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Tuesday May 16, 2023

Opening + Keynote

9:00 – 9:05

Introduction to Climatetech Innovation Forum

Catherine Bérubé
Cycle Capital

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9:05 – 9:15

Opening Remarks: Overview of Cycle Capital Platform

Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

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9:15 – 9:50

State of Net-Zero by Nat Bullard BNEF

PRESENTATION

Nat Bullard
BloombergNEF

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Panel 1: Net-Zero Mobility

9:50 - 10:35

Moderator: Corey Cantor, Senior Associate for Electric Vehicles at BloombergNEF

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What are the opportunities and challenges to attaining a net-zero mobility system?

According to the International Energy Agency, the transport sector has the highest reliance on fossil fuels of any industry and accounted for 37% of CO2 emissions from end‐use sectors in 2021. Therefore, getting the transport sector on track with the net-zero goals requires implementing a broad set of measures, and solutions and encouraging modal shifts to low-carbon energy and operational and technical energy efficiency measures to reduce the carbon intensity of all transport modes. The panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with a shift towards net-zero mobility, along with the best short and long-term measures that stakeholders should take. 

Scott Walbrun
BMW i Ventures

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Claude Vachet
Cycle Capital

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Brian Scott
SDTC

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Ted Graham
GM Ventures

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Maxie Lafleur
Bus.com

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Break

10:35 AM – 10:50 AM

10:50 - 11:00

Shirley Speakman
Cycle Capital

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  • Interview

Short interview: Guillermo Freire, Senior VP, Mid-Market at EDC with Shirley Speakman

Guillermo Freire
EDC

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Panel 2: Electricity Grid

11:00 - 11:45

Moderator: Shirley Speakman
Cycle Capital

Modernizing the Grid: How distributed energy resources can pave the way to a clean power grid

Global power sector CO2 emissions (from both electricity and heat production) increased by close to 700 Mt CO2 in 2021, reaching an all-time high of more than 14 Gt, driven by a strong increase in coal-fired electricity generation compared to the year before. As a fully decarbonised electricity sector is the essential foundation of a net zero energy system, new approaches are required that accelerate the integration of clean energy sources into the grid. The panel will discuss the complexities of transforming the power sector and how policies and technologies can incorporate distributed energy sources into the grid.

Sabrina Harbec
Hydro Québec

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Jean-François Béland
Investissement Québec

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Josh Green
Mysa

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Joel Berntsen
Vutility

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Lunch

11:45 AM – 1 PM

1:00 - 1:30

  • Talk

Peter Tufano, Emerging lessons from Climate Finance

Introduction by Claude Vachet, Cycle Capital

Peter Tufano
Harvard University

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Claude Vachet
Cycle Capital

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Panel 3: Sustainable Finance

1:30 - 2:15

Moderator: Katrina White, Sustainable Finance Associate at BloombergNEF

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How unlocking capital to finance climate tech solutions can deliver sustainable growth

In recent years, countries have been setting net-zero emission targets to transition their economies for a low-carbon future and harness the growth opportunities that lie from using new innovative climatetech solutions. However, Mckinsey’s research notes that ~$9.2 trillion in annual average spending on physical assets will be required to transition to a net-zero economy. The sustainable finance panel will bring industry experts to discuss the intersection of financial stability and environmental responsibility and how companies and investors can scale solutions, deploy and unlock capital to accelerate the energy transition. 

Alex Bell
JP Morgan

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Christian Brosseau
Fonds de solidarité FTQ

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Nicolas Jacob
National Bank

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Sandra Odendahl
BDC

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Startups showcase

2:15 - 2:45

Hosted By

Patrick Gagne
CEO Cycle Momentum

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FTEX

FTEX designs and builds power management systems that increase the range of small electrical vehicles by up to 30%.

AXYA

AXYA connect buyers and suppliers in the manufacturing industry with its online platform to create a local supply chain.

DISPERSA

Dispersa’s goal is to bring natural and affordable biosurfactants to the market via a unique production platform that allows for the scaling up of custom-made biosurfactants for specific industries.

2:45 - 2:55

Hosted By

Guillaume Synnott
Partner, Fasken

Fasken Cycle Momentum ClimateTech Innovation Bursary

 

 

Break

2:55 PM – 3:10 PM

3:10 - 3:15

Electrons and Molecules: A brief look into Climatetech Solutions and Opportunities

Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

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3:15 - 3:45

How the early days of Silicon Valley resonate with today’s challenge to transition towards a net-zero economy

John East
Ex CEO of Actel

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3:45 - 4:00

Fireside Chat: Changes in the Energy Sector and Opportunities Ahead

Mark Little
Ex CEO at Suncor Advisor at Cycle Capital

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Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

 

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Panel 4: Circular Economy

4:00 - 4:45

Moderator: Julia Attwood, Head of Sustainable Materials at BloombergNEF

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Could a “circular economy” approach enable countries and businesses to meet their net-zero agenda?

The circular economy is a concept that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them before recovering and regenerating them. This approach is seen as a way to reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimise the environmental impact on the economy. In the context of reaching net-zero goals, the panel will discuss the role circular economy can play in building a more sustainable and resilient economy.

Ben Forcier
Circular Innovation Fund

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Maya Colombani
L’Oréal

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Jason Robinson
Evoco

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Closing Remarks

4:45 - 5:00

Closing Remarks by Claude Vachet

Claude Vachet
Cycle Capital

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Cocktail

5:00 - 7:00

Cocktail in the room

André-Lise Méthot

Founder and Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Andrée-Lise Méthot is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital – an impact investor and Canada’s leading ClimateTech investment platform with 600 million under management. In addition to serving on portfolio companies’ boards of directors, she’s active on the board of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Paris Fonds Vert Advisory Board, the Canadian Government’s Task Force on Women in the Economy, and she is the founder and chairperson of the Accelerator Cycle Momentum.

Exceptionally involved in the progression of women in science and technological entrepreneurship, she was named Officière de l’Ordre du Québec (2018), and she received numerous honours, including from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, the Laval University Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Association of Quebec Women in Finance. She was also recognized as one of the 16 Canadian personalities of Clean16 and among the Top 20 of cleantech investors by CleanTech

Catherine Bérubé

Partner

Cycle Capital

Danya Liu

Senior Associate

BloombergNEF

Danya Liu is a Senior Associate with BloombergNEF’s sustainability team. She researches climate risk, specifically the pathways by which it will alter corporate valuations and business models. Based in San Francisco, she is the lead analyst for the BNEF Transition Risk scores on the Bloomberg Terminal. Prior to joining Bloomberg she worked in impact investing where she earned her CFA accreditation.

Sharon Mustri

Senior Associate

BloombergNEF

Sharon Mustri is a Senior Associate on the Industry Decarbonization team at BloombergNEF in New York. Her research focuses on strategies for financing and business models in large-scale sustainability projects for industry. Prior to joining BNEF, Sharon conducted research across energy and environmental topics more broadly.

Jeff More

President & Chief Executive Officer

MineSense Technologies

Jeff More is a seasoned CEO, with a particular focus on intensive growth mandates. With an MBA, as well as a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering & Management from McMaster University, his experience spans a diverse set of industries, including environmental services, electronics recycling, telecommunications, robotics, and engineered materials.

As President & Chief Executive Officer, Jeff is responsible for the strategic and overall leadership of MineSense Technologies. His primary mandate is to bring to market the company’s disruptive, value-creating technology. This has included raising over $74M in three oversubscribed equity rounds and winning the company’s first commercial contract.

A company builder with a proven track record in both large companies and entrepreneurial environments, Jeff brings broad functional expertise in business development, marketing strategy, operational efficiency, and M&A to MineSense. This is coupled with extensive expertise in global markets, including China, India, Japan, South America, and Africa.

As a demonstrated team builder and values-driven leader, Jeff holds a breadth of industry knowledge and enthusiasm for innovation, which he dedicates to building successful organizations and championing new technology.

Claude Vachet

Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Claude is Managing Partner at Cycle Capital – an impact investor and leading cleantech venture capital investment platform with $600M AUM. He has 30 years of operational, Venture Capital and fund management experience of Venture Capital portfolios investing in high tech companies. Over the course of his career, he has built a solid track record of investments, led large team of investment professionals and has been involved in the execution of numerous exits, including GaN Systems who has signed an agreement to be acquired by Infineon AG for 830 m US.

Before joining Cycle Capital, he was Managing Partner of successful teams at both Kirchner and Multiple Capital managing large venture capital funds. He has also worked at Innovatech Montreal as VP of IT&C Portfolio, where he participated in the sale of the portfolio – the largest transaction of a Venture Capital portfolio in Canada with its 108 companies and 15 funds. Early in his career, Claude worked at Degremont in Clean technologies (water, energy and waste).

Claude holds a Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s degree from École Polytechnique (Montreal) and an MBA in Finance from HEC-Montreal.

Eric Dresselhuys

CEO

ESS Inc

Mr. Dresselhuys is the CEO of ESS Inc. and joined the company in April of 2021. Mr. Dresselhuys has over 25 years of leadership experience and is an accomplished technology and market development pioneer with a demonstrated background in growing both public and private companies. Prior to joining ESS, Mr. Dresselhuys founded Silver Spring Networks which became the leading provider of smart grid networking and data solutions leading to an IPO in 2013 (NYSE: SSNI) and an eventual sale to Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI). Other experience includes a variety of leadership positions at Procter and Gamble and Smart Energy Water where he helped build up the companies on a global scale. As an active member of the energy industry, he is a frequent speaker and author on issues related to the energy transition. Mr. Dresselhuys holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and earned an Executive Certificate from the Sloan School at MIT.

Reza Chaji

CEO and co-founder

VueReal

Dr. Reza Chaji is the CEO and co-founder of VueReal Inc., a Waterloo (ON, Canada) based company focused on revolutionary technologies for enhancing electronic systems (displays, sensors, AI, Autonomy, medical, health, automotive, etc.) by integrating millions of micro-optoelectronic devices into system substrates scalably, affordably, and rapidly.

He has extensive experience in the development and commercialization of advanced technologies. His work for enhancing OLED TVs’ yield, quality, and reliability is adopted in today’s OLED TVs.

He received his Ph.D. degree (2008) in Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada, where he worked on designing and implementing large-area electronic systems for AMOLED displays, biomedical imagers, and bio-array sensors.

He has over 70 published papers and one book in the field of display and sensor, over 200 filed/granted patent applications, and has received several prestigious scholarships and awards, including the EY nominee for the entrepreneur of the year 2023, Young Alumni Achievement Medal, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2012; CMC Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence 2009; and Strategic Microelectronics Council of ITAC Industrial Collaboration Award 2007. He was a finalist for the 2023- Entrepreneur of the Year award by EY. Under his leadership, VueReal Inc. was awarded the 2023- Top 50 Companies to Watch by Deloitte Canada’s Technology Fast 50 program.

Nicolas Morency

Founder and CEO

As a former project manager in the food and beverage industry, Nicolas honed his mechanical engineering skills and led various R&D initiatives. He is highly regarded for his commitment and drive to push boundaries and learn. Through VC financing rounds, he raised over $12.5M and built a team of over 40 people with a globally recognized, unique product offering. Nicolas regularly speaks and joins event panels focusing on reality capture and digital twin technologies.

Shirley Speakman

Senior Partner

Cycle Capital

Shirley Speakman is a Senior Partner with Cycle Capital based in Toronto.  She sits on Cycle Capital’s portfolio companies across North America; including companies that are in the plastics and polymer upcycling and transformation, IoT and energy storage and efficiency industries.  Shirley has had several exits; most notably the IPO of ESS Inc via a SPAC in October of 2021. 

Prior to joining Cycle Capital Shirley was with the Investment Accelerator Fund a $40M+ venture capital fund established by the Ontario government to invest in seed and early-stage technology oriented companies based in Ontario. She also advised biotech, ag-biotech and advanced manufacturing and materials companies in areas such as strategy, finance, negotiations and fundraising. She spearheaded numerous financings and M&A transactions and participated in the creation of a $40M cross border life sciences fund and the close of a Canadian based $40M ag-biotech fund.

Shirley is active in the innovation ecosystem as a member of Canada’s National Science and Engineering Research Council, through her involvement at MaRS and the Ontario Centre of Innovation, mentoring female entrepreneurs and investors through her work with Canadian Women in Venture Capital and as a director at Altitude Accelerator. She is also been a sought-after advisor for impact investment funds including the Amplify Fund and SVX.

Shirley was recognized as one of Canada’s Clean16 and one of Canada’s Inspiring Fifty. She holds her ICD.d (University of Toronto), a MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor’s of Economics from the University of Waterloo.

Guillermo Freire

Senior Vice-President, Mid-Market

Export Development Canada

Guillermo Freire was appointed Senior Vice-President, Mid-Market in April of 2022. In this role, Mr. Freire works to accelerate the growth of Canadian mid-market companies to boost their international competitiveness. 

First joining EDC in 2005, Mr. Freire worked for six years in Project Finance. After a period working in the Treasury group of a global mining company, Mr. Freire rejoined EDC in 2013. Since, he has taken on senior roles on the Structured and Project Finance group, including leadership of the Cleantech team – a sector in which EDC is a leading national financier – as well as leading the team responsible for managing EDC’s relationships with its largest institutional investors. 

Prior to his current role, Mr. Freire served as Acting Senior Vice-President, Financing and Investments, where he over oversaw the group responsible for deploying capital in support of the international expansion, growth and ongoing financial needs of Canadian exporters and investors.  

Sabrina Harbec

Director – Design and Development of Demand Response, Customer Product and Hilo Product Offers

Sabrina Harbec was appointed Director – Design and Development of Demand Response, Customer Product and Hilo Product Offers in May 2023. In this capacity, she is responsible for ensuring that Hydro-Québec’s ambitious demand response objectives are met and maintaining a strong synergy between the company’s commercialization activities and the technological development expertise of its subsidiary Hilo.

Before joining Hydro-Québec, Ms. Harbec worked 10 years for the mining company ArcelorMittal Exploration minière Canada. She successively served as a buyer specialized in energy and raw materials, head of the strategic procurement department, and specialist of energy strategies and carbon emissions trading.

Ms. Harbec holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics with a minor in statistics from St. Lawrence University in New York State, as well as a specialized graduate diploma (D.E.S.S.) in sustainable development management from HEC Montréal and an Executive MBA from Université de Sherbrooke. She was on Canada’s national ice hockey team for six years.

Jean-François Béland

Vice-President, Ressources Québec

Investissement Québec

Jean-François Béland was appointed Vice-President of Ressources Québec at Investissement Québec in 2021.

From 2015 to 2021, he applied his management expertise in the cleantech sector as Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs at General Fusion Inc., based in Vancouver, British Columbia. From 2007 to 2015, he was employed by AREVA S.A. in Paris and Toronto, chiefly as Executive Vice-President of AREVA Canada Inc. Before he launched his career path in the private sector, Mr. Béland gained extensive experience in the Canadian civil service and in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada as an advisor on governance policiesand the Treasury Board of Canada.

Mr. Béland is a graduate of Université de Montréal (B.Sc.), École nationale d’administration publique (MPA and post-graduate diploma in public administration), École des hautes études commerciales (post-graduate diploma inmanagement), Bordeaux École de Management (MBA), Université Paris IX Dauphine (M.Sc., strategic management) and Universityof British Columbia (project management certificate). In 2014, he completed the Senior Nuclear Plant Management course (SNPM).

Mr. Béland is a Knight [Chevalier] of the National Order of the French Legion of Honourand a member of the Advisory Board of the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University.

Josh Green

Chief Executive Officer

Mysa

Josh Green is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mysa, which he co-founded in 2014 immediately after completing his Mechanical Engineering degree at Dalhousie University. Together with his brother and co-founder, Zach, Josh has successfully led the Mysa team in bringing to market a range of smart thermostats, including those for baseboard heating, in-floor heating, and mini-split heat pumps. Mysa has shipped over 300,000 devices across Canada and the United States, a testament to the company’s innovative and effective products. Based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Josh is an avid hiker and enjoys spending quality time with his family.

Joel Berntsen

Vice President

Vutility

Joel is an award-winning, strategic senior sales, marketing, and technology leader with 15+ years of experience creating and scaling exceptional product offerings at organizations ranging from Fortune 100 leaders to Inc. 500 start-ups. In his roles, he has advanced the adoption of innovative smart building and energy management solutions to deliver increased efficiency, sustainability, and peace of mind in the IoT-enabled, digitalized world of today and tomorrow.

Tim Baxter

Former CEO

Samsung Electronics

Tim Baxter is a results-oriented global leader with a successful track record of revenue growth and value creation spanning over 35 years in the consumer electronics, telecom, mobile, appliance and entertainment industries. Tim has excelled in managing and scaling businesses and teams, transforming organizations, handling crisis management, leading and launching innovative technology solutions, public speaking and giving back to the community.

Tim currently serves as Director at Breville Group Ltd. (ASX:BRG): Director at PAVmed (Nasdaq:PAVM,PAVMZ); Operating Partner at Centre Partners Management LLC, a leading middle market private equity firm; Chairman of its portfolio company – Alliance Mobile Solutions, the 2nd largest AT&T Authorized Retailer operating 304 wireless stores; Chairman at VueReal, a next gen Microled display and sensor company; Lead Outside Director of First Orion Corp., a technology software provider.

Tim most recently was the President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. He joined Samsung in 2006 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Consumer Electronics Division before being promoted to President in 2009, Chief Operating Officer in 2014 and CEO in 2017.

Tim graduated from Roger Williams University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees and spent 12 years as a Trustee. He holds an honorary degree from Roger Williams University and honorary doctorate from South Carolina State University.

Katrina White

Sustainable Finance Associate

BloombergNEF

Katrina covers the financial industry’s transition to a low-carbon economy within BloombergNEF’s corporate sustainability research team, which publishes content on private sector climate reporting, target-setting, low-carbon pathways and sustainable finance. Katrina specializes in strategies for financial institutions pursuing net-zero targets through the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

Frederic Nabki

Co-founder, Chief Technology Officer

SPARK Microsystems

Frederic Nabki, with both B.Eng. (Hons.) and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, has made significant strides in the field of microelectronics. His career began at the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2008, transitioning later to the École de Technologie Supérieure in Montreal. His work focuses on advancements in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), integrated circuits (ICs), and their integration, leading to the co-founding of SPARK Microsystems, a company born from his academic research.

Dr. Nabki’s research contributions include over 200 scientific publications, more than 50 patents, and pioneering technologies in silicon carbide micromachining, ultra-wideband wireless transceivers, and integrated optical communication systems. SPARK Microsystems, under his guidance, has gained international recognition for its innovative wireless technology that significantly improves battery life and enhances multimedia experiences across personal area networks. Additionally, his research work has supported the growth of two other Montreal-based startups in the IoT sensors and optical telecommunication sectors.

Recognized for his contributions, Dr. Nabki received the J.J. Archambault Eastern Canada Merit Award from IEEE in 2019. As CTO of SPARK Microsystems, he continues to drive the development of energy-efficient wireless technologies, contributing to the global pursuit of sustainable technological solutions. His role as an advisory board member for Canada’s Semiconductor Council since 2023 underscores his commitment to fostering the advancement of the national semiconductor industry.

Christian G. Brosseau

Private equity & impact investments – Structuring Capital, Energy, Environment and Technologies

Fonds de solidarité FTQ

Christian has a BA in Economics from Université de Montréal and a BA in Business Administration from HEC Montréal. Hebegan his career at PwC before joining Hydro-Québec where he carried outmany large-scale projects and oversaw commercial activities and energy transactions for Hydro-Québec Productionfor overten years. After that, he heldmanagement positions in organizations such as CGI, Solargise Canada and Cofomo. In 2020, he joined the Fonds de solidarité FTQ as Vice President, Private Equity and Impact Investments –Structuring Capital, Energy and Environment.

Melissa Chee

Founding Member

Melissa Chee is a visionary tech executive, entrepreneur, and business leader who has created global companies and transformative technologies.

Building on a 25-year career scaling global technology multinationals and start-ups, Melissa most recently was the CEO of ventureLAB, a leading global founder community for hardware and enterprise software companies in Canada. At ventureLAB, she elevated Canada in the global semiconductor industry through initiatives such as ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s first and only hub for semiconductor and hardware tech companies and was a founding member of Canada’s Semiconductor Council. During Melissa’s tenure the organization was recognized as one of Canada’s most Admired Corporate Cultures and thrice as a Great Place to Work for Inclusion, Technology, and Managed by Women.

A champion of diversity, inclusion, and the advancement of women and girls in STEM, Melissa is a respected thought leader at the strategic intersection of critical technology sectors and the imperative for a more inclusive tech ecosystem. Melissa currently serves on the boards of the Vector Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Scientists in School. She is a past board director at NGEN – Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing, Mackenzie Health Innovation Institute and Make-A-Wish Canada’s Corporate Cabinet.

She holds a MBA with Honours from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from McGill University.

Sandra Odendahl, P.Eng, CFA

Senior Vice President and Head, Sustainability and Diversity

BDC

Sandra Odendahl is Senior Vice President and Head, Sustainability and Diversity at BDC. Sandra leads all facets of BDC’s Corporate Sustainability and ESG strategy and programs, including the bank’s renewed and enhanced focus on the environment as well as its diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. She is also responsible for overseeing BDC’s strategic partnerships with organizations that help deliver economic, social and environmental impact in communities across Canada. Sandra holds a Master of Applied Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charter holder.

Patrick Gagné

Chief Executive Officer

Cycle Momentum

John East

Former CEO

Actel

John East was the CEO of Actel – A Silicon Valley semiconductor company — for 22 years.  He led the company from its start-up phase through a successful IPO and finally into a merger with what would later become MicroChip Technology.  He currently serves on the boards of directors of SPARK Microsystems – a Quebec-based start-up involved in developing high speed, low power radios — and Cycuity — a Silicon Valley start-up involved in hardware security.   He is presently an advisor to Silicon Catalyst — a Silicon Valley based incubator.  He recently authored the book “Silicon Valley the Way I Saw It”. 

Mr East holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA both from the University of California, Berkeley.

Neil R. Brown

Managing Director at KKR Global Institute

Neil R. Brown (New York) joined KKR in 2014 and is Managing Director at the KKR Global Institute and the Infrastructure & Climate team. Mr. Brown works at the intersection of finance and geopolitics to navigate global complexity, open new markets for investment, and invest in energy, climate, and infrastructure. He co-led KKR’s first investments in several countries and has been involved across five continents. He is on the boards of Contour Global, Albioma, ADNOC Oil Pipelines, ON*Net Fibra Chile, ON*Net Fibra Colombia, MetroNet, Nexo LatAm, and Monterra Energy, and has been involved with Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Marverde Infraestructura (Pemex Midstream), and United Group (SBB/Telemach), amongst others. Mr. Brown is also a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States, specializing in energy and foreign policy. Before joining KKR, Mr. Brown served for over eight years on the senior staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, working with the late Senator Richard G. Lugar. In that capacity, Neil led legislative efforts and oversight on global energy security and governance, environment, and domestic energy, and he worked on countering weapons of mass destruction. He has also served as a senior advisor at Goldwyn Global Strategies, on the U.S. Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative advisory committee for the U.S. Secretary of Interior, and as a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He previously undertook refugee and development work while living in Nepal, Namibia, and Egypt. Mr. Brown currently serves on the non-profit boards of The Lugar Center, Merton College Charitable Corporation, Association of American Rhodes Scholars, and Columbia University Energy Journalism Initiative. Mr Brown is an honours graduate of Harvard University and received graduate MSc and MPhil degrees from Oxford University, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar.

Julia Attwood

Head of Sustainable Materials

BloombergNEF

Julia Attwood leads the Sustainable Materials team at BloombergNEF. She writes about pathways to decarbonisation for heavy industry, focusing on the circular economy, CCUS, and sustainable materials. Prior to this, she was BNEF’s expert in lithium-ion battery technologies, costs and supply chain. Before joining BNEF, Julia researched advanced polymer composites. She holds a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Benoit Forcier

Senior Partner

Circular Innovation Fund

Benoit Forcier is a Senior Partner at Cycle Capital where he leads the Circular Innovation Fund (CIF), global growth-stage venture capital fund focused exclusively on circular innovation, striving to positively contribute to climate change mitigation and the circular use of resources. Managed by Cycle Capital and Demeter, a team of financial entrepreneurs with years of cleantech-focused capital management experience, with the support of anchor investors L’Oréal, the fund’s mission is to accelerate the growth of circular innovation, close the loop on single-use waste and re-design our economy for a more sustainable future.

Benoit has more than 27 years of experience in finance and business development, including 15 years of technology and venture capital investing throughout Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and the U.S. Benoit joins the CIF after four years at BDC as part of the Cleantech Practice where he played an instrumental role in supporting high-impact cleantech companies to successfully scale. Before joining BDC, Benoit was a Partner at Cycle Capital, where he was the investment lead and board member of six portfolio companies across three funds. Before that, he was VP of Investment at Innovacorp, Nova Scotia’s crown corporation in early-stage venture capital. Benoit started his career in the telecom sector with BCE Inc., followed by Telesystem International Wireless where he oversaw venture and corporate investment, strategic alliances and risk and treasury management.

Liz Rodgers

Vice President Sustainable Product

Nike

Liz currently serves as Vice President Sustainable Product of NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE), the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. She joined Nike in 1995 and has held a wide range of leadership positions in the footwear and apparel divisions as well as roles in strategic planning and marketplace. In her current role, Liz leads a team that is focused on integrating sustainability across product creation to help protect the future of sport and maintain an environment where all athletes can live, train and thrive

Priyanka Bakaya

Commercialization Advisor

U.S. Department of Energy

Priyanka Bakaya currently serves as a Commercialization Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy – Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). She helps make award selections and advises early-stage innovators on scale-up and commercialization, with a focus on industrial decarbonization and circular economy. As a former Founder & CEO, she brings over a decade of experience scaling up and commercializing technology. She coaches founders on entrepreneurship and sustainability through MIT Bootcamps. She began her career in finance and venture capital, and currently serves on the Impact Committee of the Circular Innovation Fund. She has been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 List, the Fortune 40 Under 40: Ones to Watch List, is a Cartier Women’s Initiative Award Laureate, and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She is a graduate of MIT Sloan and Stanford University with Honors and has completed Executive Education at Harvard’s Kennedy School and Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.