment and partnership opportunities within pre-FID world scale clean fuels projects in North America. Prior to joining EDF, Ryan was a member of the Phillips 66 Emerging Energy team in Houston, TX, serving as the lead for global hydrogen development activities along with renewable fuels and battery materials developments. Ryan has over 14 years of professional experience within the energy industry across roles that have focused on finance, optimization, strategy, business development, and commercialization. Finally, Ryan was a member of the Energy Advisory Team within PwC’s Management Consulting Practice where he focused on developing relationships and delivering engagements across multiple domains within the energy sector.
Lindsey Ewertsen
Head of Talent, Base Power Company
Bio
Lindsey Ewertsen leads Talent & Recruiting at Base Power Company, where she drives the company’s recruitment strategy and talent acquisition efforts. Prior to joining Base, Lindsey built a diverse background across the financial services industry, with experience in Venture Capital, Asset Management, and Private Wealth.
Lindsey graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Columbia University in 2019, where she also served as a two-time captain of the varsity women’s lacrosse team.
Seyi Fabode
Director, Cleantech Innovation, RWE
Bio
Seyi Fabode is a Director on the Cleantech Innovation team at RWE, where he develops and executes strategies to improve operations and grow the business through innovation. His 20 years of global experience across three continents informs his insights into tech trends, risks, and opportunities in renewables, utilities, and cities. Seyi’s entrepreneurial journey includes founding Varuna, a water IoT and risk management solution, and establishing, scaling, and selling Power2Switch, a venture-backed energy tech firm. At Clean Energy Trust (2014-2015), he made investments that propelled leading decarbonization and energy transition companies. Seyi’s utility experience includes leading operations and plant analysis for a 1000 MW Combined Cycle Gas Plant in London. Recognized as a LinkedIn Global Top Voice in Technology in multiple years, Fabode is a trusted expert for investors and early stage companies in the city, infrastructure, and utility sectors.
Fabode holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MSc in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Warwick University UK and a BEng in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from FUTA. Seyi has authored books and also writes for UtiliCity, a digital publication focused on cities and innovation. He is \co-authoring the book ‘How To (Re)Build A City’.
Sunil Felix
Nuclear Counsellor, French Atomic Commission – US Embassy (Washington, DC)
Bio
Dr. Sunil Felix took on the position of Nuclear Counsellor at the French Embassy in Washington, DC, on September 1, 2020. After completing his Ph.D. and post-doctoral studies in Mathematics, Sunil joined the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA – France) in 1990. Since then, he has been working as a research engineer in the field of Structural Analysis. He also served as Nuclear Counsellor at the French Embassy in various countries, including South Korea, India, and Japan. In addition, he acted as Personal Assistant to the Chairman of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) during the GIF’s French Presidency, from 2006 to 2010. Sunil was awarded the National Order of Merit by the French National Authorities in 2015.
Dave Ferdman
Managing Director, President, Primary Digital Infrastructure
Bio
Dave Ferdman has spent 25 years as a data center executive. He is currently serving as Managing Director and President of Primary Digital Infrastructure (PDI), a data center investment and advisory firm building a portfolio of stabilized data center assets. Prior to PDI, Ferdman co-founded CyrusOne and served as its CEO two different times, including facilitating the “take private” transaction in 2022 with KKR and GIP for $15B. In addition, Ferdman serves as a director and advisor of various businesses.
Aaron Fitzgerald
CEO/Co-Founder, Mars Materials, Inc. PBC
Bio
Aaron is a carbon removal entrepreneur. He’s a three-time founder and former Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow. Other fellowships include Prime Coalition, NREL Labstart and Carbon180 along with experiences at InciteM and the US Senate. At Mars, he’s motivated to remove and sequester greenhouse gasses into the industrial supply chain. Outside of his work in carbon removal, Aaron provides business mentorship to black women, queer people of color and other underrepresented groups.
Andre Gafford
CEO, Founder, Axis Sky Renewables
Bio
Andre Gafford brings over two decades of leadership to the energy industry, spearheading both clean and traditional energy ventures worldwide for renowned companies including Orsted, Equinor, BP, Hess, and Shell. Born in Houston,TX he is committed to revolutionizing the wind energy landscape. With a forward-thinking vision and a focus on cutting-edge technology, Andre is leading the charge in developing high-performance wind turbines that deliver reliable and affordable clean energy. His strategic vision and ability to harmonize people and technology have been pivotal to his success.
As an entrepreneur, mentor, and consultant, Andre demonstrates a passion for innovation and development. He contributes to the industry’s discourse through his insightful columns in global publications and actively promotes power diversity in the energy transition.
Thomas Galluccio
(Moderator), MBA Candidate
Kirk Goehring
Co-Founder & CEO, Benchmark Energy II
Bio
Kirk Goehring is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Benchmark Energy II. Prior to Benchmark, Kirk was Chief Operating Officer at Jones Energy. At Jones Energy, he spent seven years in a variety of management roles across operations, finance, and strategy.
Kirk joined Jones Energy from Metalmark Capital, a New York based private equity firm, where he focused on natural resources and industrial investments. Kirk began his career as an investment banking analyst at Greenhill and Bear Stearns. Kirk graduated from the Business Honors Program at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas with a degree in finance.
Rajendra Ghimire
Director of Business Development, Badwater Alchemy
Bio
Dr. Rajendra Ghimire is a recognized thought leader in the water, energy, chemicals, and sustainability sectors. As Director of Business Development at Badwater Alchemy, Ghimire leads global business development efforts on produced water. Beyond his role at Badwater Alchemy, Ghimire serves as an Executive Advisor to Savoil Energy, Strategic Advisor to Water Reuse Technology, and an Advisor to Clearyst and Cloudsyte. He mentors for the NSF-I Corp and serves on the Technical Committee of the Produced Water Society and Society of Petroleum Engineers, Water Lifecycle and Management. Ghimire actively participates as a speaker at produced water conferences, sharing his insights as a panelist, moderator, and session chair, advocating for sustainable practices and technological advancements in water management and beneficial reuse of produced water. Ghimire holds an Executive MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management; a PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Nevada, Reno; and a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Alexander Girau
CEO, Co-Founder, Group1 Energy Transition Fellow, Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Alexander Girau is the CEO and Co-Founder of Group1, the first company commercializing potassium-ion battery technology, a critical-mineral-free alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Girau has worked on two Nobel Prize-winning technologies—quantum dots and lithium-ion batteries—both enabled by material innovation. He now leads the commercialization of a breakthrough battery material from the lab of UT Austin Professor John Goodenough, Nobel Laureate and co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery.
Girau has raised over $40 million in venture capital throughout his career, driving the growth of advanced material startups. He is named inventor on 17 granted patents and holds exclusive IP rights for his companies to over 25 patents from institutions like Tulane University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Sharp Corporation Japan. As the CEO of two high-tech companies, Girau has built strong, durable business models around cutting-edge battery technologies, positioning his companies as leaders in the energy transition. Before this, he previously cut his teeth at the commercial scale as a chemical process engineer in the oil and gas industry, designing over $2B in assets for Fortune 50 companies, rounding out his view of the commercialization life-cycle.
Growing up in New Orleans, Girau’s resilience as a leader was shaped by his experience rebuilding the city after Hurricane Katrina, which drives his passion for addressing climate challenges. He holds an MS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Tulane University, where he was pursuing his PhD but left to spin the core technology into what became Advano, a silicon battery material startup. He also holds a BS from Loyola University New Orleans in Chemistry (Honors) and Mathematics. Girau is an alumnus of Y Combinator, the famed Silicon Valley accelerator; a Venture Partner at Pioneer Fund; and an Energy Transition Fellow at the Energy Institute at The University of Texas.
Kristian Gubsch
Co-Founder / CTO, Mars Materials, Inc. PBC
Bio
Mr. Kristian Gubsch has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and also received an MSc in Energy and Environmental Engineering from the University of Sheffield as well as an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management from Imperial College London as a Marshall Scholar. At the University of Sheffield, he worked under Peyman Moghadam, PhD in the field of CO2 capture. In his role as Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, he applies his chemical engineering and innovation management experience to overseeing Mars’ technology and engineering roadmap.
Derek Haas
Associate Professor and Area Coordinator of the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Haas’s research interests focus on radiation detection for nuclear arms control, non-proliferation, and advanced reactor design and licensing. This includes the fundamental physics of radioactive decay processes, fission yields, environmental transport of radionuclides, and detection techniques. Dr. Haas’s research is primarily experimental and uses the 1.1 MW TRIGA Mark II reactor at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Natura Resources Research Alliance that is developing the 1 MWth molten salt reactor at Abilene Christian University that received its construction permit from the US NRC in 2024. He also served on the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group established by Governor Greg Abbott to provide the state recommendations on how it can be a leader in developing nuclear power. Dr. Haas joined the faculty of The University of Texas after eight years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he worked as a Senior Research Engineer in the National Security Directorate. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from UT Austin.
Christian Hammerbeck
Managing Director of Project Finance, Mizuho Americas
Bio
Christian Hammerbeck has 26‐years of experience as an adviser, lender and investor in energy and associated sectors in London, New York, and Houston. He currently works as a Managing Director in the project finance team at Mizuho, focused on originating, structuring, and executing North American natural resources and energy transition related project finance transactions as both lender, and separately, financial advisor. Christian joined Mizuho in Houston in May 2014 from Lloyds Bank to focus on natural resources project finance. Prior to joining Mizuho, Mr. Hammerbeck served in a number or roles at Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland in both London and New York, most recently leading coverage of a portfolio of Utility, Oil & Gas and Commodity Trading companies out of Houston. Before joining Bank of Scotland in 2002, Mr. Hammerbeck worked as a corporate finance executive providing advisory services to engineering and capital goods companies at Cazenove & Co. in London. Mr. Hammerbeck has an MA (hons.) in Economic History from The University of Edinburgh, U.K.
Carol Hanko
President, Sun PR
Bio
Carol has more than 20 years of communications experience helping global energy and technology company brands navigate corporate storytelling. She founded Sun PR more than 5 years ago, which is a boutique agency that specializes in future energy technologies and climate sustainability initiatives. A former journalist, Carol combines her deep storytelling instincts with a sharp business acumen to translate complex concepts into messaging that resonates with diverse audiences and advances business goals. Passionate about leveraging technology to benefit society and the environment, she has consistently helped her clients achieve growth, build influence, and drive advocacy.
William Harvey
Co-Founder & CEO, Voyager Midstream
Bio
As CEO of Voyager Midstream, Will directs overall company strategy and management of the business. Prior to Voyager, Will was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Aris Water Solutions, the leading produced water-focused midstream company in the country. He helped lead corporate strategy and growth through its eventual IPO in October 2021. Before Aris, Will worked for ~10 years in oil and gas investing and finance roles, including roles with Greenhill & Co., Denham Capital and Knighthead Capital in Houston, TX and New York, NY.
Will received a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin (2009) and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Marilu Hastings
Executive Vice President, Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation; Chair, Energy Institute Advisory Board
Bio
Marilu Hastings is Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin. As EVP, Hastings leads and is a catalyst for enhancing the programmatic direction of the foundation. She guides the conception and implementation of programs and initiatives with the program teams to ensure that the foundation’s priorities align with the mission and values of benefactors George and Cynthia Mitchell. She also directs CGMF’s Mitchell Innovation Lab, a varied portfolio of breakthrough sustainability ideas and opportunities that the foundation develops and incubates. Hastings serves as a member of the National Petroleum Council at the U.S. Department of Energy. She is chair of the University of Texas’s Energy Institute Advisory Board; chair of Environmental Defense Fund’s Texas Advisory Board; a member of the Advisory Board of the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin; and a trustee of the Regional Endowment for Sustainability Science. She is a fellow of the Houston Advanced Research Center and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability. Hastings earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Duke University, an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin.
KJ Haugen
CEO, Haugen Labs
Bio
KJ is the founder and CEO of Haugen Labs, a start-up focusing on
mapping business critical modelling and simulation needs onto modern
hardware and emerging solution algorithms. Prior to forming his own
company, KJ worked 12 years at ExxonMobil and 3 years at AMD. KJ’s
work experience centers on leading multi-disciplinary R&D teams
developing commercial technical software in close collaboration with
the business units. With a background in physics and chemical engineering,
KJ is a strong believer in the combination of business acumen, domain
knowledge, and computational skills.
Peggy Heeg
Vice Chair, ERCOT Board of Directors
Bio
Peggy Heeg is vice chair of the board of directors for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as well as the chair of ERCOT’s Human Resources & Governance Committee and a member of its Audit Committee. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 54,000 miles of transmission lines and 1,250 generation units. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market in the region.
Heeg has served as a board member of numerous public and private energy companies. She managed successful law practices at two of the largest law firms in the world and served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of El Paso Corp. Heeg began her career as an attorney and advisor to a commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Amy Hebert
CEO, Arcadia eFuels
Bio
Amy Hebert is the CEO and founder of Arcadia eFuels, a company with the mission to combat climate change by producing sustainable fuels with a net-zero carbon footprint. In a project full of firsts, Hebert and the Arcadia team have worked to create a first-of-its-kind commercial efuel, which is becoming a reality with the first location set to be built in Vordingborg, Denmark. Hebert brings more than 25 years of global industry experience and 12 years of experience in executive leadership positions in the refining, chemical, and polymer markets. She has experience in all aspects of business management, including developing and executing long-term business strategy while managing overall financial wellbeing, as well as experience with JVs, new plant construction, and plant expansions from idea through design and startup. Most recently she held the position as Deputy CEO/Chief Commercial Officer for Haldor Topsoe, and previously Vice President Europe with Celanese and Global Vice President Catalysts with Albemarle. She holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Hebert is also a supervisory board member and nomination and audit committee member of IMCD.
Mike Hightower
Director and Research Professor, New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium
Bio
Mike Hightower is currently Director of the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium, a joint effort of the New Mexico Environment Department and New Mexico State University. Hightower is retired from Sandia National Laboratories, where he worked in aerospace, weapons, energy, and natural resources research and engineering. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from New Mexico State University. For the past three decades, he has focused on approaches to enhance critical infrastructure and natural resource stewardship and security through the research and development of innovative technologies and approaches. Hightower currently works closely with industry on improving overall Western regional water stewardship through the treatment and desalination of both oil and gas produced water and brackish groundwater to supplement the region’s limited freshwater resources.
Kelsie Van Hoose
Director of Carbon Capture and Hydrogen Business Development, New Energy Ventures, Williams
Bio
Kelsie Van Hoose, P.E. is Director, Business Development for the Williams Companies, Inc. New Energy Ventures group. She is responsible for the development of complex hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration commercial solutions that create customer success and solidifies Williams’ reputation as a leader in the clean energy industry. She joined Williams in 2009 as part of the Engineering Development Program within the Gathering and Processing Business Unit and progressed through roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, operations, and project development in New Mexico and Pennsylvania. In 2018, Van Hoose relocated to Houston to join the Gas Transmission team in Business Development where she successfully originated three major infrastructure projects that will expand Transcontinental Pipeline by 1.4 Bcf/d of capacity. Van Hoose holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a MBA from Oklahoma State University.
Wendy Howell
Client Engagement & Community Partner Ecosystem, Roc Search
Isaiah Hughes
Director of University Partnerships, Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange for Energy (TEX-E)
Bio
Isaiah B. Hughes is an accomplished leader in higher education, workforce development, and climate-tech innovation. As Director of University Partnerships for TEX-E, he spearheads strategic initiatives connecting students with energy and climate entrepreneurship opportunities across Texas. With a background in public policy and philanthropic engagement, Isaiah has led national programs supporting underserved student populations and has advised on education reform and economic mobility. A former U.S. Air Force officer and a graduate of Auburn, Tuskegee, and Yale, Isaiah brings a unique blend of service, strategy, and impact to every endeavor.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Former U.S. Senator; Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO; Founding Member, KBH Energy Center
Bio
For over three years, Kay Bailey Hutchison served as the United States Ambassador to the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in Brussels, Belgium. During her term, she focused on the importance of U.S. leadership in the Alliance and strengthening the transatlantic bond that provides the security umbrella for Europe and North America. From 1993 to 2013, Sen. Hutchison represented the State of Texas in the U.S. Senate. She was elected, by her peers, to chair the Republican Policy Committee, making her the fourth-ranking member of the Republican Leadership in the U.S. Senate. She was the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Chair of the Military Construction Subcommittee on Appropriations. She served two terms as Chair of the Board of Visitors at The U.S. Military Academy at West Point. While in the Senate, she co-authored significant legislation, including Reauthorization and Reform of NASA, with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), and the Hutchison-Mikulski legislation, establishing a new retirement vehicle called the Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA. From 1991 to 1993, she was the Texas State Treasurer, where she proposed limits on State debt, which the State Legislature adopted. She also led the effort to successfully defeat a State Income Tax.
Currently, Sen. Hutchison serves on the Bank of America Global Board, the LBJ Foundation Board, and the NASA Advisory Council. She is the author of three books, including the bestseller American Heroines (William Morrow, 2004). In 2013, the Dallas City Council named the city’s convention center in her honor. Her alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin, named its energy center the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center. The KBH Energy Center is a collaboration between the McCombs School of Business, the UT School of Law, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Jackson School of Geosciences. Sen. Hutchison earned a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and a JD from The University of Texas School of Law.
Nathalie Ionesco
COO, Haffner Energy
Bio
Nathalie Ionesco has a PhD in Chemical Engineering with 35 years of Management, Innovation, Strategy and engineering experience as formerly Veolia executive, dedicated to water and waste business activities. She is supporting Technology and Strategy roadmap of several US based entities as well leads the North America roadmap of Haffner Energy as COO of Haffner Energy subsidiary in US.
Adhitya Jayasinghe
CEO, Gridify
Bio
Adhitya is a lifelong energy nerd from Dallas. An economist at heart, his career began at Charles River Associates working across corporate strategy and M&A within their energy practice. After CRA, he moved back to the home state of Texas to help scale Tesla’s new grid-scale storage product as a program manager. In 2 years, he helped scale Megapack revenues 10x and deployments 15x while managing new revenue programs, factory expansion and internal machine learning products. Currently, Adhitya is working at the intersection of AI and energy as a co-founder of Gridify which aims to democratize access to clean energy.
Rob Kasten
(Moderator), Master of Engineering Student
Carey W. King
Assistant Director, Research Scientist, Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Carey W. King performs interdisciplinary research related to how energy systems interact within the economy and environment as well as how our policy and social systems can make decisions and tradeoffs among these often competing factors. The past performance of our energy systems is no guarantee of future returns, yet we must understand the development of past energy systems. Dr. King’s research goals center on rigorous interpretations of the past to determine the most probable future energy pathways.
Dr. King is a Research Scientist at The University of Texas at Austin and Assistant Director at the Energy Institute. He also has appointments with the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy within the Jackson School of Geosciences and the McCombs School of Business. He has both a BS with high honors and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He has published technical articles in the academic journals Environmental Science and Technology, Environmental Research Letters, Nature Geoscience, Energy Policy, Sustainability, and Ecology and Society. He has also written commentary for American Scientist and Earth magazines as well as major newspapers such as The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, and Austin American-Statesman. Dr. King has several patents as former Director for Scientific Research of Uni-Pixel Displays, Inc.
Brian Korgel
Director, Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin; Rashid Engineering Regents Chair Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering
Bio
Brian A. Korgel is the Director of The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute and the Rashid Engineering Regents Chair Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. He also directs the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) for a Solar Powered Future (SPF2050) and the Nanotechnologies area of the UT Austin Portugal Program at UT. He is a former Fulbright Fellow and has been Visiting Professor at the University of Alicante in Spain, the Université Josef Fourier in France and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from UCLA in 1997 and was a post-doctoral fellow at University College Dublin, Ireland, in the Department of Chemistry. He has given more than 300 invited talks and published more than 300 papers. He is also an artist, exploring language and human/technology cohabitation. He has co-founded two companies, Innovalight and Piñon Technologies, and received various honors including the 2012 Professional Progress Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and election to Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Ryan Kudva
Unconventional Technology Integrator, ExxonMobil
Bio
Ryan Kudva received his BS in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1994, and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1998. After graduating from UT, Ryan joined Exxon in 1999, shortly before the Exxon and Mobil merger. He has held a variety of technical and leadership roles, including research & technology development, capital projects, acquisitions & divestments, and supervisory responsibility for assets. During his time at ExxonMobil, he has continued to remain active in the UT community. His prior roles include recruiting at the Cockrell School of Engineering for eight years and serving on the UT Chemical Engineering External Advisory Council, with stints as vice chair and chair. Ryan now serves as ExxonMobil’s primary contact for the Energy Institute at UT. Ryan met his wife, Denise, during a macromolecular chemistry class at UT, after summoning the courage to ask her on a date on the last day of class. They live in Spring, Texas, with their son, daughter, and golden retriever. Ryan’s hobbies include helping the scouts in Troops 293 and 1293 to become future leaders, playing tennis, and being a lifelong student of psychology, leadership, and personal finance.
Parag Kulkarni
Executive Manager, Carbon Capture Solutions, GE Vernova
Bio
Parag Kulkarni is an Engineering Executive at GE Vernova, specializing in decarbonization solutions for power plant customers and focusing on carbon capture integration with power plants. Previously, he managed engineering teams focused on high-value power plant proposals and emissions and noise guarantees for GE products. Before 2010, he was a Project Leader at GE Global Research, working on R&D for new GE product ideas. Parag holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from ICT, Mumbai, and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. He is passionate about clean, affordable, and sustainable energy production.
Yakov Kutsovsky
Chief Scientific Officer, Cofounder, Group1
Bio
Dr. Yakov Kutsovsky is Chief Scientific Officer, Executive Director, and Cofounder of Group1, a potassium-ion battery technology company developing sustainable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. Dr. Kutsovsky is Founder of MateriaX, an advisory firm enabling successful development and commercialization of new materials for a sustainable future. Dr. Kutsovsky shares his broad experiences with the community as Expert-in-Residence at Harvard University, supporting faculty in assessing technology fit for different markets, and as a startup mentor at Greentown Labs (GTL), the largest U.S. cleantech accelerator program.
Over the last 15 years, Dr. Kutsovsky was the CTO and Chief Scientific Officer of Cabot Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and materials company. Dr. Kutsovsky led the development of multiple products and manufacturing innovations, commercializing new materials across established and emerging businesses. Dr. Kutsovsky advanced Cabot-wide technology platforms including elastomeric composites, inkjet colorants, graphenes, carbon nanostructures, and materials for next-generation tires, adhesives, and batteries. Dr. Kutsovsky built a track record of scaling organizational and technical capabilities—from grams in the lab, to tons in manufacturing sites and technology centers across the world. Dr. Kutsovsky partnered with leading customers across the globe to establish collaboration programs leading to new products and technology licensing. Dr. Kutsovsky identified and executed multiple M&A opportunities, expanding Cabot’s technology portfolio. He was the President of Advanced Nanostructure Solutions (ANS), a wholly owned Cabot subsidiary, scaling up and commercializing a new form of carbon nanotubes (CNS) to deliver superior performance in batteries, EMI shielding, and silicones. Dr. Kutsovsky has also led development and implementation of material informatics solutions to accelerate materials development.
Ryan M. Lance
Chairman, CEO, ConocoPhillips
Bio
Ryan M. Lance has served as chairman and chief executive officer of ConocoPhillips, the world’s largest independent exploration and production company, since 2012. Lance is a petroleum engineer with four decades of oil and natural gas industry experience in senior management and technical positions with ConocoPhillips, predecessor Phillips Petroleum, and various divisions of ARCO. His past ConocoPhillips executive assignments included responsibility for international exploration and production; regional responsibility at various times for Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North America; and responsibility for technology, major projects, downstream strategy, integration and specialty functions. Externally, Lance is a board member of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and a trustee of both the George and Barbara Bush Foundation and PGA Reach. He is also an advocate for charities benefiting youth through his service on the board of Spindletop International. He is former chairman of the American Petroleum Institute, currently serving on its Executive Committee, and he is currently Vice Chair of the National Petroleum Council and on the Business Roundtable Board. Lance is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering from Montana Technological University in Butte in 1984.
Sheldon Landsberger
Professor, Robert B. Trull Chair in Engineering, Nuclear and Radiation Engineering, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Sheldon Landsberger is a Professor in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering technical area. He has served on the faculty of the Cockrell School of Engineering since 1997. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and more than 195 conference proceedings mainly in nuclear analytical measurements and their applications in nuclear forensics, natural radioactivity and environmental monitoring of trace and heavy metals.
Landsberger was appointed as Director of the UT Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) from 2002-2006 and Area Coordinator of the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program from 1997-2012. He currently holds the Robert B. Trull Chair in Engineering from the Cockrell School of Engineering. Since 1988, Dr. Landsberger has served the International Atomic Energy Agency as an expert consultant in various functions.
Craig Lawrence
Partner, Energy Transition Ventures
Bio
Craig Lawrence is a Co-Founder and Partner at Energy Transition Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in startups leading or benefitting from the energy transition. Prior to ETV, Lawrence served in executive, product, and marketing roles at leading solar companies SolarBridge Technologies (acquired by NASDAQ:SPWR) and SunEdison. Lawrence also led cleantech investing at Accel Partners, a top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firm, during the first wave of cleantech investing. And for a decade, Lawrence served as a Practice Lead at IDEO, a global design firm helping clients across multiple industries launch innovative products and services. Lawrence holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD from Stanford University.
Austin T. Lee
Partner, Bracewell LLP
Bio
Austin T. Lee represents and counsels clients in the acquisition and divestiture of oil and gas properties, as well as in a broad range of transactional and operational matters regarding a variety of projects in the energy space. Additionally, Lee frequently represents clients on a variety of midstream and downstream energy projects, produced water and salt water disposal projects, and projects for gas storage and related energy storage facilities. Over the course of his career, Lee worked in-house as upstream legal counsel at an independent exploration and production company where he was the principal legal contact for a business unit covering the Bakken Shale, Eagle Ford Shale, and other areas of South Texas. He also has experience working with a major oil and natural gas exploration and production company through a secondment in one of its onshore-focused business units. Lee is ranked in Chambers USA for Nationwide Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (2021-2024). In 2018, Lee was one of only five lawyers named by Law360 as an Energy Rising Star, which recognizes lawyers nationwide who are under 40 years of age for accomplishments in the energy space. Prior to entering legal practice, Lee worked as an independent petroleum landman and as a certified public accountant.
Doug Lewin
Author, Texas Energy and Power Newsletter; Host, Energy Capital Podcast
Bio
Doug Lewin authors the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter and hosts the Energy Capital Podcast. He is a nationally recognized energy expert, particularly in the electric grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, utility regulation, and pollution reduction. Lewin founded Stoic Energy, a Texas consulting firm specializing in grid and energy issues, in 2018. Previously, Doug led government and regulatory affairs work for CLEAResult, an energy efficiency program implementer for over 250 utilities in 40 states and provinces. Prior to joining CLEAResult, Lewin was the founding Executive Director of the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER) and worked at the Texas Legislature for five years as a legislative aide, primarily on energy, environment, and climate issues for three different elected officials in the House and Senate.
Elise Liberto
Partner & Managing Director of Private Investments, Brown Advisory
Elise Liberto is a partner and managing director of Private Investments at Brown Advisory. Elise oversees private market opportunities (direct investments, co-investments and funds) that complement Brown Advisory’s core venture capital, private equity, private credit and real estate strategies. She launched and leads Brown Advisory’s investment strategy for early-, growth- and late-stage private companies. Additionally, Elise focuses on Brown Advisory’s corporate investment program that identifies and structures balance sheet commitments to private companies and strategic partners.
Silviu Livescu
Co-Founder, CTO, Bedrock Energy
Bio
Dr. Silviu Livescu is co-founder and chief technology officer of Bedrock Energy, a geothermal technology company with the mission to transform the heating and cooling of buildings, to radically reduce costs for people and the environment. Previously, Livescu was a tenured professor of Geoenergy Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, pressure pumping chief scientist at Baker Hughes, and a research engineer at ExxonMobil, with extensive research, product development and technology deployment, multidisciplinary innovation, strategy, and intellectual property experience. Livescu earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware and transitioned into the energy industry while conducting postdoctoral research at Stanford University.
Rémi Loiseau
US Lithium Manager, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions
Bio
Rémi Loiseau is the U.S. Lithium Manager, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. In this role, Rémi is leading the development of ExxonMobil’s lithium business, bringing to bear the company’s strengths and capabilities in developing and delivering unique projects and operations, while also fostering partnerships with members of the community, government, academia, and industry. He assumed this role in 2023.
Prior to this, Rémi was the Subsea Manager, responsible for delivering ExxonMobil’s industry leading deepwater projects in Guyana.
Rémi’s career with ExxonMobil spans almost two decades, during which he has applied his deep expertise in major capital project development and execution, business development, and economics. He has held engineering and leadership roles across ExxonMobil’s global portfolio including North America, Europe, South America, and Africa. Additionally, he has served as an advisor for ExxonMobil’s global upstream portfolio’s strategy and planning.
Rémi holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a Park Scholar from North Carolina State University.
Mike Matson
Partner & Associate Director, Low Carbon Solutions, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Bio
Mike Matson joined Boston Consulting Group’s Denver office as a consultant in 2022. As a core member of the firm’s Energy and Climate & Sustainability practices, he focuses on subsurface innovations that facilitate the energy transition across various industries, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), direct air capture (DAC), critical mineral recovery, and white hydrogen production. He is the global leader for geothermal energy.
Mike has collaborated with a variety of clients, including major energy companies and corporations looking to develop and scale low-carbon technologies. His work spans multiple regions and includes projects in North America and consultations on energy and environmental strategies globally.
As a specialist in energy transition technologies, Mike combines his deep understanding of subsurface operations with his knowledge of cutting-edge developments in the field. He has participated as a speaker and expert panelist at numerous industry forums, sharing insights on the integration of innovative technologies into traditional energy frameworks. Among his notable projects, Mike has advised on the strategic expansion of CCUS facilities and the implementation of advanced geothermal systems in conventional energy landscapes. His strategies have helped clients optimize asset performance and spearhead sustainable energy solutions.
Prior to joining BCG, Mike led significant projects for a leading US-based CCUS developer and managed enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations for various oil companies. His earlier career includes roles at Carbon America, Storworks Power, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, and Kinder Morgan CO2, and an academic position as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Houston, downtown.
Philip Martin
Manager, Zero-Emission Trucks, Environmental Defense Fund
Bio
As Manager for the Zero-Emission Truck Initiative, Phillip Martin coordinates EDF’s efforts on medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets in Texas. Through community and industry conversations, as well as ongoing work with state regulators and lawmakers, Martin advocates for the public health, economic, and environmental justice benefits of electrifying trucks in Texas. Prior to joining EDF, Martin worked for almost 20 years in and around the Texas Legislature on a wide range of policy areas. He is a native Austinite and got to see Vince Young win the National Championship during his senior year at the greatest university in the country. Hook ’em!
Cynthia Martinez
SVP, General Counsel, energyRe
Bio
Cynthia Martinez serves as SVP and General Counsel of energyRe, a developer at the forefront of the energy transition. Prior to joining energyRe, Martinez was Assistant General Counsel to TotalEnergies, where she led the legal team, which rapidly scaled TotalEnergies Renewables USA to 10+ gigawatts in development or operation across distributed solar, large-scale solar, offshore wind, and energy storage. Martinez previously served as Vice President and General Counsel to Meridian Solar, a leading solar developer and EPC contractor and practiced in a top-tier global law firm, Vinson & Elkins. Martinez earned her MBA and JD from The University of Texas and her BA from Georgetown University.
Chris Matos
Energy Market Development Strategic Negotiator, Google
Bio
Chris Matos is an accomplished energy and sustainability professional with a decade of experience navigating the complexities of the electric utility industry. His expertise spans wholesale power contracts, regulatory affairs, settlement models, and environmental markets, with experience in every major US ISO/RTO and several international markets. Currently, Chris drives Google’s energy strategy in the Central U.S. by leading strategic evaluations of regulatory and policy environments. Chris holds Master’s degrees in Global Policy Studies and Energy and Earth Resources from the University of Texas at Austin.
Michael McCown
CEO, Energy Hire
Bio
With over 17 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Michael McCown is a seasoned energy professional with a proven track record across commercial development, M&A, lease and contract negotiations, and upstream operations. He began his career as an independent landman before taking in-house roles with EnerVest and Parsley Energy and has been involved in more than $15 billion in acquisitions and divestitures in the upstream sector.
As the CEO of Energy Hire, he leads an innovative, AI-powered vertical hiring platform that is transforming the way companies in the energy industry, spanning upstream, midstream, power generation, and renewables, find and hire top talent.
Mike McDonald
VP of Product Management, Fluidstack
Bio
Mike McDonald is a VP of Product Management at Fluidstack, an AI cloud platform that deploys and operates GPU supercomputers for AI labs and tech forward enterprises. Fluidstack recently signed a 1GW MOU with the French government to deploy AI datacenters powered by nuclear power. Previously, he worked at Crusoe, a climate-aligned digital infrastructure provider who is currently building the Lancium Clean Campus in Abilene as part of Project Stargate.
William “Mac” McKenzie
(Moderator), Advertising Student
Hugo E. Mena
Chief Growth Officer, Electric Power Engineers
Bio
Mr. Mena is the Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Electric Power Engineers (EPE) in Austin, Texas. At EPE, Mr. Mena oversees all marketing, communications, corporate growth initiatives, and M&A activities. As a member of the executive team, Mr. Mena identifies and implements new strategies, introduces new services to our lines of business, and strategically expands our global footprint to ensure EPE remains the gold standard in power systems engineering consulting for all our clients.
Mr. Mena began his career in the manufacturing field in 2007, and in 2009 he joined Electric Power Engineers (EPE) to work on energy resource project integration, interconnection, design, and consulting throughout the U.S. and internationally. As an electrical engineer, Mr. Mena possesses extensive knowledge of the entire energy project lifecycle, including site selection, integration, interconnection, and the design of wind, solar, and energy storage projects to ensure they comply with grid requirements.
Mr. Mena has collaborated with leading renewable energy and energy storage developers, offering expert advice on interconnection, studies, design, and testing for their projects. He is a trusted industry advisor with significant connections to developers and owners, transmission providers, and independent system operators (ISOs). He has conducted training and presentations in the sector and has served as both chair and vice chair of the ERCOT Emerging Technologies Working Group for several years.
Mr. Mena graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2005 and 2007, respectively, specializing in power systems and power electronics. He earned his Master of Business Administration in 2024 from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He actively participates in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and is licensed as a professional engineer in 22 states throughout the United States.
Beddhu Murali
President, Essential Knowledge Systems, LLC
Bio
Dr. Murali is the President of Essential Knowledge Systems, LLC, a small business located in Frisco, Texas and is an inventor focused on developing patent-pending and proprietary AI technologies to produce next generation AI solutions. His unique AI technology, available through his company, can be integrated into almost all AI & ML models to lower the total cost of operations during training & inferencing WHILE simultaneously improving model metrics.
His technology has the potential to significantly mitigate the strain that AI is putting on cloud (& onprem) datacenters and the electrical grid, while at the same time increasing model quality & accuracy.
It is currently under evaluation at one of the nation’s top supercomputing centers where it is producing extremely impressive results.
Formally trained as an Aerospace Engineer, he is a self-taught Computer Scientist and has decades of experience in research, software development and education. His current focus includes building large language models, multi-modal models for video, understanding & developing AI models for engineering field problems, all incorporating his ground-breaking AI inventions.
He currently teaches CS & AI at UNT Denton. Prior to that he taught CS & AI at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Thomas Myers
Energy Program Supervisor, Texas Army National Guard
Bio
Tom Myers serves as the Energy Program Supervisor for the Texas Army National Guard and holds the rank of Major in the Marine Corps Reserve. He is currently assigned as a Civil Affairs Officer with the 3D Civil Affairs Group. In his role with the Texas Army National Guard, Tom oversees the implementation of energy and water resiliency projects and efficiency initiatives and ensures compliance with DOD, federal, and state reporting requirements. He is also involved in testing and integrating emerging technologies.
Recently, Tom completed a 10-month deployment to Southeast Asia, focusing on energy and water resiliency programming in the northern provinces of the Philippines. During this time, he collaborated with the Naval Postgraduate School’s Energy Academic Group, the Batanes provincial government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and various USG/DOD agencies to lead the first Energy Resiliency Readiness Tabletop Exercise in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
In addition to his professional and military duties, Tom owns Solar Sno Shaved Ice, a 100% solar- and battery-powered food truck chain based in South Austin.
Young-Hye Na
Manager, Principal Research Scientist, IBM Research
Bio
Dr. Young-Hye Na is a Principal Research Scientist and Manager of the Accelerated Material Discovery Group at IBM Research-Almaden. Her group leverages advanced computing technologies, such as AI and machine learning, to discover sustainable energy storage materials. Na earned her PhD in Chemistry from POSTECH in South Korea, conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and joined IBM Research in 2007. She has authored more than 50 papers and holds over 60 patents in materials science with applications in semiconductors, membranes, and battery technologies. Na is an IBM Master Inventor and a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including IBM’s Technical Accomplishment Awards and the 2022 YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley Tribute to Women Award. She currently serves as an External Advisory Board Member for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Drew Nelson
VP for Policy, Programs, & Strategy, Project InnerSpace
Bio
As the Vice President of Programs, Policy, and Strategy at Project InnerSpace, Drew Nelson works to catalyze advanced geothermal to provide clean firm energy and industrial heat as well as zero-carbon solutions for heating and cooling buildings.
Nelson has over 20 years’ experience working on energy and climate issues, finding solutions that both reduce emissions and increase economic development. Most recently, he ran the climate and clean energy program at the Catena Foundation. Before that, he served as the clean energy program officer at the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.
Before working in philanthropy, Nelson ran Environmental Defense Fund’s international efforts to work with governments and companies to cost-effectively reduce global methane emissions from natural gas production, distribution, and use. Prior to EDF, he worked for the U.S. Department of State on international climate negotiations. He also worked at the EPA in the Office of Air and Radiation.
Nelson holds a joint master’s degree in policy and Latin American studies from The University of Texas at Austin, with a concentration in environmental policy, and he is based in Austin, Texas.
Kenan Ögelman
VP, Strategic Projects and Optimization, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)
Bio
Kenan Ögelman is LCRA’s vice president of Strategic Projects and Optimization, with responsibility for key initiatives within the LCRA Wholesale Power group.
Kenan joined LCRA in 2024 and brings over twenty-eight years of experience in the Texas power market. Prior to joining LCRA, Kenan worked at ERCOT as VP of Commercial Operations. Kenan was the director of Energy Market Policy for CPS Energy for seven years. In that role, he was responsible for managing CPS Energy’s activities at ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and developing strategic policy. Previously, Kenan worked for the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel, which represents residential electric consumers in Texas, as a senior economist from 1997 to 2007.
Kenan serves as a board member to the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin and has held various other leadership roles in the power industry, including Chairman of the ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee and the board of the Gulf Coast Power Association’s (GCPA), presiding as vice president in 2014 and president in 2015.
He graduated from Boston University in 1987 with a B.A. in International Relations. Subsequently, he received an M.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1991 and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from The University of Texas at Austin in 1995.
Christian G. O’Neil
President & CEO, Kirby Corporation
Bio
Christian G. O’Neil is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX). Christian leads Kirby’s Marine Transportation Group (KMTG), Kirby Distribution and Service Group (KDS) and San Jac Marine, the company’s shipyard. Kirby Marine is the nation’s premier tank barge operator transporting bulk liquids throughout the Mississippi River System, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and coastwise all three U.S. coasts. Kirby operates 1,100 inland tank barges and 290 inland towboats and twenty-eight offshore units. At KMTG Kirby is pioneering marine decarbonization with the construction and operation of the industry’s first and only series of hybrid diesel-electric towboats. At KDS he is guiding the growth of a strong and growing product portfolio in power generation. A testament to this shift is seen in one product area, natural gas power generation systems with deliveries approaching a company record of one gigawatt of power to data centers, backup power and other industrial applications.
Christian is a seasoned maritime veteran with three decades of marine transportation experience ranging from Deckhand to the C-Suite. His Past Kirby executive assignments include responsibility for Commercial Operations, Maintenance & Repair and Vessel Operations.
Christian has served on the boards of the Seaman’s Church Institute, Pin Oak Terminals, Mississippi River Gulf Access Terminal, and Post Oak Little League. He is an advocate for the U.S. Merchant Marine and recently received Maine Maritime Academy’s Admiral award recognizing the highest ideals of the shipping industry. He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
Growing up in South Louisiana Christian was drawn to the water and considers himself blessed and thankful to have made a career of it. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Rice University, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Tulane University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University, but he is most proud of his daughter, Callie, who is attending the University of Texas studying Communications and Business.
Mary C. Palmer
Director, Energy Equity & Inclusion, Smart Electric Power Alliance
Bio
Mary Palmer is the Director of Energy Equity & Inclusion at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). She is responsible for guiding SEPA’s efforts to accelerate the achievement of a carbon-free energy system with new, more equitable programs, systems, and processes.
She has more than ten years of experience in public policy, grassroots community engagement, and coalition building at organizations such as the League of Women Voters, Women Creating Change, Global Vision International, and Austin Energy.
At Austin Energy, she led initiatives that advanced the goals of the Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan, a plan that outlined the utility’s pathway to provide affordable, dependable and safe electricity service to residents and businesses while pursuing the City of Austin’s climate protection and sustainability goals.
Palmer’s expertise lies in her ability to leverage her experience in public policy, community engagement, business operations, and electric utilities to create actionable, community-centric solutions to combat climate change. She has served on the boards of the Texas Solar Energy Society and the Austin Community College Engineering Technology Advisory Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Business and Public Relations from Texas State University and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration from St. Edwards University.
Her proudest achievement is working with local communities and volunteers from all over the world to install rainwater harvesting systems totaling 82,900 liters of potable, accessible water to residents of Fiji.
Margarita Patria
Principal, Charles River Associates
Bio
Margarita Patria, Ph.D., is a Principal in CRA’s Energy Practice and an energy economist specializing in energy procurement, regulatory analysis, and data analytics. She provides policy development and analysis solutions to utilities, regulators, and other electricity market stakeholders.
Patria leads energy auctions and renewable procurements across multiple states, overseeing electricity market analysis, bid valuation, and forecasting. She has advised bidders in high-stakes auctions. She also provides economic analysis in support of policy development, policy analysis for ISOs, and economic forecasting for large load additions.
Her research focuses on empirical and theoretical analysis of energy markets and applied game theory. Patria received her Ph.D. in Economics from Boston College and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University, where she teaches Economics of Energy Markets. She is also the author of several academic papers.
Tom earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2008. He joined ExxonMobil the same year, supporting the global steam cracking fleet in various roles over the next five years, including assignments in reliability improvement, process safety, and fractionation. In 2013, he helped start up and prove out new steam cracking technology in Singapore.
From 2014 to 2016, Tom worked in facilities planning, developing early-stage projects, including a major grassroots steam cracker in North America. He then relocated to Singapore for a three-year assignment, supervising a technical support team and improving profitability and reliability.
From 2019 to 2022, Tom held a global business planning role, preparing market outlooks and developing business cases. In 2022, he moved to Baton Rouge as the Technical Department Head for Olefins, Utilities, and Coordination, overseeing 20-25 engineers. He remained in this position until November 2024, when he transitioned to his current role.
Steven Pedigo
Assistant Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs; Director, LBJ Urban Lab
Bio
Steven Pedigo is the Assistant Dean for faculty of practice and policy engagement at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. He also leads the LBJ Urban Lab, a do-tank informing urban policy and strategy and training the next generation of policy leaders and city leaders. He has advised and collaborated with more than 100 cities, universities, developers, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies to build more innovative, resilient, and inclusive communities.
Graham Radler
CEO, Baseline Energy Services
Bio
Graham Radler is the Founder and CEO of Baseline Energy Services, LP, a Texas-based distributed natural gas power generation company serving energy, industrial, and commercial customers. Radler founded Baseline in 2012 and deeply enjoys developing power solutions that offer customers alternatives to grid power for electric power needs. Baseline has over 150 employees and has delivered over 7 TW-hours of electricity to customers since its inception. Radler is married to Audrey, has four children, and outside of work is active in church and Christian discipleship, outdoor adventures, flying, and traveling.
Audrey Robat
Finance VP & Chief Financial Officer ENGIE
Bio
Over her last 20 years at ENGIE, Audrey Robat has served in a variety of leadership roles in finance, strategy, risks and governance. Audrey joined ENGIE in 2005, serving as an Investor Relations officer. She also served as Corporate Finance Senior Officer for ENGIE Group, Head of Financial Controlling Synthesis for ENGIE BU Energy Europe, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Board, and Investment and Integration Group Vice-President for ENGIE Group.
She also currently serves as a board member for Socomore (French chemical SME).
Jon Roberts
Managing Partner, TIP Strategies
Bio
Jon Roberts has focused on the role of innovation and technology in economic development since the 1980s. Upon joining TIP Strategies as a principal and managing partner in 2000, Roberts helped transition the company from its Texas-based site selection practice to a national strategy firm. As managing partner, Roberts plays an instrumental role in strategic goal-setting. He has also amassed an impressive portfolio that includes planning work from New York to California, with significant regional projects in the Mississippi Delta, Seattle’s Puget Sound, and the Great Lakes area. Prior to joining the firm, Roberts was the director of business development, first for the State of Washington and then, under Gov. Ann Richards, for the State of Texas. During the transition to Gov. George W. Bush’s tenure, he helped restructure the state’s economic development organization and then co-authored the new strategic plan for the State of Texas. Roberts also has deep ties to the state of Oregon. He was vice president with the Oregon Technology Fund and lead investor for the Hood River Brewing Company; managed two startup technology companies (Fiberlite Composites and LifePort Inc.); and founded a mountain bike company in Portland, Oregon (Fat Tire Farm). He received his BA and MA degrees from the University of Hawaii and did post-graduate work toward his PhD at the University of Oregon.
Jordan Robison
VP of Engineering and Program Management, Natura Resources
Bio
Jordan Robison is the Vice President of Engineering and Program Management at Natura Resources, where he drives innovative engineering solutions and oversees critical program development.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Austin College, a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Dallas, and an MBA from Abilene Christian University, equipping him with a unique blend of technical prowess and strategic leadership.
With a career that began in technical and engineering management roles within the semiconductor and oil and gas industries, Robison brings a wealth of experience to his leadership position at Natura Resources.
Since joining Natura Resources in 2020, Robison has played a pivotal role in advancing Natura Resources’ molten salt reactor technology, guiding both university research initiatives and commercial development efforts.
He works closely with faculty and staff from Natura’s five university partners—Abilene Christian University (ACU), Georgia Tech, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Texas Tech University—while collaborating with the teams at Zachry Nuclear Engineering and Teledyne Brown Engineering to advance the detailed design of the Natura MSR-1 demonstration system that is being deployed at ACU.
Jason Rodriguez
CEO & Co-Founder, Zpryme & Froliq
Bio
Jason Rodriguez is the CEO and Co-Founder of Austin-based start-up Froliq Inc., which is focused on accelerating clean energy workforce development and training using virtual and augmented reality. Jason also leads the strategy and direction for Zpryme’s market research, events, and media work in the clean-tech and energy industry. Zpryme’s research has been cited in publications such as New York Times and Fast Company, as well as dozens of trade magazines. Zpryme produces the Energy Thought Summit (ETS), one of the premier energy events in the nation that focuses on solving complex energy problems to build a more sustainable future.
Alain Rouault
CEO, Watt and Well USA
Bio
Alain Rouault, CEO of Watt & Well USA, a subsidiary of the French company Watt & Well, is a leader in energy technologies, electric mobility, and space. A graduate of engineering school ENSEA in France with a specialization in Automatic Control, Electronics, and Computing, he began his career at Zodiac Aerospace, where he developed innovative solutions in power electronics, contributing to the transition towards more efficient electric systems in aircraft like the A380 and Boeing 787.
He joined Watt & Well in 2011, initially as Technical Director for the French parent company, where he led strategic projects in sectors such as Oil & Gas, electric mobility, and space. During this time, he developed advanced technologies, including motor control systems for harsh environments in Oil & Gas and the early-stage development of chargers for electric vehicle batteries in partnership with Renault. In 2016, he founded and incorporated Watt & Well USA in Houston, where he now leads the company’s growth in the U.S. market.
His greatest achievement has been creating synergy between the company’s three business units, driving significant advances in optimizing technologies for Oil & Gas, electric mobility, and space. For example, redundancy developed for space applications is now used to enhance system reliability in Oil & Gas, and the use of Oil & Gas qualification data has accelerated space testing and certifications.
Today, he continues to guide Watt & Well in implementing innovative solutions that contribute to energy transformation and the development of a more sustainable future.
Matthew Rylander
Lead Engineer, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Bio
Matthew Rylander is a Lead Engineer at the Electric Power Research Institute. He currently manages the Advanced Analytics project set within the Distribution Operations and Planning program. His current research activities focus on grid modeling, utilization of measurement data, and wide area distribution assessment such as resilience and hosting capacity to support strategic planning. Dr. Rylander pioneered research surrounding hosting capacity analytics and has implemented those analytics within the tool EPRI DRIVETM used by over 35 utilities worldwide. Before joining EPRI, Matthew received his Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008 and worked at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Ryan Schleicher
Vice President of Origination, Europe & Americas, Cheniere Energy
Bio
Ryan Schleicher has served as Vice President, Origination, since March 2020. Schleicher joined Cheniere in 2017. Prior to joining Cheniere, Schleicher worked with Jordan Cove LNG, a subsidiary of Veresen, Inc.. (now Pembina Pipeline Corporation) from 2015 to 2017 as Vice President, Commercial, and for BG Group from 2008 to 2015 in a variety of roles in natural gas, crude oil, and LNG trading and origination. Schleicher earned a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.
John Schmitz
Chairman, CEO, Select Water Solutions
Bio
John Schmitz has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2020 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Select Water Solutions since January 2021. He also served as Executive Chairman from November 2017 to December 2019 and as Select’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman from November 2016 to November 2017. Schmitz has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of SES Holdings since 2007, and the formation of Peak Oilfield Services, LLC. After Schmitz founded Peak, he led the transformation of the assets and operations through a series of strategic acquisitions designed to enhance the company’s total water solutions offerings.
Prior to founding Select and its predecessors, Schmitz served as the North Texas Division Manager for Complete Production Services, Inc.—”Complete” (formerly NYSE: CPX)—before its sale to Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: SPN) in February 2012. Schmitz’s involvement with Complete originated when his initial oilfield services holding company, BSI Holdings, Inc., was recapitalized by SCF Partners in 2003 and was rebranded underneath the Complete Energy Services, Inc. umbrella. Schmitz founded Brammer Supply, Inc., the predecessor to BSI Holdings, Inc., in 1983 and spent the 20 years thereafter growing the company, both organically and through acquisitions, into an integrated wellsite service provider with over 16 locations in North and East Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Schmitz was also responsible for the founding and subsequent recapitalization of Allied Production Solutions, LP, a production surface tank equipment manufacturer, which ultimately merged into Forum Energy Technologies, Inc., in August 2010. Schmitz is the founder and President of: (i) B-29 Family Holdings, LLC, the family office representing the business interests of John and Steve Schmitz, (ii) B-29 Investments, LP, the private equity arm of Schmitz’s family office, and (iii) Sunray Capital, LP, a subsidiary of B-29 Investments, LP, that contains privately-held interests in various oil and gas investments.
Through Schmitz’s oversight of these investment holding companies, he has been instrumental in the successful closing of numerous upstream and midstream transactions, including the sales of property packages across the Barnett, Eagle Ford, and Fayetteville basins to EOG Resources, Chesapeake Energy, and XTO Energy, respectively, and the sale of Cimmaron Gathering, LP, a natural gas pipeline company, to Copano Energy, LLC (formerly NASDAQ: CPNO). Schmitz also serves on the board of multiple private oil and gas companies.
Steve Scott
Managing Consultant
Bio
Steve has over 40 years’ experience in the Process Industries, with expertise in low-carbon hydrogen production and utilization, as well as cryogenic engineering, carbon capture, partial oxidation, reforming, and syngas applications with a strong emphasis on safety. He has more than 15 years’ experience with electrolyzer-based hydrogen projects to complement more than 30 years’ experience with low-carbon natural gas-based hydrogen projects.
He is responsible for advising clients on technology, vendor and licensor selection, site selection and layout, storage options, and integration with host and adjacent facilities. His clients include major Oil and Commodity Chemical companies, Power Generators and Utilities, International Banks, Governments and Government Agencies, and project developers. He specializes in Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Gasification, Syngas treatment and uses, Power to X, Air separation, and Cryogenics.
Brandon Seale
Former President, West Texas Gas Utility
Bio
Brandon Seale most recently served as President of West Texas Gas Utility until its sale in 2024. In the course of his career as an energy entrepreneur, Seale has received three Presidential Permits and built two cross-border pipelines, including a 200-mile natural gas transportation pipeline from Laredo to Monterrey that largely paralleled the old Camino Real. He drilled the first wells in Mexico operated by Americans since 1938, including the first unconventional shale well in that country’s history (Emergente-1). Seale started and later sold a successful residential solar company, co-founded the Coastal Bend Carbon Management Partnership, and placed in service one of the first “clean hydrogen” facilities in early 2023 in partnership with Infinium E-Fuels. Seale is a member of the Texas Business Leadership Council and a Director of the Texas State Historical Association. His podcasts, “A History of Oil in Mexico” and “A New History of Old Texas,” have been downloaded more than 700,000 times and may have helped discover the biggest, bloodiest battlefield in Texas history. The fifth season of his podcast “The Engines of Texanity” explored the ways that energy revolutions have moved Texas history. He was a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law at The University of Texas, where he earned his MBA and Law degrees.
George Seay
Founder & Chairman, Annandale Capital
Bio
GEORGE SEAY, CFA is the Founder & Chairman of Annandale Capital. Mr. Seay earned his BA in history summa cum laude, and his MBA, with a Dean’s Award for academic excellence, from the University of Texas at Austin, and his JD, cum laude, from SMU, where he was President of the SMU Law Review Association and a member of the Order of Barristers. He founded Seay Stewardship & Investment Company, the predecessor company to Annandale, in 1998 and founded Annandale in 2005. Mr. Seay is Chairman of the Clements Center for National Security, the Texas-Israel Alliance, and former Chairman of ART, the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, Legacy, and the Founder of Sky Ranch Ute Trail. His prior professional experience includes working for the Governor of Texas and the Deputy Secretary of State for the United States.
Gene Shepherd
CEO, VTX Energy Partners
Bio
Gene Shepherd is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of VTX Energy Partners, LLC. Prior to VTX, he was a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Brigham Resources, LLC from 2013 until the sale of substantially all of its southern Delaware Basin assets to Diamondback Energy in February 2017.
Gene had 20 years of financial and operational experience in the energy industry before serving as Chief Financial Officer of Brigham Exploration Company from 2002 until its sale to Norway-based Statoil ASA in December 2011. Earlier in his career, he served as Integrated Energy Managing Director for the investment banking division of ABN AMRO Bank, where he executed merger and acquisition advisory services and capital markets transactions for energy companies. He had a similar focus in his role at Prudential Securities Incorporated, Stephens Inc., and Merrill Lynch Capital Markets. Prior to his stint in the financial services industry, he worked for more than four years as a petroleum engineer for Amoco Production Company and the Railroad Commission of Texas.
At the University of Texas at Austin, Gene is a member of the Executive Council of Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center and the Engineering Advisory Board of the Cockrell School of Engineering, where in 2017 he was awarded the school’s Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award. He currently serves on the board of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, and has also served on various nonprofit boards, including KIPP Austin Public Schools, the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Trinity Center.
Gene earned his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering in 1981 and his MBA in 1986, both from The University of Texas at Austin.
Don Siegel
Professor, Department Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Don Siegel is Professor and Chair of the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also a core member of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and the Texas Materials Institute. At UT he is a Temple Foundation Endowed Professor and holds a Cockrell Family Chair for Departmental Leadership. Prior to joining UT, Siegel spent 12 years as a faculty member at the University of Michigan, with earlier positions at Ford Motor Company and Sandia National Laboratories. Siegel is a computational materials scientist whose research targets the development of energy storage materials and lightweight alloys. He is a recipient of a Career Award from the National Science Foundation and a Gilbreth Lectureship from the National Academy of Engineering.
Scott Simmons
CFO and SVP, WhiteWater Midstream
Bio
Scott Simmons is a co-founder, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of WhiteWater, which constructs and operates natural gas pipelines including the Agua Blanca pipeline, Whistler pipeline and Matterhorn pipeline. During his time at WhiteWater, Scott has led the Company through numerous debt financings, equity raises, joint ventures and M&A transactions. Prior to founding WhiteWater, Scott served as Managing Director for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. where he was most recently head of the Special Committee and Fairness Opinion practice, advising on over $60 billion in M&A transactions. Scott began his banking career at JPMorgan after working as an engineer with Exxon.
John Slack
Founder and CEO, Rhoic
Bio
John Slack, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Rhoic, a company pioneering scalable nanomaterial manufacturing to revolutionize the hydrogen economy. With over 12 years of experience spanning industry, national labs, and academia, John has led multi-institutional research teams tackling some of hydrogen’s most critical challenges. His leadership includes directing dozens of researchers across national labs like Los Alamos and Oak Ridge, collaborating with industry and securing millions in DOE funding for next-generation fuel cell technologies. He also collaborated with UT Austin labs developing two-dimensional materials for next generation membranes.
John earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Vanderbilt University, where his groundbreaking research earned DOE recognition. His career includes leading innovation at Nikola Corporation, where he authored patents and spearheaded projects that bridged nano- to industry-scale advancements. At Rhoic, John applies this cross-scale insight to eliminate key bottlenecks and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technologies critical for decarbonization.
Gittings Global – NE86027
Chad M. Smith
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Bio
Chad Smith is a corporate partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Smith’s practice focuses on domestic energy transactions, with an emphasis on acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures in the upstream and midstream sectors. Smith represents clients in connection with a broad range of purchase and sale transactions, including both upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and companies. Smith’s transactional experience also includes advising clients in connection with the formation of joint ventures (both upstream and midstream), farmout and participation agreements to develop oil and gas properties, oil and gas transportation and gathering agreements, natural gas processing and fractionation agreements, crude storage and terminaling agreements, and other commercial transactions concerning the development of oil and gas properties.
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Betsy Soehren Jones
Executive Director, Critical Infrastructure Security Consortium; Partner, West Monroe Partners
Bio
Betsy is a utility operations executive specializing in cyber security, artificial intelligence, and supply chain. She works with infrastructure owners to build and mature their enterprise-wide cyber programs. Betsy also advises the Private Equity and Venture Capital communities on practices and protocols to ensure emerging technologies are cyber safe for consumption and utilization by the energy and utilities sector.
Prior to West Monroe, she served as the Chief Operating Officer for the energy industry’s Center of Excellence for Supply Chain. In this role, Betsy worked to design, implement, and deploy guidelines for manufacturers and emerging technologies to follow with respect to cyber security. She guided the expansion of the Center to include 50+ utilities and greater than 2,000 vendors and their product catalogs.
Before her time with the Center of Excellence, Betsy spent almost 20 years at Exelon in various roles, with her last role as the Director of Cyber Strategy. At Exelon, she gained invaluable insight into the most effective ways to mitigate cyber business risks, particularly by ensuring the security of software and hardware devices. She oversaw the internal auditing process to ensure compliance with 6,000 security controls across information and operational technology environments.
Betsy currently serves as the volunteer Executive Director of the Critical Infrastructure Security Consortium, a grassroots non-profit working across the electric, gas, oil, water, and transportation sectors. The primary role of the Consortium is to benchmark best cyber practices, especially related to Supply Chain security.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a master’s degree in public administration and policy from Northwestern University.
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Elizabeth Sooby
Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UTSA
Bio
Dr. Sooby is part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research expertise is in high temperature materials synthesis and thermal analysis for nuclear energy applications, specifically advanced fuel fabrication and characterization. Prior to UTSA, Dr. Sooby was a Staff Scientist II at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she also completed a Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellowship following graduation with a PhD in Physics from Texas A&M University in December 2014.
Hamed Soroush
Founder & CEO, TEVERRA
Bio
Hamed Soroush, Founder & CEO of Teverra, is an accomplished entrepreneur and subsurface expert with over 25 years of experience in oil and gas, geothermal, carbon storage, and energy storage. Throughout his career, Dr. Soroush has managed or conducted more than 300 consulting and research projects globally, demonstrating his extensive expertise and impact in the industry. Before leading Teverra, Dr. Soroush held significant positions at companies such as Dong Energy, Shell, Weatherford, Senergy, GMI, and CSIRO. His current technical focus is on the sustainable development of geothermal energy and subsurface storage projects, utilizing advanced geomechanical analysis. He holds a BSc in Mining Engineering, an MSc in Rock Mechanics, and a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Curtin University in Australia. Dr. Soroush is also a prolific author, having published numerous journal and conference papers, and he has been selected as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer three times, in 2012, 2017, and 2020. In addition to his leadership role at Teverra, he continues to contribute to the industry through teaching and serving on committees for SPE, AAPG, and EAGE.
Dan Stanzione
PhD, Executive Director, Texas Advanced Computing Center, Associate Vice President for Research, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Dan Stanzione, Associate Vice President for Research at The University of Texas at Austin and Executive Director of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), is a nationally recognized leader in high performance computing, and has been involved in supercomputing for more than 30 years.
He is the principal investigator (PI) for a number of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supercomputers, including the current Frontera system, which is the fastest supercomputer at a U.S. university, and is leading the upcoming NSF Leadership Class Computing Facility. Stanzione received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and his master’s degree and doctorate in computer engineering from Clemson University.
Jane Stricker
Senior Vice President, Energy Transition; Executive Director, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, The Greater Houston Partnership
Bio
As Senior VP, Energy Transition and Executive Director of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Jane Stricker leads the Greater Houston Partnership’s efforts to leverage the region’s energy leadership to accelerate global solutions for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future. She leads a coalition of industry, academic, and community partners to ensure the long-term economic competitiveness and advancement of the Houston region toward a more sustainable energy future.
Prior to joining the Partnership, Stricker spent over two decades at bp, where she held roles in marketing, corporate finance, governance, and compliance. Among her many accomplishments, she developed and delivered the 2019 National Petroleum Council study on carbon capture, use, and storage in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Stricker serves on the boards of Greentown Labs, North America’s largest cleantech/climatetech incubator, and BCarbon, a nonprofit carbon registry that catalyzes widespread ecological regeneration. She also serves on the advisory boards of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Energy Center and Special Olympics Texas, an organization committed to providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Katie Strickland
(Moderator), Student, Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Pranav Thacker
Phd Candidate, Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Pranav Thacker is a 4th year Doctoral candidate in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas Austin advised by Dr. Joan F. Brennecke. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (Honors) from North Carolina State University in 2021. While at NC State, he was awarded the Future Leader in Chemical Engineering (2020) along with the Best Poster award for his research on porous soft materials. His doctoral research aims to develop process-structure-property relationship of ionic liquids for carbon capture technologies. This not only involves chemical design of solvents, but also careful assessment and identification of potential solvent that can lower the energy consumption of the capture process. Pranav is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and also holds an Engineer-In-Training (EIT) license from the Texas Board of Professional Engineering and Land Surveyors.
Jere Thompson
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Diamondback Energy
Bio
Jere Thompson has served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Diamondback Energy since February 2024. Prior to his current position, he served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development from February 2023 to February 2024 and Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development since joining Diamondback in March 2021. Before joining Diamondback, Thompson served as Vice President of Planning at Concho Resources Inc. from January 2019 to January 2021, Director of Finance from May 2017 to January 2019, Finance and Planning Manager from March 2016 to May 2017, and as a Financial Analyst from July 2012 to March 2016. Prior to joining Concho, Thompson worked in various roles in the energy group at Amegy Bank from June 2010 to July 2012. Thompson received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in History from The University of Texas at Austin.
Ryan Thompson
Director of Utilities, Utilities and Energy Management, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Ryan Thompson is the Director of Utilities Operations for UT Austin’s Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) department. He has over 30 years of experience in power generation including combined-cycle generation systems, large chilling plant systems, district heating, and utility distribution systems. Thompson has worked within UEM for 24 years, during which time he has served in a variety of roles, including Maintenance Mechanic, Project Manager, Maintenance Manager, and Associate Director of Power Plant and Chilling Stations. His career began after earning his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Passionate about education, he is also an Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College, where he teaches courses in power generation and advanced technologies to prepare students for technical positioning in the utilities, manufacturing, and industrial workforce. In addition to teaching, Thompson serves as a member of the Association of Energy Engineers, the International District Energy Association, and UT Austin’s Military/Veteran Faculty and Staff Association. Thompson also has experience as a consultant and has conducted energy-use audits for companies in the retail and semiconductor industry. He has also consulted on predominant use studies of manufacturing facilities to assess Texas state utility tax implications. He is currently working on projects including the Boiler Replacement Project, a district water reclamation system, the planning and design of a district heating and cooling infrastructure in developing a business school district, campus master planning for various building construction projects, critical risk assessments of infrastructure at various UT campuses, and much more.
Andy Uhler
Energy Institute Fellow, National & International Public Radio Correspondent
Bio
Andy Uhler is an award-winning public radio correspondent and host of Phases and Stages: The Texas Energy Story. He’s currently a journalism fellow through a partnership between UT’s Energy Institute and Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. He started his journalism career as an undergraduate at KUT, the University of Texas at Austin NPR affiliate. He transitioned to music journalism in 2006, becoming the senior producer of Texas Music Matters. After completing a Master’s degree in global policy studies at the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2014, he returned to KUT to help launch the Texas Standard. The following year, he took a job as a sustainability reporter at American Public Media’s Marketplace, where he remained until accepting his current role as a fellow.
Wil VanLoh
Founder & CEO, Quantum Capital Group
Bio
Wil founded Quantum in 1998 and serves as CEO of the firm and as Chairman of Quantum’s Investment Committee, Chairman of Quantum’s Operating Committee and is a member of QCS’s investment committee. Prior to founding Quantum, Wil founded Windrock Capital, an energy investment banking firm specializing in raising private equity for and providing merger, acquisition, and divestiture advice to private energy companies. Early in his career, Wil worked in the energy investment banking groups of Kidder, Peabody & Co. and NationsBank. Wil is an active civic leader, currently serving on the Board of Trustees of Baylor College of Medicine, the Board of Visitors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Advisory Board of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Kingdom Giving Fund. Wil holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas Christian University.
Tori Villarreal
Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Base Power Company
Bio
Tori is the Head of Policy and Government Affairs at Base Power Company. While earning her degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, she started her career in the Texas Senate. She eventually served as Senior Policy Analyst to Senator Brian Birdwell. After five years in the Senate, Tori transitioned to the private sector with Constellation Energy Generation before beginning her work at Base.
Michael Voss
Managing Director, Anthem Ventures
Bio
Michael Voss is currently a Managing Director at Anthem Ventures, a family office and incubator of private oil and gas companies, which currently manages over $1.0 billion AUM in private capital. Prior to Anthem, Michael served as Chief Investment Officer for Sunstone Investments, where he led private investments for a Texas-based family office. Prior to Sunstone, Michael spent five years as Chief Financial Officer for several privately owned oil and gas companies, including Langford Energy Partners, Luxe Energy, and Luxe Minerals.
Prior to his CFO roles, Michael spent approximately five years an investment professional at NGP, a Dallas-based private equity firm that had previously invested $20+ billion in the oil and gas industry, including Luxe Energy and Luxe Minerals. Michael began his career in 2009 as an investment banking Analyst with Barclays’ Natural Resources Group in Houston where he focused on financing and M&A transactions. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business (2015) and a BBA in Business Honors and Finance and a BA in Plan II Honors from The University of Texas (2009).
Director, Office of Sustainability, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Jim Walker was appointed the Director of Sustainability for the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. He works closely with the President’s Sustainability Steering Committee on the UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan and is the university’s USGBC Liaison related to LEED and SITES on new capital projects. He works directly with all academic units on curriculum development, facilities improvements, and the pursuit of “living lab” experiences for students. Walker has a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from The University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He is originally from Oregon and accidentally moved to Austin, Texas, in 1992. He was introduced to sustainability at the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems.
Shane Walker
Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering, Director of the Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center, & Director of the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University
Bio
Dr. Shane Walker is a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University, and he serves as both the Director of the Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center as well as the Director of the Texas Produced Water Consortium. Walker teaches courses such as physical/chemical treatment processes and design of advanced water treatment systems, and his research focuses on advanced water treatment, especially high recovery inland desalination, potable reuse, and treatment of produced water for beneficial uses. Walker received a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University, and he received MS and PhD degrees in Environmental & Water Resource Engineering (Civil Engineering) from The University of Texas at Austin. Walker was previously a professor at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Director of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems (CIDS).
Sam Warfield
Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure, Pennybacker Capital
Bio
Sam Warfield leads Pennybacker Critical Infrastructure Partners and brings a deep track record of direct infrastructure investing experience. Prior to Pennybacker, Warfield was Managing Director, Head of U.S. Investments at Arroyo Investors—a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on power and energy infrastructure assets. Prior to Arroyo, Warfield was a senior corporate associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York, where his practice focused on M&A transactions in the power and infrastructure sector. Warfield was recognized in 2015 as a “Rising Star” in M&A in the New York metro area by Super Lawyers magazine. Warfield also clerked at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in the Department of Investment Management in Washington, DC.
Michael E. Webber
Professor and John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, Sid Richardson Chair in Public Affairs, LBJ School of Public Policy, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his role as a faculty member, from August 2021 to September 2024, Webber served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a $5 billion venture fund focused on investments in cleantech and climate tech startups with the potential for deep decarbonization at speed and scale. Furthermore, from September 2018 to August 2021, Webber was based in Paris, France where he served as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, one of the world’s largest energy companies.
Webber’s works spans research and education at the convergence of engineering, policy, and commercialization on topics related to innovation, energy, and the environment. His group’s research tackles complex energy systems analysis with a deep record of expertise on the following: 1) grid reliability in the face of electrification and the rise of variable sources in a warming world, 2) the hydrogen sector and how it couples to other sectors such as the grid, transportation, industry, and the built environment and 3) the food-energy-water-waste nexus. He serves on the board of GTI Energy (an industry consortium formerly known as the Gas Technology Institute) and the Scientific Advisory Council for ENGIE.
Webber has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications, including five full-length general interest books, and holds 6 patents. His essays have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Scientific American and more. Webber’s scholarly articles have appeared in top journals such as Science, Nature, and Environmental Science & Technology.
His book Power Trip: the Story of Energy was published in 2019 by Basic Books with an award-winning 12-part companion series spread out over two seasons that aired on PBS, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and in-flight entertainment on American Airlines. The series had more than 10,000 broadcasts in the United States and has been distributed in dozens of countries, ultimately reaching millions of viewers. Seasons 1 and 2 of Power Trip along with his documentary Thirst for Power and television special Energy at the Movies have been recognized with six Telly Awards (one gold, four silver, and one bronze) for excellence in television.
In 2024 Webber was selected for the Energy Thought Leader: Higher Education award by the American Energy Society and a three-year term as a Fulbright Technical Specialist by the U.S. State Department. He was selected in 2014 as a Fellow of ASME (the American Society of Mechanical Engineers), in 2018 as a member of the 4th class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars, which is a leadership training program organized by Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton, and in 2022 for the Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious writer’s residency in Bellagio, Italy. He was honored as an American Fellow of the German Marshall Fund and on four separate occasions by the University of Texas for exceptional teaching.
Webber holds a B.S. and B.A. from UT Austin, and M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.
Zoe Weinstein
Associate Asset Manager, Orsted
Bio
Zoe Weinstein is an Associate Asset Manager at Orsted. She has worked on Wind, Solar, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects and currently manages an all-Wind portfolio. Her role focuses on optimizing financial and operational performance by managing key stakeholder relationships, tracking contractual obligations, and streamlining reporting processes. She holds a BSc in Business Management and an MSc in Project Management, bringing a strong foundation in strategic planning and process optimization to her work. Zoe is leading initiatives to enhance workflow efficiency through automation, standardized reporting, and improved cross-functional collaboration, ensuring greater transparency and operational effectiveness. Passionate about leveraging technology and data-driven solutions, she strives to advance asset management practices and drive long-term sustainability in the renewable energy sector.
Eric Wieser
Engineering Scientist Associate, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Eric Wieser is an Engineering Scientist Associate at the University of Texas at Austin, where he also is pursuing a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering. His research focuses on the economics, finance, and policy dimensions of nuclear energy, with particular emphasis on advanced reactor technologies and cost modeling.
He holds a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy from UC Berkeley and an M.S. in Energy and Earth Resources from UT Austin. Eric recently published a study in the journal Energy Policy on the deployment of small modular reactors at coal sites in Texas. His work on independent nuclear economic modeling has contributed to state-level energy policy, which he will present on at the International Association for Energy Economics conference in Paris this summer.
Carlos Wheelock
Head of LNG Americas, Vitol Group
Bio
Carlos Wheelock is the Head of LNG for Vitol in the Americas. His responsibilities include marketing and trading, deal origination, and capital investments in the region. Prior to joining Vitol, Wheelock served eight years at Excelerate Energy as Senior Vice President of Commercial, and helped to build the commercial team from its inception. Prior to joining Excelerate, Wheelock was a Vice President at Citi and began his career at Enron. He has 20 years of experience working in global energy markets, including 17 years in LNG, and he holds an MBA from Rice University’s Jones School of Management.
Coleman White
Co-Founder, Verified Carbon
Bio
Coleman White is the co-founder of Verified Carbon, a Texas-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) project developer building one of the first renewable-powered DAC hubs to deliver carbon removal at scale. Verified Carbon partners with groups across Europe and Texas to accelerate the deployment of next-generation climate infrastructure. Coleman holds a B.A. in Finance (‘23) and an M.S. in Technology Commercialization (‘24) from The University of Texas at Austin.
Chuck Yates
Podcast Host, Digital Wildcatters / Collide
Bio
Chuck Yates is part of the team at Digital Wildcatters, where he helps lead sales and business development for their AI platform, Collide. He originally joined DW to launch his podcast, Chuck Yates Needs A Job, after years in the energy private equity world. Chuck previously ran Kayne Anderson’s energy fund as Co-Head and Managing Partner and began his career at Stephens Inc. He also sits on the Advisory Board for Montrose Lane. Chuck has a B.A. in Political Science and an M.B.A. from Rice University.
Elena Zannoni
Assistant Professor, Biomechanical and Biomedicine Engineering, Nuclear and Radiation Engineering, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Bio
Dr. Elena M. Zannoni is an assistant professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, as core faculty of the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program and with courtesy appointment in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine at the Dell Medical School.
Dr. Zannoni’s research focuses on the development of nuclear medicine imaging instrumentation and data analysis techniques for advanced applications in radiological science and molecular imaging. Since the beginning of her doctoral career, she has been involved in several NIH-funded multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaborations for the development of state-of-art imaging systems for clinical and preclinical applications. At the University of Texas at Austin, she directs the Advanced Radiological Imaging and Instrumentation Lab (ARIIL).
Dr. Zannoni received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2021, and her M.Sc. degree (2015) with honors in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pisa (Italy). Dr. Zannoni’s contribution has been recognized by several awards to young investigators, including the first place in the IEEE NPSS Christopher J. Thompson Student Paper Award at the 2017 IEEE Medical Imaging Conference, the first place in the Physics, Instrumentation and Data Science Council (PIDSC) Young Investigation Award at the 2021 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting, the 2022 IEEE NPSS Edward J. Hoffman Early Career Development Grant, and the 2022 Rising Stars in EECS. Recently, Dr. Zannoni has been recognized with the prestigious 2024 SNMMI Tracy Lynn Faber Memorial Award “for her contributions in advancing SPECT technology based on semiconductor detectors and new collimator designs”. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the SNMMI PIDSC, and of the Council of Early Career Investigators in Imaging (CECI²) of the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research.
Patricia Zavala
Executive Director, Texas Energy & Climate Caucus, PowerHouse Texas
Bio
Patricia Zavala is the Executive Director of the Texas Energy & Climate Caucus and PowerHouse Texas, two sister organizations dedicated to fostering bipartisan collaboration and advocating for evidence-based policy solutions to Texas’ energy and environmental challenges. Patricia has a Master’s in Public Affairs and a Master’s in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Fluent in Spanish, Zavala has been involved in various community-based initiatives, including the Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition and Workers Defense Project.
In her current roles, Zavala leads efforts to shape Texas’ energy future, with a focus on policy solutions for a sustainable energy economy. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance and the Clean Energy Fund of Texas, further advancing her commitment to environmental advocacy and policy reform. Through her work, Zavala continues to bridge cultural engagement with crucial policy action in Texas.
