Presenter: Rey Banatao, Ph.D., Director / Project Lead, X (formerly Google X)

Rey leads X's moonshot for the Circular Economy. With a diverse technical and entrepreneurial background, Rey has co-founded and scaled materials science companies focused on novel bio-based and chemically recyclable polymers. Rey’s innovations have been commercialized at scale across multiple industries like sporting goods, built environment, and renewable energy, including the world’s first recyclable wind blade. The World Economic Forum recognized Rey as a Young Global Leader in 2013. Rey is also an advisor and investor in numerous sustainable materials startups, an industry advisor to the Department of Energy's Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Development Unit at Berkeley National Labs, on the Scientific Advisory Board for the BioP2P (BioProcess to Product) Network, and was a Google for Startups Accelerator mentor for the first Circular Economy program at Google.

Presenter: Don Victory, Chair, Energy Mentors; previously Upstream Chief Process Engineer at ExxonMobil

Don Victory is the Founder and Chair of Energy Mentors, a 501(c)(3) charity sponsoring “Power the Community - an International College Design Competition.” The competition challenges student teams to reimagine affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy infrastructure supporting a new community of 2,000 families. Team submissions are due May 15, 2024, to be eligible for the $10,000 grand prize or part of the additional $21,000 for other distinguished designs.

With over 40 years of experience in research, operations, capital project management, and risk assessment, Don's focus areas include sustainability, energy transition, integrative design, and mentoring innovation deployment. Energy Mentors’ mission is to catalyze transfer of crystalized intelligence to a rising generation of energy students and professionals.

Presenter: Sharon Nolen, Eastman

Sharon is an Eastman Fellow and leads Eastman’s Global Natural Resource Management program, as well as one of the company’s three Sustainability Subcouncils. She represents Eastman in the DOE Better Plants Program and the ENERGY STAR® Industrial Partner Program, and serves on the Industrial Advisory Board for the National Alliance for Water Innovation. Sharon is a frequently invited speaker at national and international energy conferences. She has been published in Chemical Engineering Progress and Chemical Processing and authored a chapter in the book: Energy Management and Efficiency for the Process Industries. She was named the 2019 International Energy Manager of the Year by the Association of Energy Engineers and received the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Energy and Sustainability Award in 2020. She is a Professional Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager.

Presenter: Jane Stricker, SVP and Executive Director, Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), The Greater Houston Partnership

As Executive Director of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), Jane has responsibility for the Partnership’s effort to leverage Houston’s energy leadership to accelerate the transition to an energy abundant, low-carbon future. She leads a coalition of industry, academia, and community partners to ensure the long-term economic competitiveness and advancement of the Houston region towards a more sustainable and net-zero emissions future.

Prior to joining the Partnership, Jane spent over two decades at bp, where she held leadership 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.

Jane has a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. She serves on the advisory board of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Energy Center, the board of BCarbon, and as an advisor to Pana Low Carbon Economy Investments and several early-stage energy transition startups.

Presenter: Sindhu Balan, Investment Principal, Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV)

Sindhu Balan is an Investment Principal 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.

• Mom of three – one boy and two Westies
• Love to travel, cook and learn about different dance forms.

Presenter: Dr. Tatiana Mitrova, Research Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University | SIPA and Founder and Director at the New Energy Advancement Hub (NEAH)

She is also Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) and Visiting Professor at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

She has twenty-five years of experience in dealing with Eurasian and global energy markets. From February 2017 to December 2020, she has been the Executive Director of the Energy Centre of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, a graduate business-school. From 2006-2011 she has been the Head of Research in the Oil and Gas Department in the Energy Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

• Profound knowledge of the global and FSU energy markets - energy technologies, market organization and corporate strategies
• 14 years of experience in business education
• 8 years as Independent Director in the international public energy companies. Currently Dr. Mitrova serves as a board member of SLB (Schlumberger)
• Strong focus on ESG and corporate climate strategies

Dr. Mitrova is a graduate of Moscow State University’s Economics Department. She has more than 200 publications in scientific and business journals and co-authors 10 scientific books as well as best-seller “The 8 and 1/2 Steps: How to Live, Love And Work At Full Capacity” (stories of women leaders).