Past Event

2022 MIT Startup Showcase Silicon Valley: Sustainability

June 22, 2022
Hyatt Centric Mountain View
2022 MIT Startup Showcase Silicon Valley: Sustainability

Location

Hyatt Centric Mountain View
409 San Antonio Road
Mountain View, CA 94040

Overview

This one-day event will bring together industry leaders, thought leaders, innovators and disruptors around the topic of Sustainability. We will explore sustainability and its business implications across industries from the perspective of senior corporate leaders, startup founders, investors and world class MIT faculty via keynotes, panel discussion, lightning talks and startup exhibits. Topic should appeal to a broad cross section of senior executives regardless of industry.

How should corporates set and reach their sustainability goals?  What work are industry leaders doing today to decarbonize their operations, and what themes are emerging?  How should we think about sustainability partnerships with competitors, government, investors and startups?  Where are investors putting their capital?  What problems can startups solve for corporates, and what do effective startup-corporate partnerships look like?  These are just some of the questions we will address.

Join us to be part of the conversation, and to be part of the solution.

The event is jointly organized by the MIT Startup Exchange and the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP).
 
MIT Startup Exchange actively promotes collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry, exclusively members of MIT's Industrial Liaison Program. “MIT-connected” startups are based on licensed MIT technology, or are founded by MIT faculty, staff, or alumni. Currently, over 1,000 startups are registered with MIT Startup Exchange


Live streaming is available for two lightning talk sessions ONLY. 
   * Startup Lightning Talks, Part 1: 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM PST
   * Startup Lightning Talks, Part 2: 12:10 PM - 12:40 PM PST
  • Overview

    This one-day event will bring together industry leaders, thought leaders, innovators and disruptors around the topic of Sustainability. We will explore sustainability and its business implications across industries from the perspective of senior corporate leaders, startup founders, investors and world class MIT faculty via keynotes, panel discussion, lightning talks and startup exhibits. Topic should appeal to a broad cross section of senior executives regardless of industry.

    How should corporates set and reach their sustainability goals?  What work are industry leaders doing today to decarbonize their operations, and what themes are emerging?  How should we think about sustainability partnerships with competitors, government, investors and startups?  Where are investors putting their capital?  What problems can startups solve for corporates, and what do effective startup-corporate partnerships look like?  These are just some of the questions we will address.

    Join us to be part of the conversation, and to be part of the solution.

    The event is jointly organized by the MIT Startup Exchange and the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP).
     
    MIT Startup Exchange actively promotes collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry, exclusively members of MIT's Industrial Liaison Program. “MIT-connected” startups are based on licensed MIT technology, or are founded by MIT faculty, staff, or alumni. Currently, over 1,000 startups are registered with MIT Startup Exchange


    Live streaming is available for two lightning talk sessions ONLY. 
       * Startup Lightning Talks, Part 1: 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM PST
       * Startup Lightning Talks, Part 2: 12:10 PM - 12:40 PM PST

Agenda

8:00 AM
Registration with Light Breakfast
9:00 AM
Welcome and Introduction
Senior Director, MIT Corporate Relations, MIT Corporate Relations
Todd Glickman headshot
Todd Glickman
Senior Director, MIT Corporate Relations

 

Mr. Glickman joined the Industrial Liaison Program in January 2000, serving as the MIT liaison for companies worldwide, and joined the senior management of the office in 2005.

Prior to joining ILP, Todd was Assistant Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the professional society for meteorologists, which is based in Boston. At AMS, Todd's responsibilities included strategic planning for conferences, headquarters' liaison with AMS member boards and committees, support to the AMS Council, and public relations. In addition, Todd was Managing Editor for the AMS Glossary of Meteorology (2nd edition).

From 1979 to 1994, Todd held a variety of positions with WSI Corporation of Billerica, MA, including Manager, New Product Development, Media Marketing Manager, and Manager of the Government Program Office. WSI was a pioneer in the development of real-time weather information, providing value-added information and workstations for clients in media, aviation, industry, academia, and government. Some of Todd's projects included development of the weather data/information infrastructure for The Weather Channel; the introduction of digital satellite and radar imagery for television; planning and implementation of a network of weather briefing systems for the Federal Aviation Administration; and serving as liaison with the National Weather Service and professional organizations. In addition, Todd was instrumental in helping to develop the public-private partnership between the weather information industry and the Federal government.

Concurrently, Todd has a more than 30-year career as a radio meteorologist, and has been heard on dozens of stations nationwide. Today, he can be heard occasionally on all-news WCBS Newsradio-88 in New York City. He has chaired numerous meteorological conferences and symposia, and served on a number of boards and committees for the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He was awarded the AMS Seal of Approval for Radio Weathercasting in 1979, and was elected a Fellow of the AMS in 1997.

Todd's interests include transportation systems of all types, and he is an officer and past-trustee of the Seashore Trolley Museum of Kennebunkport, Maine. At MIT, Todd an officer and trustee of the Technology Broadcasting Corporation, which oversees the campus radio station WMBR-FM. He also volunteers as the academic advisor to a group of MIT freshman.

Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange
Marcus Dahllöf
Marcus Dahllöf
Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange

Marcus Dahllöf leads MIT Startup Exchange, which facilitates connections between MIT-connected startups and corporate members of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). Dahllöf manages networking events, workshops, the STEX25 accelerator, opportunity postings, and helps define the strategic direction of MIT Startup Exchange. He is a two-time tech entrepreneur (one exit in cybersecurity), and has previously held roles in finance, software engineering, corporate strategy, and business development at emerging tech companies and Fortune 100 corporations in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Marcus was a member of the Swedish national rowing team and he is a mentor at the MIT Venture Mentoring Service.

9:10 AM
President & CEO, DOCOMO Innovations, and Senior Managing Director, NTT DOCOMO Ventures
Takashi Hara
Takashi Hara
President & CEO, DOCOMO Innovations, and Senior Managing Director

・ Lead the long-histrical R&D Lab in Palo Alto (RAN/AI/DataAnalysis/Cloud/Open Innovaiton).
・ Develop collaboration businesses between startups in Sillicon Valley & enterprizes in Japan.
- Invest capital into cutting-edge startups as head of NTT Docomo Ventures Inc. Sillicon Volley branch.

In 2000, after graduating from Chiba University graduate school (Department of Intelligent Information Engineering and Science), Takashi joined NTT DOCOMO Co., Ltd. and developed Worldfs first 3G (W-CDMA) radio base stations in commercial and contributed in ensuring radio interoperability for international roaming with overseas carriers. Since 2005, he moved to Docomo Open Innovation management team, investing and leading the collaboration with cutting-edge ventures and partner companies of other industries.

In 2011, Sponsored by Docomo, Takashi obtained a MBA from the University of Southern California (USC) and he came back and took charge of the formulation of the mid-term vision and plan in the Corporate Strategy Department, including the design of USD 45 billion sales & USD 35 billion budget. In 2017, Takashi was the Senior Manager creating innovative business models with new technologies, such as machine learning, telemedicine, xR, drone etc. Especially he succeeded to initiate and expand Docomo’s drone business “Docomo Sky” in Japan & South-East Asia.

The NTT Group alone uses 1% of Japan's electricity and approximately 1/4 of Tokyo's electricity in its own operations. In September 2021, its commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions arising from its business activities effectively to zero by 2030. In order to help society as a whole achieve carbon neutrality, DOCOMO will roll out a new ecosystem called "Caboneu (TM)" in conjunction with its partners and customers, under the slogan "Saving Our Planet With You."

9:40 AM
Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Elsa Olivetti
Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Elsa Olivetti is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials in the context of rapid-expanding global demand. Dr. Olivetti received her B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering from MIT.

10:10 AM
Startup Lightning Talks, Part 1

Program Manager, MIT Startup Exchange

Ariadna Rodenstein
Ariadna Rodenstein

Program Manager, MIT Startup Exchange

 

Ariadna Rodenstein is a Program Manager at MIT Startup Exchange. She joined MIT Corporate Relations as an Events Leader in September 2019 and is responsible for designing and executing startup events, including content development, coaching and hosting, and logistics. Ms. Rodenstein works closely with the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) in promoting collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry, as well as with other areas around the MIT innovation ecosystem and beyond.

Prior to working for MIT Corporate Relations, she worked for over a decade at Credit Suisse Group in New York and London, in a few different roles in event management and as Director of Client Strategy. Ms. Rodenstein has combined her experience in the private sector with work at non-profits as a Consultant and Development Director at New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defense Project, and Americas Society/Council of the Americas. She also served as an Officer on the Board of Directors of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association in New York for several years. Additionally, she earned her B.A. in Political Science and Communications from New York University, with coursework at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico City, and her M.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York.

Transparent, super-insulating aerogels for energy-efficient windows
Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
Co-Founder & VP of Operations, AeroShield
Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
Co-Founder & VP of Operations

Aaron Baskerville-Bridges is Co-Founder & VP of Operations at AeroShield Materials, a seed-stage MIT spinout making super-insulating transparent inserts for energy-efficient windows and glass. He currently leads AeroShield’s biz ops, business development, and funding roadmap. Aaron is an LGO ’20 from the Chemical Engineering department. Prior to MIT, Aaron spent three years with the BCG as a management consultant supporting operational improvement projects in the energy sector, supply chain optimization, and private equity due diligence.

Economical and environmentally friendly biochemicals and biomaterials
Jack Baron
President and EVP, Sweetwater Energy
Jack Baron headshot
Jack Baron
President and EVP

Jack Baron has more than 25 years' experience in executive, sales, marketing, and operations management. He co-founded PAETEC where he served as Chief Marketing and Training Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining PAETEC, he served as National Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for

ACC TeleCom's U.S. operations. Mr. Baron also served as President of ETI Technical College, a 4-year engineering college in Cleveland.

Mr. Baron also chaired the Rochester Angel Network, an investment organization focused on early-stage technology and energy companies in New York State. He belongs to the board of directors for Affle Mobile Media, which is owned primarily by Microsoft and based in Singapore.

Mr. Baron has an M.B.A. from Syracuse University with a concentration in marketing, graduating summa cum laude. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester, where he graduated with high honors.

Creating a sustainable supply of critical minerals
Megan O’Connor
Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle
Megan O’Connor
Co-Founder and CEO

Megan O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a metal processing company that has developed technology to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Dr. O’Connor leverages years of experience working on sustainable technology in many of America’s top research labs, where she helped develop the electro-extraction processes she and her team are commercializing at Nth Cycle. Prior to founding Nth Cycle, Dr. O’Connor was an Entrepreneurial Fellow in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was a visiting researcher at Yale University’s Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering. Dr. O’Connor received her PhD in environmental engineering from Duke University and was recognized by Forbes on its “30 under 30” energy list in 2019.

Nth Cycle is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is supported by a world-class team of investors including Clean Energy Ventures, VoLo Earth Venture Fund, the Department of Energy, and Elemental Excelerator.

 

A Big Solution for a Big Challenge
Nick Mannarino
Business Development Engineer, Amogy
Nick Mannarino headshot
Nick Mannarino
Business Development Engineer

 

Nick Mannarino received a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from Cooper Union and a Masters in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT. During Nick’s time at MIT he worked on the regenerative properties of carbon capture materials at the University of Pisa in Italy, a lifecycle assessment of biomass as a carbon source for pig iron production at Tecnored (a division of Vale) in Brazil, and process modeling for the manufacturing of aluminum at Emirates Global Aluminium in the UAE.
Upon graduating from MIT, Nick spent 5 years in R&D on the Beverage Process Engineering team at PepsiCo. On this team, Nick developed new beverage processing technologies (e.g. product batching, carbonation, beverage filling) to enable innovation, productivity, sustainability, and brand stewardship within the PepsiCo portfolio. He was a main point of contact for all major and minor equipment suppliers and led technical vetting discussions for new technology that could potentially come to PepsiCo. He managed all key learnings in a globally accessible database and routinely gave trainings on filling and processing technologies for new engineers. Nick was heavily involved in upgrading PepsiCo’s on-site pilot plant and managed the installation and commissioning of several pilot scale processes/production lines. He was also on the main engineering team for the development and launch of the new product and beverage platform Pepsi Nitro.

Nick joined Amogy in May 2022 as its Business Development Engineer where his role is to establish, develop, and maintain connections with industry partners as well as to develop strategy and lead some of the upcoming engineering projects.

10:40 AM
Networking Break
11:10 AM

Energy Services Manager, Connected eMobility, BMW North America

Adam Langton headshot
Adam Langton

Energy Services Manager, Connected eMobility, BMW North America

Adam Langton is the Energy Services Manager for BMW of North America, LLC. In this role, Adam develops digital energy products for BMW electric vehicles, including smart charging, vehicle-to-grid functionality, data tools, and fleet management services. Adam leads a BMW team developing and implementing the BMW ChargeForward smart charging program and leads BMW’s efforts to establish sustainable energy partnerships for BMW electric vehicle drivers in the US.

Prior to joining BMW, Adam worked at the California Public Utilities Commission, supporting California’s electric vehicle programs and developing the California carbon cap-and-trade program. Adam is based at BMW’s Mountain View Tech Office in Silicon Valley.

 

11:40 AM

Professor, Architecture, Building Technology and Engineering Systems
Director, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

John Fernández
John Fernández

Professor, Architecture, Building Technology and Engineering Systems
Director, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

John E. Fernández is a professor of building technology in the Department of Architecture at MIT and a practicing architect. Fernández founded and directs the MIT Urban Metabolism Group, a highly multidisciplinary research group focused on the resource intensity of cities and design and technology pathways for future urbanization. He is author of two books, numerous articles in scientific and design journals including Science, the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Building and Environment, Energy Policy and others, and author of nine book chapters. He is Chair of Sustainable Urban Systems for the International Society of Industrial Ecology and Associate Editor of the journal Sustainable Cities and Society. Fernández served as Director of the Building Technology Program in the Department of Architecture from 2010 to 2015 and as the Director of the International Design Center at MIT from 2012 to 2015. He previously served as the Director of Research for Sustainable Energy Systems of the MIT Portugal Program.

Fernández is a member of the Board for New Ecology, Inc., and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Sustainable Energy of the Fraunhofer Institute. At MIT, Fernández serves on the Committee on the Innovation Initiative, the Faculty Policy Committee, and the Institute Planning Committee, as well as the Campus Sustainability Task Force, the MIT Materials and Waste Management Working Group, and the Metropolitan Warehouse Advisory Group. Fernández is Housemaster for MIT’s Baker House.
 
Fernández has served on several National Science Foundation Review Panels, as a member of the Department of Energy Roadmap 2020 Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Building Envelope Technology and Environmental Council of the National Institute of Building Science. He also served as a member of the Research Committee of the United States Green Building Council. Fernández has participated in the launch of two startup companies in the past 5 years. With his partner and wife, Malvina Lampietti, Fernández has been designer of more than 2.5 million square feet of new construction. As senior designer in two major New York City architecture firms Fernández led the design and construction of major commercial, institutional, and residential buildings in Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Jakarta, Tokyo, Shanghai, and other locations.

12:10 PM
Startup Lightning Talks, Part 2
Events Leader, MIT Startup Exchange, MIT Startup Exchange
Ariadna Rodenstein
Ariadna Rodenstein
Events Leader, MIT Startup Exchange

Ariadna joined MIT Startup Exchange in a new role as Events Leader in September 2019. She has responsibility for the development and execution of events featuring startups, and for helping to promote collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry. She works closely with the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), also within Corporate Relations, and with other areas around the MIT innovation ecosystem and beyond. Prior to this, Ariadna worked for over a decade at Credit Suisse Group in New York City and London in a few different roles in event management and later became a Director for client strategy. She has combined her experience in the private sector with work in non-profits as a Consultant and Development Director at the New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defense Project and Americas Society/Council of the Americas. Ariadna also served on the Board of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association in NY for several years. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and Communications from New York University (NYU), also doing coursework at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico City, and her M.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York (CUNY).

Jetcool: Compute Faster and More Sustainably
Bernie Malouin
Founder & CEO, Jetcool
Bernie Malouin
Founder & CEO

Dr. Bernie Malouin is the founder and CEO of JETCOOL Technologies. Previously, Dr. Malouin spent 8 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he served as Chief Engineer on a $100M airborne hardware program. He was also the Principal Investigator on a $1.2M research and development project on cooling high power electronics, and has 13 years of experience in liquid cooling of electronics. Dr. Malouin holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and a BS in aeronautical engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. You may also find him fixing a tractor, flying an airplane, or bicycling a rail trail.

Xinterra: AI-Powered Sustainable Materials and Formulations Development
Patrick Teyssonneyre
Co-Founder & CEO, Xinterra
Patrick-Teyssonneyre-Xinterra
Patrick Teyssonneyre
Co-Founder & CEO

Patrick Teyssonneyre is an entrepreneur, angel investor and accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of global experience in Deep Tech Ventures, Climate Tech and General Management of Innovation and Technology, having led the development of numerous Technologies, Products and Applications into successful commercialization in the Chemical and Materials Industries. Teyssonneyre has a B.S. in Materials Engineering, earned an M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Precise Molecular Separations with Membranes for Industrial Decarbonization
Francesco M. Benedetti
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Osmoses
Francesco Benedetti
Francesco M. Benedetti
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

Dr. Francesco M Benedetti is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Osmoses, Inc. He earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy, and worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Benedetti received a 2019/2020 MIT Energy Fellowship, a 2021 Activate Fellowship, and was an NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurial Lead in 2021. Under his leadership, Osmoses won the MIT $100k Entrepreneurship Competition in 2021, the 2021 Cleantech Open Northeast Accelerator, the Carbon Sequestration Prize, and in November 2021 closed a $3 million Pre-Seed round of financing led by The Engine and joined by other top national venture capital firms.

 

Transforming Sargassum Seaweed into Scalable Ocean Sequestration of Carbon
Andrés Bisonó León

Co-Founder & CEO, SOS Carbon

Andrés Bisonó León headshot
Andrés Bisonó León

Co-Founder & CEO, SOS Carbon

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Andres is a ClimateTech entrepreneur working at the intersection of social impact and Climate Action. Andres holds a dual-major in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from Drexel University. Social and environmental impact has always been part of Andres' life endeavors. While in Philadelphia, he supported the community and empowered students and professionals by being part of LeBow BRIDGE Advisory Board and Prospanica Philadelphia Board. He worked at New Hudson Facades, a Related Companies subsidiary, in the development of three skyscrapers with a projects scope worth over USD$170 M at the iconic Hudson Yards in NYC. Since 2018, Andres has been leading SOS Carbon Inc. Sargassum Ocean Sequestration of Carbon (SOS Carbon) is a spinoff company from the Mechanical Engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SOS Carbon is focused on scaling its unique patented technologies to turn sargassum seaweed invasions problem into an economical natural Ocean carbon sequestering opportunity. As a member of MIT Sloan School of Management, Andres’ motivation is his capacity to transform society and the environment for a better tomorrow. SOS Carbon in committed to solving one of the Caribbean's most threatening problem, generate employment and value chains to the region, and fight climate change for a global impact.

12:40 PM
Lunch with Startup Exhibit
1:50 PM

Director - Supply Chain Sustainability, Intel Corporation

Adam Schafer headshot
Adam Schafer

Director - Supply Chain Sustainability, Intel Corporation

Experienced Engineering Manager and Sustainability Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the semiconductors industry. Skilled in Sustainability, Conflict Minerals, Human Rights and Forced and Bonded Labor, Chemical Regulatory Issues, Photolithography, Metrology, Defect Inspection, Process Control, Research and Development (R&D), Integrated Circuits (IC), CMOS, and Semiconductor Industry. Strong engineering professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Physical Chemistry from University of Washington.

2:20 PM
The Innovator’s Opportunity: Driving Decarbonization in an ESG Era
Dominic Barbato
Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business
Dominic Barbato headshot
Dominic Barbato
Vice President, Strategy & Innovation

Dominic leads global strategy and innovation for Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business where he is responsible for evolving the vision of the organization through long-term strategic planning, acquisition and partnership pursuits, innovation advancement, offer expansion, and relationship development. A Schneider “boomerang”, Dominic has held a variety of operations and leadership roles over his 15+ years with the company.

Previously, Dominic was a part of Deloitte’s energy and resources practice, as well as a founding member of a startup focused on energy-as-a-service. He is passionate about the energy and sustainability industry, innovation, and delivering value to clients. Dominic holds an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Centre College.

The topic of sustainability has gained mainstream attention with billions of dollars globally being committed to decarbonization as well as other social and governance matters. As one of the world’s most sustainable corporations, Schneider Electric is leading at the heart of this transition through a multi-faceted approach that includes pursuing its own Net-Zero commitments, accelerating the growth of its Sustainability Business to advise other organizations on their decarbonization journeys, and pursuing investments in early-stage opportunities through its corporate ventures group.

2:50 PM
Moderator:
Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange
Marcus Dahllöf
Marcus Dahllöf
Program Director

Marcus Dahllöf leads MIT Startup Exchange, which facilitates connections between MIT-connected startups and corporate members of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). Dahllöf manages networking events, workshops, the STEX25 accelerator, opportunity postings, and helps define the strategic direction of MIT Startup Exchange. He is a two-time tech entrepreneur (one exit in cybersecurity), and has previously held roles in finance, software engineering, corporate strategy, and business development at emerging tech companies and Fortune 100 corporations in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Marcus was a member of the Swedish national rowing team and he is a mentor at the MIT Venture Mentoring Service.

Panelists:
Dominic Barbato
Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business
Dominic Barbato headshot
Dominic Barbato
Vice President, Strategy & Innovation

Dominic leads global strategy and innovation for Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business where he is responsible for evolving the vision of the organization through long-term strategic planning, acquisition and partnership pursuits, innovation advancement, offer expansion, and relationship development. A Schneider “boomerang”, Dominic has held a variety of operations and leadership roles over his 15+ years with the company.

Previously, Dominic was a part of Deloitte’s energy and resources practice, as well as a founding member of a startup focused on energy-as-a-service. He is passionate about the energy and sustainability industry, innovation, and delivering value to clients. Dominic holds an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Centre College.

Edgerton Associate Professor, MIT DMSE
Elsa Olivetti headshot
Elsa Olivetti
Edgerton Associate Professor

Elsa Olivetti is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials in the context of rapid-expanding global demand. Dr. Olivetti received her B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering from MIT.

Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle

Megan O'Connor headshot
Megan O'Connor

Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle

 

Megan O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a metal processing company that has developed technology to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Dr. O’Connor leverages years of experience working on sustainable technology in many of America’s top research labs, where she helped develop the electro-extraction processes she and her team are commercializing at Nth Cycle. Prior to founding Nth Cycle, Dr. O’Connor was an Entrepreneurial Fellow in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was a visiting researcher at Yale University’s Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering. Dr. O’Connor received her PhD in environmental engineering from Duke University and was recognized by Forbes on its “30 under 30” energy list in 2019.

Nth Cycle is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is supported by a world-class team of investors including Clean Energy Ventures, VoLo Earth Venture Fund, the Department of Energy, and Elemental Excelerator.

Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Congruent Ventures

Joshua Posamentier headshot
Joshua Posamentier

Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Congruent Ventures

Joshua Posamentier is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Congruent Ventures. Joshua oversees Congruent’s investments in PolySpectra, Sense Photonics, Energetic Insurance, TeleSense, Bellwether Coffee, Xtelligent, ArcByt, Fox Robotics, and Emergy Labs. He has rich experience in venture (Prelude Ventures, Intel Capital) and operating roles (Intel, National Semi, TI), and entrepreneurship (CEO of Blipstream). He was an integral member of Intel’s first wireless chip team, started and ran National Semiconductor’s EV, Energy Storage and Smart Grid business units and initiated investment in several new business lines. Joshua has over 50 patents issued or pending, holds a BA in physics from the University California at Berkeley, and holds MBAs from the Columbia Business School and the Haas School of Business. Josh is an avid cyclist, skier, sailor, surfer, and photographer and lives with his family in the SF Bay Area.

3:30 PM

21Geo – A New Paradigm for Mechanisms

MosaicML – Making ML Training Efficient

LongWave Photonics - Quantum cascade lasers for spectroscopy and imaging

TrustPoint - Resilient GPS for the automated and augmented world

Vayu Robotics – An environmentally sustainable and scalable robotics platform for mobility

VoiceBrain – Analytics platform that turns group voice communication into real-time actionable insights

Zing Data – Data at your fingertips for collaborative business intelligence

3:45 PM
Closing Remarks with Networking Reception
  • Agenda
    8:00 AM
    Registration with Light Breakfast
    9:00 AM
    Welcome and Introduction
    Senior Director, MIT Corporate Relations, MIT Corporate Relations
    Todd Glickman headshot
    Todd Glickman
    Senior Director, MIT Corporate Relations

     

    Mr. Glickman joined the Industrial Liaison Program in January 2000, serving as the MIT liaison for companies worldwide, and joined the senior management of the office in 2005.

    Prior to joining ILP, Todd was Assistant Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the professional society for meteorologists, which is based in Boston. At AMS, Todd's responsibilities included strategic planning for conferences, headquarters' liaison with AMS member boards and committees, support to the AMS Council, and public relations. In addition, Todd was Managing Editor for the AMS Glossary of Meteorology (2nd edition).

    From 1979 to 1994, Todd held a variety of positions with WSI Corporation of Billerica, MA, including Manager, New Product Development, Media Marketing Manager, and Manager of the Government Program Office. WSI was a pioneer in the development of real-time weather information, providing value-added information and workstations for clients in media, aviation, industry, academia, and government. Some of Todd's projects included development of the weather data/information infrastructure for The Weather Channel; the introduction of digital satellite and radar imagery for television; planning and implementation of a network of weather briefing systems for the Federal Aviation Administration; and serving as liaison with the National Weather Service and professional organizations. In addition, Todd was instrumental in helping to develop the public-private partnership between the weather information industry and the Federal government.

    Concurrently, Todd has a more than 30-year career as a radio meteorologist, and has been heard on dozens of stations nationwide. Today, he can be heard occasionally on all-news WCBS Newsradio-88 in New York City. He has chaired numerous meteorological conferences and symposia, and served on a number of boards and committees for the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He was awarded the AMS Seal of Approval for Radio Weathercasting in 1979, and was elected a Fellow of the AMS in 1997.

    Todd's interests include transportation systems of all types, and he is an officer and past-trustee of the Seashore Trolley Museum of Kennebunkport, Maine. At MIT, Todd an officer and trustee of the Technology Broadcasting Corporation, which oversees the campus radio station WMBR-FM. He also volunteers as the academic advisor to a group of MIT freshman.

    Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange
    Marcus Dahllöf
    Marcus Dahllöf
    Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange

    Marcus Dahllöf leads MIT Startup Exchange, which facilitates connections between MIT-connected startups and corporate members of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). Dahllöf manages networking events, workshops, the STEX25 accelerator, opportunity postings, and helps define the strategic direction of MIT Startup Exchange. He is a two-time tech entrepreneur (one exit in cybersecurity), and has previously held roles in finance, software engineering, corporate strategy, and business development at emerging tech companies and Fortune 100 corporations in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Marcus was a member of the Swedish national rowing team and he is a mentor at the MIT Venture Mentoring Service.

    9:10 AM
    President & CEO, DOCOMO Innovations, and Senior Managing Director, NTT DOCOMO Ventures
    Takashi Hara
    Takashi Hara
    President & CEO, DOCOMO Innovations, and Senior Managing Director

    ・ Lead the long-histrical R&D Lab in Palo Alto (RAN/AI/DataAnalysis/Cloud/Open Innovaiton).
    ・ Develop collaboration businesses between startups in Sillicon Valley & enterprizes in Japan.
    - Invest capital into cutting-edge startups as head of NTT Docomo Ventures Inc. Sillicon Volley branch.

    In 2000, after graduating from Chiba University graduate school (Department of Intelligent Information Engineering and Science), Takashi joined NTT DOCOMO Co., Ltd. and developed Worldfs first 3G (W-CDMA) radio base stations in commercial and contributed in ensuring radio interoperability for international roaming with overseas carriers. Since 2005, he moved to Docomo Open Innovation management team, investing and leading the collaboration with cutting-edge ventures and partner companies of other industries.

    In 2011, Sponsored by Docomo, Takashi obtained a MBA from the University of Southern California (USC) and he came back and took charge of the formulation of the mid-term vision and plan in the Corporate Strategy Department, including the design of USD 45 billion sales & USD 35 billion budget. In 2017, Takashi was the Senior Manager creating innovative business models with new technologies, such as machine learning, telemedicine, xR, drone etc. Especially he succeeded to initiate and expand Docomo’s drone business “Docomo Sky” in Japan & South-East Asia.

    The NTT Group alone uses 1% of Japan's electricity and approximately 1/4 of Tokyo's electricity in its own operations. In September 2021, its commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions arising from its business activities effectively to zero by 2030. In order to help society as a whole achieve carbon neutrality, DOCOMO will roll out a new ecosystem called "Caboneu (TM)" in conjunction with its partners and customers, under the slogan "Saving Our Planet With You."

    9:40 AM
    Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
    Elsa Olivetti
    Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

    Elsa Olivetti is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials in the context of rapid-expanding global demand. Dr. Olivetti received her B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering from MIT.

    10:10 AM
    Startup Lightning Talks, Part 1

    Program Manager, MIT Startup Exchange

    Ariadna Rodenstein
    Ariadna Rodenstein

    Program Manager, MIT Startup Exchange

     

    Ariadna Rodenstein is a Program Manager at MIT Startup Exchange. She joined MIT Corporate Relations as an Events Leader in September 2019 and is responsible for designing and executing startup events, including content development, coaching and hosting, and logistics. Ms. Rodenstein works closely with the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) in promoting collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry, as well as with other areas around the MIT innovation ecosystem and beyond.

    Prior to working for MIT Corporate Relations, she worked for over a decade at Credit Suisse Group in New York and London, in a few different roles in event management and as Director of Client Strategy. Ms. Rodenstein has combined her experience in the private sector with work at non-profits as a Consultant and Development Director at New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defense Project, and Americas Society/Council of the Americas. She also served as an Officer on the Board of Directors of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association in New York for several years. Additionally, she earned her B.A. in Political Science and Communications from New York University, with coursework at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico City, and her M.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York.

    Transparent, super-insulating aerogels for energy-efficient windows
    Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
    Co-Founder & VP of Operations, AeroShield
    Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
    Aaron Baskerville-Bridges
    Co-Founder & VP of Operations

    Aaron Baskerville-Bridges is Co-Founder & VP of Operations at AeroShield Materials, a seed-stage MIT spinout making super-insulating transparent inserts for energy-efficient windows and glass. He currently leads AeroShield’s biz ops, business development, and funding roadmap. Aaron is an LGO ’20 from the Chemical Engineering department. Prior to MIT, Aaron spent three years with the BCG as a management consultant supporting operational improvement projects in the energy sector, supply chain optimization, and private equity due diligence.

    Economical and environmentally friendly biochemicals and biomaterials
    Jack Baron
    President and EVP, Sweetwater Energy
    Jack Baron headshot
    Jack Baron
    President and EVP

    Jack Baron has more than 25 years' experience in executive, sales, marketing, and operations management. He co-founded PAETEC where he served as Chief Marketing and Training Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining PAETEC, he served as National Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for

    ACC TeleCom's U.S. operations. Mr. Baron also served as President of ETI Technical College, a 4-year engineering college in Cleveland.

    Mr. Baron also chaired the Rochester Angel Network, an investment organization focused on early-stage technology and energy companies in New York State. He belongs to the board of directors for Affle Mobile Media, which is owned primarily by Microsoft and based in Singapore.

    Mr. Baron has an M.B.A. from Syracuse University with a concentration in marketing, graduating summa cum laude. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester, where he graduated with high honors.

    Creating a sustainable supply of critical minerals
    Megan O’Connor
    Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle
    Megan O’Connor
    Co-Founder and CEO

    Megan O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a metal processing company that has developed technology to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Dr. O’Connor leverages years of experience working on sustainable technology in many of America’s top research labs, where she helped develop the electro-extraction processes she and her team are commercializing at Nth Cycle. Prior to founding Nth Cycle, Dr. O’Connor was an Entrepreneurial Fellow in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was a visiting researcher at Yale University’s Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering. Dr. O’Connor received her PhD in environmental engineering from Duke University and was recognized by Forbes on its “30 under 30” energy list in 2019.

    Nth Cycle is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is supported by a world-class team of investors including Clean Energy Ventures, VoLo Earth Venture Fund, the Department of Energy, and Elemental Excelerator.

     

    A Big Solution for a Big Challenge
    Nick Mannarino
    Business Development Engineer, Amogy
    Nick Mannarino headshot
    Nick Mannarino
    Business Development Engineer

     

    Nick Mannarino received a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from Cooper Union and a Masters in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT. During Nick’s time at MIT he worked on the regenerative properties of carbon capture materials at the University of Pisa in Italy, a lifecycle assessment of biomass as a carbon source for pig iron production at Tecnored (a division of Vale) in Brazil, and process modeling for the manufacturing of aluminum at Emirates Global Aluminium in the UAE.
    Upon graduating from MIT, Nick spent 5 years in R&D on the Beverage Process Engineering team at PepsiCo. On this team, Nick developed new beverage processing technologies (e.g. product batching, carbonation, beverage filling) to enable innovation, productivity, sustainability, and brand stewardship within the PepsiCo portfolio. He was a main point of contact for all major and minor equipment suppliers and led technical vetting discussions for new technology that could potentially come to PepsiCo. He managed all key learnings in a globally accessible database and routinely gave trainings on filling and processing technologies for new engineers. Nick was heavily involved in upgrading PepsiCo’s on-site pilot plant and managed the installation and commissioning of several pilot scale processes/production lines. He was also on the main engineering team for the development and launch of the new product and beverage platform Pepsi Nitro.

    Nick joined Amogy in May 2022 as its Business Development Engineer where his role is to establish, develop, and maintain connections with industry partners as well as to develop strategy and lead some of the upcoming engineering projects.

    10:40 AM
    Networking Break
    11:10 AM

    Energy Services Manager, Connected eMobility, BMW North America

    Adam Langton headshot
    Adam Langton

    Energy Services Manager, Connected eMobility, BMW North America

    Adam Langton is the Energy Services Manager for BMW of North America, LLC. In this role, Adam develops digital energy products for BMW electric vehicles, including smart charging, vehicle-to-grid functionality, data tools, and fleet management services. Adam leads a BMW team developing and implementing the BMW ChargeForward smart charging program and leads BMW’s efforts to establish sustainable energy partnerships for BMW electric vehicle drivers in the US.

    Prior to joining BMW, Adam worked at the California Public Utilities Commission, supporting California’s electric vehicle programs and developing the California carbon cap-and-trade program. Adam is based at BMW’s Mountain View Tech Office in Silicon Valley.

     

    11:40 AM

    Professor, Architecture, Building Technology and Engineering Systems
    Director, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

    John Fernández
    John Fernández

    Professor, Architecture, Building Technology and Engineering Systems
    Director, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

    John E. Fernández is a professor of building technology in the Department of Architecture at MIT and a practicing architect. Fernández founded and directs the MIT Urban Metabolism Group, a highly multidisciplinary research group focused on the resource intensity of cities and design and technology pathways for future urbanization. He is author of two books, numerous articles in scientific and design journals including Science, the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Building and Environment, Energy Policy and others, and author of nine book chapters. He is Chair of Sustainable Urban Systems for the International Society of Industrial Ecology and Associate Editor of the journal Sustainable Cities and Society. Fernández served as Director of the Building Technology Program in the Department of Architecture from 2010 to 2015 and as the Director of the International Design Center at MIT from 2012 to 2015. He previously served as the Director of Research for Sustainable Energy Systems of the MIT Portugal Program.

    Fernández is a member of the Board for New Ecology, Inc., and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Sustainable Energy of the Fraunhofer Institute. At MIT, Fernández serves on the Committee on the Innovation Initiative, the Faculty Policy Committee, and the Institute Planning Committee, as well as the Campus Sustainability Task Force, the MIT Materials and Waste Management Working Group, and the Metropolitan Warehouse Advisory Group. Fernández is Housemaster for MIT’s Baker House.
     
    Fernández has served on several National Science Foundation Review Panels, as a member of the Department of Energy Roadmap 2020 Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Building Envelope Technology and Environmental Council of the National Institute of Building Science. He also served as a member of the Research Committee of the United States Green Building Council. Fernández has participated in the launch of two startup companies in the past 5 years. With his partner and wife, Malvina Lampietti, Fernández has been designer of more than 2.5 million square feet of new construction. As senior designer in two major New York City architecture firms Fernández led the design and construction of major commercial, institutional, and residential buildings in Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Jakarta, Tokyo, Shanghai, and other locations.

    12:10 PM
    Startup Lightning Talks, Part 2
    Events Leader, MIT Startup Exchange, MIT Startup Exchange
    Ariadna Rodenstein
    Ariadna Rodenstein
    Events Leader, MIT Startup Exchange

    Ariadna joined MIT Startup Exchange in a new role as Events Leader in September 2019. She has responsibility for the development and execution of events featuring startups, and for helping to promote collaboration and partnerships between MIT-connected startups and industry. She works closely with the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), also within Corporate Relations, and with other areas around the MIT innovation ecosystem and beyond. Prior to this, Ariadna worked for over a decade at Credit Suisse Group in New York City and London in a few different roles in event management and later became a Director for client strategy. She has combined her experience in the private sector with work in non-profits as a Consultant and Development Director at the New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defense Project and Americas Society/Council of the Americas. Ariadna also served on the Board of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association in NY for several years. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and Communications from New York University (NYU), also doing coursework at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico City, and her M.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York (CUNY).

    Jetcool: Compute Faster and More Sustainably
    Bernie Malouin
    Founder & CEO, Jetcool
    Bernie Malouin
    Founder & CEO

    Dr. Bernie Malouin is the founder and CEO of JETCOOL Technologies. Previously, Dr. Malouin spent 8 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he served as Chief Engineer on a $100M airborne hardware program. He was also the Principal Investigator on a $1.2M research and development project on cooling high power electronics, and has 13 years of experience in liquid cooling of electronics. Dr. Malouin holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and a BS in aeronautical engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. You may also find him fixing a tractor, flying an airplane, or bicycling a rail trail.

    Xinterra: AI-Powered Sustainable Materials and Formulations Development
    Patrick Teyssonneyre
    Co-Founder & CEO, Xinterra
    Patrick-Teyssonneyre-Xinterra
    Patrick Teyssonneyre
    Co-Founder & CEO

    Patrick Teyssonneyre is an entrepreneur, angel investor and accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of global experience in Deep Tech Ventures, Climate Tech and General Management of Innovation and Technology, having led the development of numerous Technologies, Products and Applications into successful commercialization in the Chemical and Materials Industries. Teyssonneyre has a B.S. in Materials Engineering, earned an M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

    Precise Molecular Separations with Membranes for Industrial Decarbonization
    Francesco M. Benedetti
    Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Osmoses
    Francesco Benedetti
    Francesco M. Benedetti
    Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

    Dr. Francesco M Benedetti is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Osmoses, Inc. He earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy, and worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Benedetti received a 2019/2020 MIT Energy Fellowship, a 2021 Activate Fellowship, and was an NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurial Lead in 2021. Under his leadership, Osmoses won the MIT $100k Entrepreneurship Competition in 2021, the 2021 Cleantech Open Northeast Accelerator, the Carbon Sequestration Prize, and in November 2021 closed a $3 million Pre-Seed round of financing led by The Engine and joined by other top national venture capital firms.

     

    Transforming Sargassum Seaweed into Scalable Ocean Sequestration of Carbon
    Andrés Bisonó León

    Co-Founder & CEO, SOS Carbon

    Andrés Bisonó León headshot
    Andrés Bisonó León

    Co-Founder & CEO, SOS Carbon

    Originally from the Dominican Republic, Andres is a ClimateTech entrepreneur working at the intersection of social impact and Climate Action. Andres holds a dual-major in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from Drexel University. Social and environmental impact has always been part of Andres' life endeavors. While in Philadelphia, he supported the community and empowered students and professionals by being part of LeBow BRIDGE Advisory Board and Prospanica Philadelphia Board. He worked at New Hudson Facades, a Related Companies subsidiary, in the development of three skyscrapers with a projects scope worth over USD$170 M at the iconic Hudson Yards in NYC. Since 2018, Andres has been leading SOS Carbon Inc. Sargassum Ocean Sequestration of Carbon (SOS Carbon) is a spinoff company from the Mechanical Engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SOS Carbon is focused on scaling its unique patented technologies to turn sargassum seaweed invasions problem into an economical natural Ocean carbon sequestering opportunity. As a member of MIT Sloan School of Management, Andres’ motivation is his capacity to transform society and the environment for a better tomorrow. SOS Carbon in committed to solving one of the Caribbean's most threatening problem, generate employment and value chains to the region, and fight climate change for a global impact.

    12:40 PM
    Lunch with Startup Exhibit
    1:50 PM

    Director - Supply Chain Sustainability, Intel Corporation

    Adam Schafer headshot
    Adam Schafer

    Director - Supply Chain Sustainability, Intel Corporation

    Experienced Engineering Manager and Sustainability Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the semiconductors industry. Skilled in Sustainability, Conflict Minerals, Human Rights and Forced and Bonded Labor, Chemical Regulatory Issues, Photolithography, Metrology, Defect Inspection, Process Control, Research and Development (R&D), Integrated Circuits (IC), CMOS, and Semiconductor Industry. Strong engineering professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Physical Chemistry from University of Washington.

    2:20 PM
    The Innovator’s Opportunity: Driving Decarbonization in an ESG Era
    Dominic Barbato
    Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business
    Dominic Barbato headshot
    Dominic Barbato
    Vice President, Strategy & Innovation

    Dominic leads global strategy and innovation for Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business where he is responsible for evolving the vision of the organization through long-term strategic planning, acquisition and partnership pursuits, innovation advancement, offer expansion, and relationship development. A Schneider “boomerang”, Dominic has held a variety of operations and leadership roles over his 15+ years with the company.

    Previously, Dominic was a part of Deloitte’s energy and resources practice, as well as a founding member of a startup focused on energy-as-a-service. He is passionate about the energy and sustainability industry, innovation, and delivering value to clients. Dominic holds an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Centre College.

    The topic of sustainability has gained mainstream attention with billions of dollars globally being committed to decarbonization as well as other social and governance matters. As one of the world’s most sustainable corporations, Schneider Electric is leading at the heart of this transition through a multi-faceted approach that includes pursuing its own Net-Zero commitments, accelerating the growth of its Sustainability Business to advise other organizations on their decarbonization journeys, and pursuing investments in early-stage opportunities through its corporate ventures group.

    2:50 PM
    Moderator:
    Program Director, MIT Startup Exchange
    Marcus Dahllöf
    Marcus Dahllöf
    Program Director

    Marcus Dahllöf leads MIT Startup Exchange, which facilitates connections between MIT-connected startups and corporate members of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). Dahllöf manages networking events, workshops, the STEX25 accelerator, opportunity postings, and helps define the strategic direction of MIT Startup Exchange. He is a two-time tech entrepreneur (one exit in cybersecurity), and has previously held roles in finance, software engineering, corporate strategy, and business development at emerging tech companies and Fortune 100 corporations in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Marcus was a member of the Swedish national rowing team and he is a mentor at the MIT Venture Mentoring Service.

    Panelists:
    Dominic Barbato
    Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business
    Dominic Barbato headshot
    Dominic Barbato
    Vice President, Strategy & Innovation

    Dominic leads global strategy and innovation for Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business where he is responsible for evolving the vision of the organization through long-term strategic planning, acquisition and partnership pursuits, innovation advancement, offer expansion, and relationship development. A Schneider “boomerang”, Dominic has held a variety of operations and leadership roles over his 15+ years with the company.

    Previously, Dominic was a part of Deloitte’s energy and resources practice, as well as a founding member of a startup focused on energy-as-a-service. He is passionate about the energy and sustainability industry, innovation, and delivering value to clients. Dominic holds an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Centre College.

    Edgerton Associate Professor, MIT DMSE
    Elsa Olivetti headshot
    Elsa Olivetti
    Edgerton Associate Professor

    Elsa Olivetti is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials in the context of rapid-expanding global demand. Dr. Olivetti received her B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering from MIT.

    Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle

    Megan O'Connor headshot
    Megan O'Connor

    Co-Founder and CEO, Nth Cycle

     

    Megan O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a metal processing company that has developed technology to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Dr. O’Connor leverages years of experience working on sustainable technology in many of America’s top research labs, where she helped develop the electro-extraction processes she and her team are commercializing at Nth Cycle. Prior to founding Nth Cycle, Dr. O’Connor was an Entrepreneurial Fellow in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was a visiting researcher at Yale University’s Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering. Dr. O’Connor received her PhD in environmental engineering from Duke University and was recognized by Forbes on its “30 under 30” energy list in 2019.

    Nth Cycle is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is supported by a world-class team of investors including Clean Energy Ventures, VoLo Earth Venture Fund, the Department of Energy, and Elemental Excelerator.

    Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Congruent Ventures

    Joshua Posamentier headshot
    Joshua Posamentier

    Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Congruent Ventures

    Joshua Posamentier is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Congruent Ventures. Joshua oversees Congruent’s investments in PolySpectra, Sense Photonics, Energetic Insurance, TeleSense, Bellwether Coffee, Xtelligent, ArcByt, Fox Robotics, and Emergy Labs. He has rich experience in venture (Prelude Ventures, Intel Capital) and operating roles (Intel, National Semi, TI), and entrepreneurship (CEO of Blipstream). He was an integral member of Intel’s first wireless chip team, started and ran National Semiconductor’s EV, Energy Storage and Smart Grid business units and initiated investment in several new business lines. Joshua has over 50 patents issued or pending, holds a BA in physics from the University California at Berkeley, and holds MBAs from the Columbia Business School and the Haas School of Business. Josh is an avid cyclist, skier, sailor, surfer, and photographer and lives with his family in the SF Bay Area.

    3:30 PM

    21Geo – A New Paradigm for Mechanisms

    MosaicML – Making ML Training Efficient

    LongWave Photonics - Quantum cascade lasers for spectroscopy and imaging

    TrustPoint - Resilient GPS for the automated and augmented world

    Vayu Robotics – An environmentally sustainable and scalable robotics platform for mobility

    VoiceBrain – Analytics platform that turns group voice communication into real-time actionable insights

    Zing Data – Data at your fingertips for collaborative business intelligence

    3:45 PM
    Closing Remarks with Networking Reception

Sponsored by:

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Disclaimer:  MIT Startup Exchange can make introductions that ideally provide open ended discussions in order to share mutual interests and potentially create common ground that incite the parties to collaborate. MIT Startup Exchange introductions may eventually lead to mutual partnerships, but that is not in any way guaranteed by MIT, MIT Corporate Relations, MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) or MIT Startup Exchange, which takes no responsibility for these outcomes and no formal part in such discussions following our introduction. MIT Startup Exchange and its activities and events are not for purposes of soliciting investment or offering securities.