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, Kathleen 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, Kathleen 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.

Drew Higgins is driven by a singular passion: to create products and services that don't just meet customer needs but exceed them, sparking inspiration and delight. With a seasoned career spanning over 17 years, he is a recognized industry leader who places the betterment of people's lives at the center of his innovation strategy. 
 
An alumnus of the United States Naval Academy and the McCombs School of Business, Drew also completed the University of Idaho’s prestigious Energy Executive Course. His academic credentials are complemented by executive roles at high-profile organizations such as USAA, General Motors, and CPS Energy. In these capacities, he has honed his skill in agile decision-making and strategy formulation, qualities that are essential for leadership in today's ever-changing fiscal and technological landscape.
 
A prolific innovator, Drew has launched a diverse array of over 30 products in sectors ranging from automotive to energy and finance. His commitment to cutting-edge innovation is further demonstrated by his portfolio of multiple patent filings, six of which have been granted. 
 
In addition to his core work, Drew has displayed sector-wide leadership as an inaugural member of the Texas PUC Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource Task Force. His governance skills are evident from his board memberships with the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) and the Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE), along with his current role as the Board Chair for the Texas Electric Transportation Resource Alliance (TxETRA).
 
Currently, Drew serves as a sought-after advisor to automakers and utility companies, guiding them in the development of next-level products and services that not only satisfy but delight their customer base. His ability to drive strategic innovation while keeping an eye on long-term scalability underscores his leadership in the electrification space.

Satish Kumar is the CEO of EyeClimate Inc. and a Schmidt Science Fellow for 2024, with 12 years of research experience, including seven years focused on the intersection of climate science and artificial intelligence. He holds a PhD in computer vision and has spearheaded cutting-edge projects with prestigious institutions such as NASA-JPL, the Smithsonian Institute, The Aerospace Corporation, and Harvard University. His work spans diverse areas including GHG emissions detection and wildlife tracking in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti. Satish has published extensively in premier conferences like CVPR, NeurIPS, BMVC, and WACV, and has delivered talks on AI for Climate Change and Wildlife at these conferences as well as at the Mara Elephant Project in Kenya. His contributions to GHG detection and wildlife monitoring have received special recognition at CVPR.

In addition to his academic achievements, Satish brings five years of hands-on experience in OS development from his tenure at Samsung R&D in South Korea and India. As the CEO of EyeClimate, he leads the development of AI algorithms for hyperspectral and multispectral imagery, as well as aerial imagery. His expertise in modeling multi-modal data—integrating satellite images, weather reports, and other ancillary information—enables the creation of robust AI algorithms for anomaly detection in extremely high-dimensional data. At EyeClimate, Satish oversees the core research initiatives to deliver state-of-the-art solutions.

Tam Pham is a Transmission Planning Consultant at Siemens PTI. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Power Systems Engineering Technology from the University of Houston and received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University in May 2023. He is currently working toward his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Prairie View A&M University. In his role at Siemens, Tam focuses on performing simulations for transmission and distribution systems in power grids, conducting steady-state studies, and analyzing the results from the collected data.

With over 14 years of experience in the energy management industry, Salvador Vera has a strong background in managing diverse teams and driving process improvements. His experience includes Low Voltage products at General Electric and Schneider Electric, providing him with valuable perspectives from different leading global companies. At Siemens, he has developed expertise in Medium Voltage products and specializes in Low Voltage Motor Control Center Products. He has driven impactful improvements using tools like Salesforce, Engineering Base, and Power BI. Currently, Salvador leads Technical Talent Development for the U.S. Power Protection and Automation unit at Siemens, focusing on equipping new engineers with critical skills for high-quality project execution.

Ignacio Almuna graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Electrical Power Engineering. He is a Transmission Planning Consultant with Siemens PTI, where he works on steady state and VRT studies. His job involves running simulations for various projects in Texas, including solar, wind, and battery power, to see how they will affect the grid.

Ryan Kudva received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from NC State University in 1994, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UT 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 8 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 UT Energy Institute. 

Michael Lewis is the Director of the Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin. He has over 25 years of experience in advanced research and technology development with a focus on alternative fuels and renewable energy for transportation and stationary power applications, including hydrogen power and energy systems. His team has developed, built, and tested fuel cell hybrid vehicles ranging from small utility trucks, to transit buses, to medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Beyond vehicles, his team has also investigated materials-based hydrogen generation technologies, alternative storage vessel designs, and the use of linear motor driven compressors and expanders for hydrogen fueling. Mr. Lewis is currently leading UT’s efforts on the DOE H2@Scale in Texas project, which has developed a hydrogen technology R&D facility known as the Hydrogen ProtoHub. In addition, he will lead UT’s efforts in supporting the technical data and analysis workgroup for HyVelocity, the Gulf Coast Clean Hydrogen Hub.