Future of Energy Mentors and Collaborators

Mentors and collaborators form an important part of the Net Impact network. They share their experience, leverage their expertise, and provide guidance to our participants. Their contribution helps make a greater impact by shaping the next wave of entrepreneurship and innovation and helping bring their solutions to life. 

Petersen Barnaby

Petersen Barnaby is the Commercial Advisor for Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) at Shell. In this role, Petersen works with Shell Downstream Businesses to integrate NBS into their customer value propositions and create a compelling set of opportunities for Shell to deepen the partnership with customers, through helping them to reduce their carbon footprint.

Nature-based solutions are projects which protect or redevelop natural ecosystems. Such projects also have extra benefits such as offering alternative sources of income to local communities, improving soil productivity, cleaning air and water, and maintaining biodiversity.

“As a mentor in the Accelerator sessions, I found there was a lot of positive energy around NBS. The attendees got it and they liked that Shell was trying to find ways to help them to do something about their carbon footprint. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Net Impact accelerator teams and seeing what they can bring to the competition!” - Petersen Barnaby, Commercial Advisor for Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), Shell

 

Pierre Liagre

Pierre Liagre is a researcher in Shell’s multi-disciplinary Offshore Wind Innovation Program. In this role, Pierre focuses on systems technology for the future installation of wind turbines on floaters moored in water depths ranging from about 60 to 1,000 meters.

The Shell New Energies Research & Technology team (NERT) provides technical assurance for all projects that the New Energies business requires and provides the fundamental research for short, medium, and long-term organic growth in the New Energies domain.

“It was exciting to see so many young people genuinely interested in sustainability. Attendees were glad to learn that Shell is invested in renewable energies and leading the sustainability/ social impact initiative among its peers.” - Pierre Liagre, Researcher Offshore Wind Floating, Shell.

 

Richard Garcia

Richard Garcia is the Commercial and Strategic Partnerships Head at Shell. Richard is responsible for the Commercial Strategy, Category Management, Customer Insights and Analytics for the market entry of Shell Select Convenience Stores in the USA market.

Shell Retail is the number one mobility retailer in the world serving 30 million customers a day, processing 11 billion transactions per year across a network of approximately 44,000 stations in over 75 countries. Shell retail aims to provide top-quality fuels while investing in a sustainable tomorrow.

“Sustainability has become a key focus in higher education. Serving as a mentor at the Future of Energy Challenge Accelerator session helped me realize how profound the commitment of these learners to become agents of sustainable change is. They came to the sessions prepared with clear ideas to build and sustain meaningful relationships with the communities and ecosystems they live, and true interest to grow in a better planet.” - Richard Garcia, Commercial and Strategic Partnerships Head, Shell

 

Dakota Stormer

Dakota Stormer is the Carbon Opportunities Analyst and the chairman of Shell’s employee network for the energy transition. Dakota helps the employee network host innovation workshops across the company in search of new ideas to provide more and cleaner energy across the world.

Shell recognizes the significance of climate change, along with the vital role that energy plays in helping people achieve and maintain quality of life.

“I was overwhelmed by all of the innovative young minds that developed impressive project proposals in such a short amount of time. There was a great dedication to lowering carbon footprint through sustainable food sourcing.” - Dakota Stormer, Carbon Opportunities Analyst, Shell.

These mentors represent the diverse paths one can take to an impact-driven career. Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? Jumpstart your career in the energy field by joining the Future of Energy Challenge: Mobility! Submit your solution by November 25 to bring your idea to life while gaining resume-building experience, new skills, and a network of working professionals to carry with you on your impact journey.

 

Sutton Guldner

Sutton Guldner is a project engineer and manager for the biofuels portfolio, with a focus on waste oils to renewable diesel. He works with a multi-disciplinary team of engineers and businesspeople on early-stage projects, developing them from due diligence, through design, and into execution.

Other Network Collaborators

  • Andi Littlejohn is the Director of the EPIcenter Energy Incubator and Accelerator (EEIA). 
  • Monique Long-White is Project Manager for the SBDC Technology Commercialization Center for the South-Texas Innovation Partnership Program (S-TIPP) at University of Texas San Antonio.  
  • Christy Taylor is a Senior Advisor to Norwest Venture Partners and Cody Peak Advisors. Board member of several high growth B to B and B to C companies, including PCA Skin, Donsuemor (baked goods), MyAlarm, AXS Mobility, Joseph Phelps Vineyards and most recently JOLYN sportswear. 
  • Jerry Higgs, Senior Software & Systems Engineer. Jerry is a former Senior Product Development Engineer for AT&T Foundry.
  • Annemarie Meike, Business Development Executive at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Co-founder and organizing chair of the International Alloy Conferences, and sits on an Advisory Board of a National Science Foundation International Materials Institute. 
  • Harry Davitian is a start-up adviser, angel investor in the energy/cleantech space. He founded Entek Power Services and initiated the development of a 300 MW solar photovoltaic power generating facility to be located in the Mojave Desert in southern California. Currently a member of the Band of Angels and serves on the Advocacy Council of the Santa Rosa Chamber. 
  • Sumit Verma is a researcher and lead for the CO2 conversion at Shell’s New Energies Research and Technologies team. Sumit  has experience leading collaborative R&D projects cross-cutting multiple technology platforms, locations, and partners.
  • Haibin Xu is the Regional Manager for Shell Research Connect & GameChanger in the US and Canada. He is the primary relationship holder on behalf of Shell with Universities & National Labs for research collaborations, as well as overseeing Shell GameChanger’s investments into early stage startups, covering USA and Canada. 
  • Les Schmidt is a serial entrepreneur and leader with first-hand experience in the development and growth of enterprises. Les directed the Bay Area JFKU Accelerator and mentored many entrepreneurs during that time. He specializes in strategy development, product-market alignment, data-analysis and forecasting.
  • Rob Lippincott is a former faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Rob served as CEO of TEACH-NOW, SVP for Discovery Education, VP of the Family Education Network, and co-founder of the eCommerce consulting division of Perot Systems Corporation. His mentoring focus includes education, digital technology, merger and acquisitions and growth strategy. 
  • Sangita Patel is a financial consultant partnering with start-up and mid-sized companies to establish financial systems and explore financing options that help fuel organizational growth. Sangita has worked with companies in the diamond, electronics, security and internet of things (IoT) industries. When mentoring, Sangita focuses on strategy, technology and finance.
  • Dina Finta is the founder of ThrivePoint Programs where she works with Fortune 500 companies, business leaders and entrepreneurs to train and educate their teams. Dina helped create the John F. Kennedy University Institute of Entrepreneurial Leadership, a program designed to guide and mentor pre-launch and existing entrepreneurs.
  • Khary Ward has experience in the hedge fund industry having previously held positions with Sarissa Capital Management LP, an activist Hedge Fund, Franklin Templeton Investments and State Street Corporation. Khary serves on the board of directors of the State University of New York, Plattsburgh College Alumni Association
  • Fiona Woody is a Sustainability Excellence Manager for Bayer Crop Science where she is responsible for sustainability reporting initiatives, developing sustainability networks and developing and communicating sustainability strategy. Fiona is currently on the Board of Directors for The Haven of Grace, a homeless shelter for pregnant women. 
  • Chris Wright is Protiviti’s firm-wide Managing Director of Business Performance Improvement solution. He has ample experience serving clients as an external and internal auditor, and financial reporting risk consultant. Chris serves on the boards of several charitable, civic, educational and business organizations. 
  • Jeanine Debar is the president and co-founder of BrandTuitive, a branding and brand marketing agency in New York City. As a branding expert she is a master storyteller helping brands communicate who they are and why they make a difference for their customers. BrandTuitive’s clients include Nespresso, Episcopal Relief & Development, Datacolor and Zumex. 
  • Jennifer Jacobs Ph.D. has been part of Bayer Crop Science for 13 years and has had numerous roles within the company that has expanded her focus on improving lives for farmers through better harvest. Currently, Jennifer is focused on implementing new breeding and digital technologies to the Asia region in the Breeding organization, while strategically building partnerships outside Bayer. 
  • Beth Davies is the head of the Purpose Beyond Practice team for Why Eye Agency. Beth focuses on social innovation, private / public collaborations and the convergence between brand building, value creation and driving positive social outcomes and impacts.  Beth was recently awarded a Centre for Social Innovation fellowship and BestForNYC recognition for Green ABCs a sustainable school supplies company she founded in 2015.  She has been part of the management team for The NYC Museum School, a board member of the online media organization Facing Change: Documenting America and as commission member for the Clinton Inland Wetlands Commission, a land-use regulatory body in Connecticut.
  • Mary Nittolo is the founder, President and Creative Director at the STUDIO, creative production and animation company that works with major brands and advertising agencies as well as entertainment companies like Disney, MTV, Sesame Street and Nat Geo. She has judged the AICP AWARDS, the Directors Guild of America Co-Initiative, CCDP and the ADCOLOR awards.  She also currently teaches Design Thinking at NYU’s School of Professional Studies and serves on the Advisory board of AoIT High School in Brooklyn, NY. 
  • Nicole Carta is senior private sector partnership officer at the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). IFAD is a lender of rural development finance in over 90 countries, with a current portfolio of $17.3 billion. Before IFAD, she spent three years with the UN Population Fund in New York leading private sector partnerships, the Goldman Fund in San Francisco, California, as a grant maker in environment and women’s health, and held several positions in branding and marketing in the for-profit sector.  
  • Mark Nelson is CEO of Perishable Shipping Solutions (PSS), a pick & pack e-Commerce order fulfillment warehouse for frozen & refrigerated foods. He is a serial entrepreneur having co-founded three companies and a successful exit. Mark previously worked in consulting with Oracle, PwC & Protiviti. Mark has deep expertise in sales management, business strategy, business process redesign, raising capital, accounting, and management reporting.
  • Tom Deierlein, a 1989 graduate of West Point, is an Airborne Ranger, Wounded Warrior, and serial entrepreneur.  He is co-founder and current CEO of ThunderCat Technology, a systems integrator that specializes in data center solutions. In the Fall of 2006, he co-founded the TD Foundation which provides aid to children of wounded warriors and supports American Veterans’ families in crisis. Tom is a Certified Peer Mentor with Wounded Warrior Project, and mentor with USSOCOM Care Coalition. He is a former board member for Razia’s Ray of Hope a nonprofit that empowers young women and girls in Afghanistan through community-based education.  
  • Bertha Jimenez is the CEO and Co-founder of Rise Products, a food-tech startup that converts organic byproducts into food-grade ingredients. She is an expert in upcycled ingredients and consults with food brands to help them develop, market and launch sustainable products. Before RISE, she co founded SunCulture, a solar panel drip irrigation system that is based in Kenya. Bertha previously worked in environmental consulting, design and construction. She is an advocate of women entrepreneurs, and currently volunteers as a mentor for the New York City Department of Small Business Services, where she helps women start and grow their business.