2022 Summit

About

The event convenes more than 1,000 students, business professionals, international speakers, policy members, and academics for two days of engagement to foster leadership, share new ideas, and bring growth opportunities to the Southeast’s cleantech economy and highlight the advance of clean technology across the globe.

The eighth annual UNC Clean Tech Summit took place on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 – Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at The Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.  All programming was in-person with the exception of the virtual career fair and a free kick-off Solar Decathlon workshop for students.

The 2022 Summit, “Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy” featured in-person keynote and panel speakers, the popular Mentor Match program, 42+ panel and breakout sessions, student workshops, and a virtual career fair (March 31). Both luncheons featured an all-vegan menu.

This event would not have been possible without our generous sponsors!

Agenda

Tracks

This two-day event included panels for the following seven (7) tracks:

Green Hydrogen for a Carbon-free Economy

Green hydrogen is a critical component of the global transition to a low-carbon future. Drawing on lessons from Europe and Asia, the 2022 Clean Tech Summit will explore green hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize fossil fuel-dependent industries, such as steel and cement, along with its applications in energy storage, transportation, and synthetic natural gas.

Ocean-centric Climate Solutions

We will explore the transformative effect of the coming offshore wind off the US East Coast. Some of the panels covered will include workforce development, offshore wind supply chains, floating wind farms and new fuels for maritime shipping that will be products of this offshore wind boom (green hydrogen or derivatives such as methanol or ammonia).

The Global Energy Transition

Advancements in the technological and political facets of clean energy are crucial for the achievement of a low-carbon future. Some of the topics we will cover in this year’s segment include: new battery technologies, grid modernization, the role of policy, software solutions for grid optimization, how to diversify and secure supply chains for rare minerals, cobaltite, smaltite and lithium ion and other essential inputs for clean technology industries.

Green Finance: Investing in Our Future

Achieving a low-carbon economy is impossible without the integration and innovation of financial and policy instruments. This 2022 “Green Finance” track will explore how the intersection between ESG investment decisions, policy support, and clean technology will drive a low-carbon future.

Weaving a Sustainable Future through Textile Innovations

Textiles is one of the oldest industries on the planet. Lately, textiles have seen major innovations that are nudging the industry to create innovative solutions and adopt sustainability within global business models. We will showcase how textile industries in North Carolina and around the world are being challenged to transition to a more sustainable model that includes circularity as a key component of the future of textiles.

The Rise of Alternative Proteins

The alternative protein industry will play an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy and the search for healthy alternatives. At the 2022  Clean Tech Summit, learn about funding, technology, marketing, and more behind the upcoming field of alternative proteins.

Mobility

This track will feature engaging conversations about current issues in mobility. We will explore the electrification of transportation and its ramifications for economic development in the Southeast, and for improving public health especially in minority communities that tend to have some of the worst air quality. We will also explore how better urban planning can make us less dependent on single-occupancy cars, create healthier and more livable communities, and how micromobility can contribute to the evolution in how we move.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Speakers

Keynotes and Featured

Glenn Wright

President, North America and Vice President, Renewables & Energy Solutions, Americas

Shell Energy

Jeroen Willemsen

Innovation Lead Protein Shift

Foodvalley Netherlands

Jason Roycht

Global Head - FCEV Business Unit

Nikola Corporation

Joshua Rogol

President

Strata Clean Energy

Stacy Pyett

Program Manager, Proteins for Life

Wageningen University & Research

Emilio Nieto

General Manager

Spanish National Hydrogen Centre (CNH2)

Mark Mitchell

Senior Vice President–Project Construction

Dominion Energy

Frank Mischler

Director, PtX Hub Brussels

GIZ- German Governmental Agency

Dagmara Koska

Deputy Head of Global Issues & Innovation

EU Delegation to the U.S.A.

Chris Fox

Chief Sustainability Officer

HanesBrands

Omer Farooq

Managing Director, Global Sustainable Finance Group (GSFG)

Bank of America

Phil Berger

President Pro Tempore

North Carolina Senate

Mike Ableson

CEO

Arrival Automotive

Panelists

Nakisa Glover

Co-Executive Director

Sol Nation

Sarah Gaskill

Head of Sustainability and ESG

FUJIFILM

Shelley Francis

Co-Founder & Director

EVHybridNoire

Hayes Framme

Government Relations and Communications

Ørsted Offshore

Fabio Fracaroli

Senior Director Renewable Segment North America

Hitachi Energy

Sidney Fowler

Senior Associate

Pillsbury

Mike Fortier

Sustainability Manager

Spin

Frank Fisher

General Manager, Director of Energy

Nucor

Chris Fishel

Director, Power & Project Finance

Zions Bank

Robert Fares

Energy Industry Analyst

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Peter J. H. Esmann

Senior Commercial Advisor, Offshore Wind, Wind Energy Advisory

The Embassy of Denmark

Michelle Egger

CEO and Co-Founder

Biomilq

Sean Egan

Director of Transportation

City of Durham

Robert Do

CEO

SGH2 Energy

Matt DiLeo

Director, Scientific Operations

Elo Life Systems

Austin Devaney

Chief Commercial Officer

Piedmont Lithium

Will Dempsey

Vice President, Commercial

Midrex

Jamie DeMent Holcomb

Co-founder

North Carolina Venture Capital Fund

Chantarella De Blois

Vice President

Total Impact Capital

Jesse Daystar

Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Sustainability

Cotton Incorporated

Ted Damutz

Issuer Development Specialist

BondLink

Tom Cyrs

Research Associate

WRI United States Program

Tony Curnes

Co-founder and Partner

Purpose Venture Group (PVG)

Thad Culley

Senior Manager of Public Policy

Sunrun

Stan Cross

Electric Transportation Policy Director

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Amy Cooke

Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies

UNC Environment, Ecology and Energy Program

Edward Conner

President

SpanSet

Lori Collins

Owner and Principal

Collins Climate Consulting

Drew Coleman

Professor, Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Nigel Cockroft

General Manager

JinkoSolar

Ali Clary

Marketing Coordinator, Research

Consultant

Jimmy Chuang

CFO

Strata Clean Energy

Iker Chocarro

Director, Transmission

RWE Renewables Americas

Hui-Wen Chan

Director of Sustainability

Spin, a Ford Motor Unit

Bob Carswell

Research and Development Director

Material Return

Matt Campbell

Co-founder

Natrx

Roberto Campana

Lead, Research Unit

Spanish National Center for Hydrogen (CNH2)

Tessa Callaghan

Co-founder and CEO

AlgiKnit

Augusto Bulte

Director, Energy Transition and Process

Wood

Lukas Brun

Managing Director of Research and Economic Development

E4 Carolinas

Anne-Claire Broughton

Founder and Board Vice Chair

North Carolina Employee Ownership Center

Mark Brooks

Investment Manager

Syngenta Group Ventures

Matthew Bravante

Heating and Hydrogen Analyst

BloombergNEF

Meredith Boyd

Senior Vice President, Innovation and Technology

Unifi

Robin Boren

Senior Vice President of Finance, Treasurer

Southern Company

Carson Bone

CEO

Blue Ridge Bantam

Stuart Bolland

Chief Operating Officer

Powin Energy

Greg Bohlen

Co-founder and Managing General Partner

Union Grove Venture Partners

Anne Blair

Policy Director

Electrification Coalition

David Billstrom

Executive Leader

Kitsbow Cycling Apparel

Derek Bentley

Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Low Carbon Infrastructure

Nomura Greentech

William Beloe

Principal Industry Specialist, Climate Finance

IFC

Victoria Beasley

Partner

Prelude Ventures

Nigel Barrella

Lawyer

Barella Law

Jochen Bard

Division Director Energy Process Technology

Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (IEE)

William J. Barber III

Director of Environmental and Climate Justice

The Climate Reality Project

Mette Asmussen

Maritime Advisor

The Embassy of Denmark

Bill Aimutis

Executive Director

North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, NCSU

Dhruv Agarwal

Senior Director of Global Innovations, Sustainability, and Product Development

Kontoor Brands

France-Emmanuelle Adil

Founder & CEO

Tiamat Sciences

Jay Oliver

Managing Director, Grid Systems Integration

Duke Energy

Megan O’Connor

Co-founder and CEO

Nth Cycle

Frank Nelms

Director, Energy Practice

ScottMadden

Sean Lawrie

Partner

ScottMadden

Tony Lathrop

Board Member, Chair of the Finance Committee

NC Board of Transportation

Pete Krull

Partner, Director of Sustainable Investing

Earth Equity Advisors

Susanne Kjemtrup

Independent Consultant

Phyta Biotech Consulting, LLC

Mark Huang

Co-Founder and Managing Director

SeaAhead

Mariliis Holm

Co-founder and Partner

Sustainable Food Ventures (SVF)

Corey Hessen

Executive Vice-President and President, Power, Storage and Origination

TC Energy

RD Gauss

Principal

Global Infrastructure Partners

Christopher Chung

CEO

EDPNC

Bryan Cheong

Director of Programs and Strategy

The Global America Business Institute (GABI)

Ryan Bethencourt

CEO

Wild Earth

Doug Beebe

Vice President, Clean Energy

Key Equipment Finance

Brian Bednar

President and Founder

Birdseye Renewable Energy

Meredith Bandy

Vice President, Investor Relations & Sustainability

Albemarle Corporation

Sponsors

Individual contributions also make it possible for us to bring together attendees and speakers to explore key issues in the Southeast’s cleantech industry.

All Sponsors

Summit

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Virtual Career Fair

This year’s UNC Cleantech Summit career fair was virtual on Thursday, March 31 from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The event ass co-hosted by the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Participating companies

Video

See how this annual event connects the next generation of cleantech innovators with global, national, and regional industry leaders.

Co-hosts

This event was co-hosted by: