Bigger Than Us

Anoosheh Oskouian is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ship & Shore Environmental, Inc. she directs the corporate strategy for marketing and product development with her team of sales engineers, design engineers, project managers, fabricators, service technicians and other support staff to design, fabricate, install and commission state-of-the-art air pollution abatement equipment.

Her reputation in this industry has been proven through the many years of excellent rapport that she has developed with her clients. By studying each application carefully, she understands what data is critical to anticipate their needs for today and in the near future. Each engineering solution is custom designed to not only help a client meet their environmental obligations, but also contemplates how each facility’s unique manufacturing practices and requirements will be integrated into the design and operation of the best pollution abatement solution. Her in-depth process knowledge and expertise provide the foundation for designing superior, innovative, efficient equipment and reliable technologies that help industry to collect and destroy air pollution emissions.

For many years she has served, and continues to serve, as an advocate for manufacturers through active participation on several boards and committees i.e. BACT (Best Available Control Technology) committee member for the SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality District), board member of Western Region SPI (Society of Plastics Industry), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) group, board member of WPA (Western Plastics Association) and FBF (Film & Bag Federation). Board and committee participation along with planning of meeting agendas and annual conferences has enabled her to develop close relationships among the membership of these trade organizations. As a member of the Society of Plastics Industry she has served on the Public Policy Committee and Environmental Council and has met with legislators and testified at government hearings on behalf of industry.

Before launching Gridraven, Georg led digitalization at Estonia's national grid, Elering. He spearheaded the digitalization task force, crafted the digital strategy, and guided IT investments. As head of the Smart Grid Unit, Georg also helped build a Europe-wide energy data platform.

Before that, Georg was the CTO and co-founder of Sympower, which now manages 1.5GW of grid flexibility and a team of 200+. He holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Energy from Imperial College London. Georg is passionate about pushing the limits of the grid to power a brighter future.

John Belizaire is the CEO of Soluna Computing, the world’s first utility-scale company developing power plants and combining them with high-performance computing facilities. As a serial entrepreneur, John has successfully founded and scaled multiple industry-leading technology startups that have achieved market leadership and double-digit growth, including FirstBest, an insurance software company acquired by Guidewire, and The Theory Center, a software company acquired by BEA Systems. Before becoming an entrepreneur, John was the lead architect for Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group.

Soluna Computing builds modular, batchable computing centers for intensive applications like cryptocurrency mining, AI and machine learning. Soluna’s scalable data centers provide a cost-effective alternative to battery storage or transmission lines. Soluna Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLNH) is the leading developer of green data centers that convert excess renewable energy into global computing resources. Soluna Holdings was formed when Mechanical Technology, Inc. (MTI) acquired Soluna Computing in 2021.

MICHAEL SHELDRICK is a policy entrepreneur and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he leads the organization's campaigns to mobilize support from governments, businesses, and foundations. He is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, From Idea to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World.

With a career that spans the world of pop and policy, Michael has worked with an impressive roster of international artists such as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Priyanka Chopra, Rihanna and Usher, as well as prominent political leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and former Australian Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

He has co-produced some of the world's most impactful social campaigns and events, including the annual Global Citizen Festival in New York, the Guinness World Record-winning virtual concert One World: Together At Home, and the Nelson Mandela 2018 centennial celebration, Mandela 100. These initiatives have reached millions of people in over 150 countries and helped secure over $40 billion in support for local and regional organizations working to provide access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and climate resilience.

A sought-after speaker and author on policy advocacy, sustainable development, and corporate responsibility, Michael has shared his insights at conferences and summits worldwide. His insights have also featured in leading outlets including Forbes, The Guardian, The Hill, HuffPost, Nikkei and Fairfax Media, and his voice heard on major news networks such as ABC, BBC, France 24, Sky News and CNN.

He has been recognized as a finalist for the 2017 Young Commonwealth Person of the Year and serves on: the board of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global citizens; the Leadership Council of aable, a fintech company connecting compassionate investors with underserved communities; and the Advisory Board of the Nigerian Solidarity Support Fund. He is also a co-host of the Global Town Hall, a North-South, East-West meeting featuring world leaders and leading minds to connect with global citizens.

Lionel Selwood Jr. is a proud US Virgin Islander and Engineer, who has spent his entire career pioneering energy solutions that have reshaped industries. His vision in anything he does, is addressing global energy poverty through the mass adoption of advanced technology. Lionel's experience includes leading a company to IPO via the NYSE and managing a strategic sale of a startup to a major automaker.

He founded his newest endeavor, Zelena AI Inc., which aims to enable data centers that are more innovative, efficient and green, than the AI solutions they power.

Amy Blankson is the Co-founder and Chief Evangelist of the Digital Wellness Institute and the bestselling author of The Future of Happiness. A graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Management, she’s the only person to receive aPoint of Light award from two US Presidents. She is also a member of Harvard’s AI for Human Flourishing Council, a former member of the UN Global Happiness Council, and a featured professor in Oprah’s happiness e-course.

Most recently, Amy was named to the AI75 by Dallas Innovates. Her newest book, SuperThinkers, will be released in Summer 2025.

Ross Faranso is the CEO of Nexus PMG.

A seasoned leader in advisory, engineering, construction, and technology solutions throughout the energy sector.

 Over 20 years in increasing roles of responsibility from project management to operations management to business development. I’ve led multiple initiatives and contracts for clean energy projects for multinational companies and responsible for creating strategic alliances and leading clean energy and EPC project deployments.

I hold a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from University of Houston, and I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMG). I also serve on the Executive Advisory Committee on the Board of Directors for the Association for Capital Projects Engineering & Construction Community (ECC).

A special episode featuring advice from a variety of previous guests.

Tom Dickson, CEO of New Energy Risk since 2015, has more than 35 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry and finance; including senior executive and underwriting leadership positions in the US, Europe, and Asia; notably as the former CEO and Chief Underwriting Officer of the Centre Group, a $10B reinsurer that pioneered innovative products to address high-value business risks and financing.

Tom has also served on the boards of public and private companies, including Flagstone Re, Paragon Insurance Services, Reformation Insurance Services, and as an advisor to Cellcontrol and Fairmatic. He graduated with honors from Stanford University, where he remains an active alumnus, and received a Master’s degree from John Hopkins University (SAIS). Currently, Tom serves on the Natural Capital Advisory Council at Stanford University and the board of Adara Group, a non-profit engaged in health and education development for women and children in remote communities.

Peter Kelly-Detwiler has 30 years of experience in the electric energy arena. He writes for Forbes.com and other publications on topics related to disruptive innovation and its impact on the electricity infrastructure. He provides strategic advice to clients and investors, helping them to navigate this transitional period. Peter is also the author of The Energy Switch - a book about how companies and customers are transforming the electrical grid and the future of power.

Mr. Kelly-Detwiler has spent much of his career in various areas of competitive power markets. As Senior Vice President at Constellation Energy, he oversaw creation of VirtuWatt – a market leading platform to facilitate real-time awareness of electricity pricing and consumption and bidding of assets into competitive markets. He is currently writing a book on the transformation of electric power markets, to be published by Prometheus Books in the Spring of 2021.

In POWER METAL, award-winning journalist Vince Beiser chronicles the destructive side effects that the global hunt for critical metals has on our clean energy transition, from environmental damage to political upheaval to murder.

Vince Beiser is an award-winning journalist and author of “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization.” The book has been translated into five languages, was a finalist for a PEN America award and a California Book Award, and spawned a TEDx talk. Vince is currently at work on a new book, “Power Metal”, about how the materials we need for digital technology and renewable energy are causing environmental havoc, political upheaval, mayhem and murder—and how we can do better.

Vince has reported from over 100 countries, states, provinces, kingdoms, occupied territories, no man’s lands and disaster zones. He has exposed conditions in California’s harshest prisons, trained with troops bound for Iraq, ridden with the first responders to natural disasters, and hunted down other stories from around the world for publications including Wired, The Atlantic, Harper’s, Time, The Guardian, Mother Jones, Playboy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Vince’s work has been honored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Columbia, Medill and Missouri Graduate Schools of Journalism, and many other institutions. He has three times been part of a team that won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, and shared in an Emmy for his work with the PBS TV series SoCal Connected. He is also a grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur, and, most of all, A teacher.

Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. His latest books are The Song of Significance and  The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller.

Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).

By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.

In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.

Martin Gross is the founder and chief executive officer of Gross-Wen Technologies. His vision for using algae to clean water and solve many other of the Earth’s problems is driving the rapid expansion of Gross-Wen.

After founding Gross-Wen Technologies in 2016, Gross led the development and commercialization of the revolving algal biofilm™️ treatment technology (RAB™️), a sustainable, next generation wastewater treatment system using algae. The RAB system recovers nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, produces clean water and air, and yields valuable algae biomass.

Propelling the growth of Gross-Wen, Gross led substantial equity investments, Department of Energy and Agriculture grant funding awards exceeding $3 million, $15 million in equity investments and the approval of more than ten patents. Gross-Wen Technologies won the Carbon Zero Grand Challenge from a project with PUB, Singapore’s water agency.

A frequent speaker and respected thought leader, Gross’ work is essential in pollution mitigation, offsetting climate change, and using algae as a nascent industry. His deep knowledge includes growing algae, fermentation, biofuels, renewable energy, wastewater, and agriculture. He serves on the board of directors of the Algae Biomass Organization and the Iowa Biotechnology Association.

After earning a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Iowa State University, Gross went on to earn a doctorate in food science and technology and a doctorate in biosystems engineering. Gross is on the faculty at Iowa State University, where he developed and teaches a course called Entrepreneurship for Graduate Students in Science and Engineering.

Gross’ Ph.D. in food science focused on growing microorganisms to make foods and chemical nutraceuticals. To this end, he founded GW Nutrition a food ingredient company that aims to improve the sensory profile of alternative proteins and make them easier to include in food formulations; GW Nutrition, Inc. is a spin-off from GWT.

 When he is away from the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife and playing with his four young children.

Preston Bryant is a graduate of SMU Cox School of Business with a B.A. in Economics, specializing in energy. In college, he established an oil and gas company in memory of his late father. Preston furthered his expertise in commodities recovery at the firm LPI, where he uncovered a groundbreaking critical materials processing method called Membrane Solvent Extraction. After obtaining exclusive licensing rights from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Lab, he founded Momentum Technologies with the mission to revolutionize the way metals were recovered by challenging the conventional norms that processing facilities must be large, expensive, and centralized.

Riggs Eckelberry is a nationally-renowned entrepreneur who deploys his personal Break To Build™ process to help rebuild the water industry, which has reached a critical breaking point in recent years despite being essential to the planet's survival. As the founding CEO of OriginClear, Riggs has developed innovative solutions to help businesses face rising water bills by tapping into new investment markets. He is even pioneering the development of "water stablecoins,” a cryptocurrency backed by water-assets. With a diverse background in nonprofit management, oceangoing navigation, and technology disruption, Riggs is uniquely qualified to bring change to an outdated and overrun industry. 

John Szoka is a West Pont graduate and served a distinguished career in the United States Army. After retirement from active duty, he founded several successful small businesses and holds two US patents.

First elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2012 he served in senior House Republican leadership positions including Chairman of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, and Chairman of the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy. In 2017, he sponsored HB589 which saved ratepayers over $350M in energy costs. In 2021 he was a primary sponsor of HB951 which set carbon reduction goals for NC to be met by the least cost forms of generation and directed establishment of the NC Carbon Plan. Szoka is widely recognized as a leading conservative advocate for free market solutions to a clean energy future.

In 2023 he became CEO of The Conservative Energy Network (CEN), a national network of state-based organizations focused on promoting clean energy innovation rooted in conservative principles. Working with policymakers and industry partners in 25 states, CEN assists legislators across the country understand the benefits of clean energy and how to best save money for ratepayers. At the county and local level, CEN has assisted in the siting of over 10 Gigawatts of clean energy and storage and is currently assisting in the siting of another 40GW across the nation.

Jeff is the founder of the Critical Minerals Associations in the UK, Australia and the U.S. as well as CMIA. He is an internationally recognised critical minerals expert with strong ties to the UK, Australia, across Africa and the Middle East. Jeff is an experienced public affairs and campaign strategist having been a Director at Aspect Consulting and an International Affairs Advisor and Chief of Staff to members of the UK parliament. 

Chief Farming Officer, Co-Founder, Carlo Mondavi is a fourth-generation winegrower who has dedicated his life to permaculture, biodynamic and regenerative farming practices, along with a hands-off winemaking approach in the cellar. In 2016, Carlo founded the Monarch Challenge, an effort focused on elevating farming by eliminating herbicides and powerful chemicals from farms in Sonoma, Napa and beyond. The Monarch Challenge led Carlo to meeting his fellow co-founders; it is the origin and namesake behind Monarch Tractor.

Emma serves as the Executive Vice President of Commercial at ClimeCo. She generates new opportunities, supports existing accounts, and explores how to strengthen ClimeCo’s existing Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Climate Strategy Consulting services. Before joining ClimeCo, Emma built and headed the Impact & Sustainability practice at MSL, a global PR and communications agency, helping companies better tell their stories and drive progress around environmental sustainability, social impact, DEI, and purpose.

Previously, Emma was the Global Renewable Energy Lead for McDonald’s Corporation, where she built and executed a strategy to achieve their ambitious climate goals. Within three years, she procured enough renewable energy equivalent to planting over 70 million trees. Emma also sat on the Board of Directors for the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA). She advocated for a clean energy policy on Capitol Hill to make renewable energy more accessible and affordable for all. She incorporated environmental justice, human rights, and community impact considerations into McDonald's procurement strategy, demonstrating that large brands can use their Scale for Good to transform the renewable energy market. In 2020, McDonald's became the US’s fourth-largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. Emma also led all energy, water, and waste sustainability programs for the 15,000 restaurants in the US before heading up renewable energy for McDonald's.

Before joining McDonald's, Emma focused on driving impact through environmental and social sustainability. After graduating from Columbia University, she worked for the US Green Building Council, then moved to Chicago to lead business development and marketing for Green Per Square Foot, an energy and sustainability tech start-up. Emma later led the energy and sustainability consulting group at Cushman & Wakefield, where she worked with large occupier clients to develop their ESG strategies and created tools to help them achieve their goals.

Jason Hochman is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Direct Air Capture Coalition. In this role, he leads a growing global, non-profit, multi-stakeholder coalition of nearly 120 companies, organizations, and institutions working to advance and accelerate the deployment of direct air capture technology to help address climate change.

Previously, he helped craft the policy and regulatory construct promoting utility clean energy and energy efficiency efforts at Con Edison, and has worked on climate and sustainability issues at the Department of Defense, Acclimatise, and Demos.

He earned an M.S. in Global Energy; Environmental Policy from New York University and a B.A. in History and Public Policy from Brown University.

Daniel has delivered over 3,000 keynote speeches worldwide and is a strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies, helping them to develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. His client list includes Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Microsoft, VISA, Deloitte, Google, Procter & Gamble, KPMG, Honda, FedEx and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Burrus is an innovative entrepreneur who has founded six businesses, four of which were U.S. national leaders in the first year. He is the CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology-driven trends to help clients profit from technological, social and business forces that are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities.

He is the creator of the Hard Trend Methodology, the Anticipatory Organization® Business Model – used by leading organizations worldwide, and he is a founding member of the Department of Defense Joint Services Futures Group.

Rebecca is the founder and CEO of Glacier, a recycling startup building AI and robotics to help recyclers, brands, governments, and other stakeholders measure and improve recovery rates for their highest-priority recycled commodities.

Glacier works with several innovative recyclers across the US, major brands including Amazon, Colgate-Palmolive, Coca-Cola, and AB InBev, and municipal and government agencies including the City of Phoenix and Michigan Department of Environment.

Glacier's circularity work has been featured in several leading publications, including CBS, NBC, Fortune, Axios, and TechCrunch.

Rebecca is a Waste360 40 Under 40 winner. Prior to founding Glacier, Rebecca was a consultant at Bain & Company and advisor to several early- and growth-stage startups. She is also a mentor for the Google Circular Economy Accelerator.

Teri Williams is President, COO and owner of OneUnited Bank, the largest Black owned bank in the country, and supporter of the #BankBlack and #BuyBlack Movement. She is responsible for the Bank’s strategic initiatives, as well as the day to day operations, including all retail branches, marketing, compliance, lending, information technology, customer support, legal, and human resources. Ms. Williams brings 30 years of financial services expertise including Bank of America and American Express, where she was one of the youngest Vice Presidents in Amex history. Ms. Williams holds an M.B.A. with honors from Harvard University, and a B.A. with distinctions in Economics from Brown University. She currently is Chair of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), and on the board of the 79th Street Corridor Initiative in Miami, Florida. Ms. Williams is the author of “I Got Bank! What My Granddad Taught Me About Money” (Beckham Publishing), a financial literacy book for urban youth.

Williams has received countless awards and honors, and in 2022 was named in Forbes prestigious 50>50 list as one of the most influential women in America.

She is married and has two children

Social Media Handles

Facebook/YouTube = /OneUnitedBank

Twitter/Instagram = /OneUnited

LinkedIn = /company/OneUnited-Bank/

Shrikant is business Head and Executive Director at Praj Americas Inc., a role he has held since June 2022. With a rich 23-year history at Praj Industries, Shrikant has risen through the ranks, demonstrating his expertise in biofuels, especially bioethanol. His journey began as a Trainee Engineer at Praj in 2001, evolving through various roles, including Process Engineer, Senior Engineer in Technology Development, and Manager in Technical Sales for decarbonizing bioethanol facilities.

During his tenure at Praj, Shrikant was instrumental in the design and implementation of numerous bioethanol projects. His innovative approach and commitment to research have led to the acquisition of four patents, primarily focused on cellulosic biofuels production and pioneering decarbonizing technologies for bioethanol production. His contribution is not just limited to technical advancements but also includes driving growth through strategic business initiatives and partnerships. He has been instrumental in forging various strategic associations and collaborations in the Americas.

Tom Dickson, CEO of New Energy Risk since 2015, has more than 35 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry and finance; including senior executive and underwriting leadership positions in the US, Europe, and Asia; notably as the former CEO and Chief Underwriting Officer of the Centre Group, a $10B reinsurer that pioneered innovative products to address high-value business risks and financing. Tom has also served on the boards of public and private companies, including Flagstone Re, Paragon Insurance Services, Reformation Insurance Services, and as an advisor to Cellcontrol and Fairmatic. He graduated with honors from Stanford University, where he remains an active alumnus, and received a Master’s degree from John Hopkins University (SAIS). Currently, Tom serves on the Natural Capital Advisory Council at Stanford University and the board of Adara Group, a non-profit engaged in health and education development for women and children in remote communities.

Mr. Hubbard is the CEO of Nexus Holdings, a leading infrastructure advisory and project development organization dedicated to reducing carbon intensity and enhancing resource efficiency.

Mr. Hubbard cut his teeth managing domestic and international high-profile projects, acting in various roles for a global Engineering & Construction firm. After co-founding Nexus PMG in 2013, Mr. Hubbard developed deep knowledge of investment underwriting, empowering the firm to bridge the gap between project development and project finance. His powerful ability to translate strategic organizational goals into clear operational plans has led to measurable results for the growing firm.

Mr. Hubbard maintains a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. He also serves as an investment committee member of Nexus Dev, a development capital provider to renewable and circular economy assets.

Josh Kaufman is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Nexus Development Capital, a platform investing development capital in renewable and circular economy projects. Previously he was an energy investor at the Australian fund QIC, and prior to that was on the GE Power M&A team. Josh has a BA in math and economics from Williams College.

MICHAEL SHELDRICK is a policy entrepreneur and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he leads the organization's campaigns to mobilize support from governments, businesses, and foundations. He is the author of the upcoming Amazon best-selling book, From Idea to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World (to be published by Wiley on April 9, 2024).

With a career that spans the world of pop and policy, Michael has worked with an impressive roster of international artists such as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Priyanka Chopra, Rihanna and Usher, as well as prominent political leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and former Australian Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

He has co-produced some of the world's most impactful social campaigns and events, including the annual Global Citizen Festival in New York, the Guinness World Record-winning virtual concert One World: Together At Home, and the Nelson Mandela 2018 centennial celebration, Mandela 100. These initiatives have reached millions of people in over 150 countries and helped secure over $40 billion in support for local and regional organizations working to provide access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and climate resilience.

A sought-after speaker and author on policy advocacy, sustainable development, and corporate responsibility, Michael has shared his insights at conferences and summits worldwide. His insights have also featured in leading outlets including Forbes, The Guardian, The Hill, HuffPost, Nikkei and Fairfax Media, and his voice heard on major news networks such as ABC, BBC, France 24, Sky News and CNN.

He has been recognized as a finalist for the 2017 Young Commonwealth Person of the Year and serves on: the board of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global citizens; the Leadership Council of aable, a fintech company connecting compassionate investors with underserved communities; and the Advisory Board of the Nigerian Solidarity Support Fund. He is also a co-host of the Global Town Hall, a North-South, East-West meeting featuring world leaders and leading minds to connect with global citizens.

Vince Beiser is an award-winning journalist and author of “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization.” The book has been translated into five languages, was a finalist for a PEN America award and a California Book Award, and spawned a TEDx talk. Vince is currently at work on a new book, “Power Metal”, about how the materials we need for digital technology and renewable energy are causing environmental havoc, political upheaval, mayhem and murder—and how we can do better.

Vince has reported from over 100 countries, states, provinces, kingdoms, occupied territories, no man’s lands and disaster zones. He has exposed conditions in California’s harshest prisons, trained with troops bound for Iraq, ridden with the first responders to natural disasters, and hunted down other stories from around the world for publications including Wired, The Atlantic, Harper’s, Time, The Guardian, Mother Jones, Playboy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Vince’s work has been honored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Columbia, Medill and Missouri Graduate Schools of Journalism, and many other institutions. He has three times been part of a team that won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, and shared in an Emmy for his work with the PBS TV series SoCal Connected. He is also a grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Steve Oldham is a prominent entrepreneur and carbon removal advocate. He currently serves as CEO of Captura where he is leading the commercialization of Direct Ocean Capture – a climate solution that combines innovative technology with the natural carbon removal powers of the ocean to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at scale.

Steve’s career has focused on bringing ground-breaking technologies to market in a variety of domains, including robotics, aerospace, and climate. Steve was previously CEO of leading Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, Carbon Engineering, where he grew the company from ~15 to ~150 people, and established the partnership with Occidental that led to their acquisition of Carbon Engineering in November 2023.

Steve also served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Development for MDA, a leading Canadian technology firm. At MDA, Steve held a variety of senior executive positions across Canada and the US, covering General Management, Business Development, and Strategy, and secured financing from Government and commercial sources for a variety of complex technologies, including several large satellite programs.

Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur and most of all, A teacher.

Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. His latest books are The Song of Significance and  The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller.

Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).

By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.

In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.

Stacy Flynn is CEO and a founding partner of Evrnu, a textile innovations company. An accomplished sustainable systems expert, Stacy is committed to developing innovative fiber technologies that reduce textile waste and preserve natural resources.

Under Stacy's leadership, Evrnu is working to solve the most pressing challenges facing the global textile and apparel industry. In 2019 Evrnu debuted NuCyclTM, a technology that transforms garment waste into a resource by recovering the raw materials for reuse. A future where textile producers, brands, retailers and customers reimagine their relationship with nature is now becoming a reality.

Evrnu has been recognized as an organization making notable contributions to the circular economy as well as being an honoree in the 2020 Fast Company World Changing Ideas.

Stacy is a TEDx and keynote speaker and a passionate voice of authority advocating for materials reuse for sustainability in textiles. She is an Unreasonable Impact Fellow, along with a cohort of CEOs that are advancing other world changing ideas. Prior to founding the company in 2014 with her business partner Christo Stanev, Stacy worked as a global textile specialist for nearly two decades in roles at DuPont, Eddie Bauer and Target.

She holds an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Development and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Bernard has over 20 years of public and private experience involving project development. Mr. Brown owned and operated Sustainergy Solutions which was responsible for developing a series of projects in the Cleantech sector. Mr. Brown utilizes project experience to support the company’s vision of bettering the planet by focusing on projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resource efficiency.

Mr. Brown holds a master’s degree in Energy (Engineering) from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Clemson University, and a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in Planning (minor in Sustainability).

Bernard Brown holds a Renewable Energy Professional certification from the Association of Energy Engineers.

Peter Kelly-Detwiler has 30 years of experience in the electric energy arena. He writes for Forbes.com and other publications on topics related to disruptive innovation and its impact on the electricity infrastructure. He provides strategic advice to clients and investors, helping them to navigate this transitional period. Peter is also the author of The Energy Switch - a book about how companies and customers are transforming the electrical grid and the future of power.

Mr. Kelly-Detwiler has spent much of his career in various areas of competitive power markets. As Senior Vice President at Constellation Energy, he oversaw creation of VirtuWatt – a market leading platform to facilitate real-time awareness of electricity pricing and consumption and bidding of assets into competitive markets. He is currently writing a book on the transformation of electric power markets, to be published by Prometheus Books in the Spring of 2021.

Raj Asava, originally from India, enjoyed a successful corporate career in senior/executive roles for renowned companies, including serving as President of two startup organizations. He retired in 2010 as the Chief Strategy Officer at Perot Systems. Aradhana (Anna) Asava, has over 20 years of experience in the Global Information Technology industry, specializing in leading organization-wide transformational programs. In 2009, Anna transitioned from corporate America to philanthropic endeavors, demonstrating her results-oriented approach and knack for creative problem-solving.

Together, Raj and Anna founded HungerMitao in 2017, a movement aimed at uniting the Indian American community to combat food insecurity. Within six years, HungerMitao expanded to multiple cities, facilitating over 55 million meals for the Feeding America network of Food Banks. Notably, the HungerMitao model has been shared with the Chinese and Hispanic communities.

Their outstanding contributions to philanthropy have garnered recognition and accolades:

• August 2021: Raj and Anna honored as top 100 philanthropists of Indian origin.

• August 2022: President Joe Biden awarded them the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement" medal.

• January 2023: Raj was selected as one of the prominent Indo-Americans in "Jewels of India: Leading Indo-American Personalities (Vol II)" where his personal, professional, and philanthropic journey is highlighted along with that of other leaders like US Vice President Kamala Harris and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

• May 2023: Hunger Free America commended the impactful HungerMitao movement and honored Raj and Anna Asava for their tireless efforts.

• November 2023: Anna and Raj received the 2023 National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Volunteer Fundraisers award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The Asavas' dedication to eradicating hunger and their innovative approach through HungerMitao have left a lasting impact on communities in need.

Dip is a technologist, engineer, and entrepreneur. He lives on the beach with his fantastic family (Wife, Daughter, and Dog). He is currently the Chief Technology Officer of Soluna (Nasdaq: SLNH), a company aiming to make stranded green energy profitable using off-grid high-density computing. Before Soluna, he was a co-founder of Ecovent, a smart home technology company sold to ConnectM in 2016.

Before Ecovent, Dip led the design, development, and production of complex radar systems at Lockheed Martin. Dip has a BSEE from Drexel University, an MSEE from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he currently serves as a lecturer.

Marcus Lehmann, serves as the CEO of CalWave Power Technologies Inc. Marcus founded CalWave in2014 and uses his experience in systems engineering, energy systems and entrepreneurship, to lead a diverse team of engineers, advisers, and industry partners to unlock the vast and steady carbon-free power from ocean waves.

Prior to CalWave, Marcus held research positions at UC Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and was a project lead at the Cyclotron Road program. Marcus holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Technical University Hamburg, graduated from Technical University Munich with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and received an honors degree in technology management from the Center for Digital Technology and Management.

Peter Kelly-Detwiler has 30 years of experience in the electric energy arena. He writes for Forbes.com and other publications on topics related to disruptive innovation and its impact on the electricity infrastructure. He provides strategic advice to clients and investors, helping them to navigate this transitional period. Peter is also the author of The Energy Switch - a book about how companies and customers are transforming the electrical grid and the future of power.

Mr. Kelly-Detwiler has spent much of his career in various areas of competitive power markets. As Senior Vice President at Constellation Energy, he oversaw creation of VirtuWatt – a market leading platform to facilitate real-time awareness of electricity pricing and consumption and bidding of assets into competitive markets. He is currently writing a book on the transformation of electric power markets, to be published by Prometheus Books in the Spring of 2021.

Dr. Shuchi Talati is an emerging climate technology governance expert and the founder of The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering. She is also currently a co-chair of the Independent Advisory Committee to oversee SCoPEx, an effort to provide oversight for the potential outdoor solar geoengineering experiment proposed by Harvard University. Dr. Talati is a Visiting Scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and a Scholar in Residence at Forum for Climate Engineering at American University. She most recently served as a Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff of the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy where she was focused on creating just and sustainable frameworks for carbon dioxide removal.

She was also previously the Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180 and the Fellow on geoengineering research governance and public engagement at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Talati was a AAAS/AIP Congressional Science Fellow in the U.S. Senate and served at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama. Dr. Talati earned a BS in environmental engineering from Northwestern University, an MA in climate and society from Columbia University, and PhD from Carnegie Mellon in engineering and public policy.

Scott Tinker brings industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. Dr. Tinker is Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas, and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker co-produced the award-winning documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries. Dr. Tinker founded the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose educational materials appear from schools to board rooms globally. Tinker is the host of PBS Energy Switch, an energy and climate talk show appearing on over 200 PBS stations nationwide, and Earth Date, featured weekly on over 450 public radio stations in all 50 United States. In his visits to some 60 countries, Scott has given over 1000 keynote and invited lectures. Dr. Tinker presented a TEDx talk on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment.

Scott serves on public company boards and science councils, Trinity University’s Board of Trustees, and is an angel investor who has helped bring companies from startup to acquisition. His writing has appeared from Forbes to Fortune to Scientific American. Dr. Tinker has served as president of several international professional associations and is an AGI Campbell Medalist, AAPG Halbouty Medalist, GCAGS Boyd Medalist, AIPG Parker Medalist, and a Geological Society of America Fellow.

Priyanca Ford is the Founder & Executive Board Member of Kronos Fusion Energy Incorporated, a company committed to developing algorithms and machine learning simulations for creating fusion energy generators and other clean fusion energy products that will have a lasting impact on future generations. As a lover of nature and an avid advocate for clean and limitless fusion energy,

Priyanca's passion for sustainable energy began during her childhood in India, where she dreamt of building a company that serves the best interests of the poorest humans on this planet. Currently, she is dedicating her life to achieving Q40 fusion energy mechanical gain.A Harvard Business School graduate with an Executive MBA, Priyanca has a strong background in mathematics, product management, and structuring large data sets to build innovative technology.

As a game theorist and minimalist, Priyanca's interest in fusion energy technology was sparked when she led end-to-end energy simulations at Edison International, which resulted in a new world ERP system that paved the way for a smarter grid and advanced smart meter technology.With over 17 years of experience driving monetization through statistical algorithms and predictive modeling in diverse industries, Priyanca has collaborated with innovative companies, gaining expertise in product development, statistical data analysis, machine learning, and managing executive team priorities. She applies game theory concepts, market positioning, product management, M&A experience, data and process analysis, and business intelligence to strategic executive decision-making.

Throughout her career, Priyanca has held various positions at prominent companies such as Samsung Electronics, The Walt Disney Company, Live Nation Entertainment/Ticketmaster, and Deloitte Consulting. In addition to her professional roles, she has engaged in independent consulting, serving as a C-suite analytics and product strategy consultant for numerous companies, including fusion energy research ventures and Southern California Edison.

Priyanca has pursued non-degree programs in innovation and entrepreneurship at Stanford University, game theory at Yale University, and holds a BS in Economics and Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Moreover, she founded a company called 3dbuildbot and served as an investor and board member for Brainmix Capital, an AI-focused fund.

Jeff Hardy is a Global Change Agent, International Healthcare Facility Futurist and Planner, and founder of a nonprofit global health development foundation.

He has recently released a book where he is sharing his insights on how to create positive change for our planet and society, though a new paradigm to develop a sustainable future.

John has over 30 years of experience taking novel solutions from conception to reality across the energy, semiconductor and supercomputer industries. Prior to founding Rondo, John served as co-founder and vice president of development for GlassPoint Solar, the leading provider of solar thermal energy for industry worldwide. He is also the former founder and president of Ausra, Inc., a pioneer in solar thermal and solar electric systems. John launched his career as the lead engineer for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national lab, where he designed award-winning technology to support real-time fusion experiments. He is a published author of numerous technical papers and holds more than 20 patents in the U.S. and internationally. John earned a B.Sc. with Special Distinction in Computer Science from Yale University.

Matthew David LeDucq, Chief Executive Officer, has 15+ years of experience in renewables business, has overseen $5B+ in transactions in EPC, OEM, and long-term investments, and bountiful experience leading transactions for utility scale solar, community solar, standalone storage, electric vehicle, fuel cell & microgrids. Prior to becoming CEO of Forum Mobility, Matt was the Executive Director of NextEra Energy’s distributed generation team where he oversaw all greenfield origination, land acquisition, early-stage development, and M&A. His team built the distributed generation pipeline to nearly $2B in owned assets. Matt has also held various leadership roles with Suntech, Yingli, EI Solutions, and PowerLight, where he started his career as a construction manager in 2003. He holds a BA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Walter L. McLeod is a recognized expert and thought leader in clean technology policy, finance, and development. He is an angel investor, entrepreneur, and Professor of Practice (Energy) in the College of Science at George Mason University. Walter is also the author of The Carbon Creed. Walter resides in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with his wife Laurel.

Durreen Shahnaz is a global leader in social impact and a pioneer in impact investing. She is also the founder of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and IIX Foundation. IIX is the home of the world’s first social stock exchange and one of the world’s largest crowdfunding platforms for impact investing. IIX is also a leader in impact assessment methodology and innovative financial structures, such as the world's first gender-focused social bond, the Women's Livelihood Bond Series. IIX connects the Back Streets of underserved communities to the Wall Streets of the world by innovating financial solutions and structures for women empowerment, climate action, and community resilience, thus driving Sustainable Development Goals. IIX and IIX Foundation’s work has unlocked nearly US$300 million of private sector investment capital and impacted over 150 million direct household lives.

Shahnaz is the recipient of the UN Women’s 2020 Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) award, the 2019 Sustainability Superwoman award from CSR Works, the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award, often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for Business’, the 2017 Global Steering Group for Impact Investment Impact Market Builder of the Year award, the 2016 Asia Society Asia Game Changer Award, in addition to the prestigious 2014 Joseph Wharton Social Impact Award given by the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania. Recently, Shahnaz was named in the Forbes 50 over 50 list as a notable leader in the financial industry. Shahnaz has recently authored a book entitled The Defiant Optimist, which just had a global launch.

Shahnaz holds a BA from Smith College and a joint degree – an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a MA from the School for Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University.

Corey Tyree is the co-founder and CEO of Trillium Renewable Chemicals. He raised $16M in financing from venture, strategic, and government sources in the Company’s first 18 months. He built an experienced team and secured partnerships with Solvay, Hyosung, HELM, and others. He started his career as a chemical plant operator and went on to serve in various roles in engineering, plant management, and executive leadership. He holds a BS and PhD in Chemical Engineering.