2015 NH3 Fuel Business Session

The inaugural Business Session provides an opportunity for potential investors and other interested parties to learn about “investment ready” NH3 fuel technologies and to meet with the developers of these technologies.

The Business Session, a separate event from the NH3 Fuel Conference, will be held on the day after the technical sessions, hosted by K&L Gates.

REGISTER

Wednesday, September 23, 2015, starting at 1pm prompt
K&L Gates, 70 West Madison Street, Suite 3100, Chicago, IL
KL_gates_logo1

Attendance will be strictly limited by capacity, and registration is required.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for the Business Session.

PANELISTS

Christopher Betti
Christopher J. Betti, Ph.D., is a registered patent attorney and partner in the Chicago office of K&L Gates, where he focuses his practice in the life sciences with a particular emphasis in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent matters. In that regard, a significant portion of his practice involves IP portfolio management, patent preparation/prosecution, patent litigation, due diligence analysis associated with venture capital financing and public offerings, and rendering opinions and strategic advice relating to complex patentability, patent validity, infringement, and freedom-to-operate issues.

Martha Goodell
Ms. Goodell is a member of Hyde Park Angels and a consultant on early-stage investing in clean technology companies. She has an MBA in finance, an M.S. in energy analysis and policy, and a background in investments, management consulting, and corporate venture capital.  Martha is currently working on projects intended to improve the broader clean-tech funding ecosystem in the Midwest.  

Michael Pacheco
Dr. Pacheco is the Associate Lab Director for Science and Technology, U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Pacheco has 28 years of experience in research, manufacturing, management, and technical strategy development. He first joined NREL in January 2003, and served 4½ years as the first director of the National Bioenergy Center at NREL. Pacheco served an assignment as the first chief technology officer and a corporate vice president at Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) from June 2007 to January 2008, where he led the development of a corporate technology strategy for biofuels and bio-based chemicals for ADM. He immediately rejoined MRI and NREL in January 2008. Prior to first joining NREL in 2003, Pacheco held positions as a Research Fellow and Technology Manager for Louisiana-Pacific (1999-2003); and Vice President of Process Development for a start-up company, Energy Biosystems (1997-1999). Earlier in his career, he progressed through a series of research, manufacturing, and research management positions at Amoco Corp from 1984 to 1997, and worked three years as a research engineer for Conoco (1977-1980). His educational background includes a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (’84), and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Clarkson University (’77).

John Robinson (moderator) 
Mr Robinson has worked in the China clean tech industry for 10 years, with primary focus being on water/wastewater technology transfer between the West and China. Mandarin Environment, a leading Chinese-language clean-tech media brand, is followed by Chinese clean tech investors and environmental corporates in China.  Mr Robinson is fluent in Chinese. Some Chinese investors have recently approached Mr Robinson about alternative fuels, which precipitated discussions with the NH3 association about this panel. 

Benjamin K Saydah
Mr. Saydah has over 18 years of experience in the downstream energy industry and with early stage energy and biotechnology focused technology startups. He gained extensive experience with BP, where he held positions in mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, refinery operations, supply chain management, and technology development. Prior to founding Carbon Strategies Inc., Mr. Saydah was the Vice President of Downstream at Sapphire Energy, a leading algae to crude oil biofuels company where he led the business and technical development of a new bio-crude oil technology including the development of key commercial and technology partnerships with Linde, Phillips 66, and Tesoro. Ben received his MBA from the University of Notre Dame and his BS in Chemical Engineering from Ohio University. Ben has extensive international experience having lived and worked in London, New Orleans, and Chicago and conducted business across Europe, North America, and Asia throughout his career.

Seth Snyder
Mr. Snyder is the leader of a new water initiative at Argonne National Laboratory. He served as Argonne’s Bioenergy Technology Manager and the leader of Process Technology Research. He is a senior fellow in the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute at Chicago. He has developed and worked on leading technology and engineering in renewable energy, water, and energy efficiency. His work has resulted in three R&D 100 Awards and an FLC Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. He has published over fifty papers, has fourteen issued patents, and has had his work presented at over ninety conferences over the past decade. Seth serves on the advisory board for several academic and non-profit energy and sustainability centers. He is the former President of the Council for Chemical Research. He teaches a graduate level course in energy at Northwestern University’s Engineering School and a course on water at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Seth is an early morning jazz DJ at Northwestern University’s WNUR radio. Seth grew up in NYC, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Chemistry and Environmental Studies, an M.S. in Physical Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Virginia.

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