Vince Keenan is the Head of Innovation Engagement for Mayor Mary Sheffield’s Office of Mobility Innovation, leading Detroit’s clean-freight and hydrogen initiatives. With 25 years of experience in community engagement and inclusive urban revitalization, he spearheaded the campaign that created Detroit’s Council Districts and later served as the city’s first District 5 Manager. A lifelong Detroiter and the U.S. patent holder for Publius, he lives with his family in historic Corktown.

Joseph G. Spakowski leads application engineering for gasoline and diesel fuel systems and alternate fuels, including alcohol fuels and emerging low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen, across the Americas for PHINIA. Prior to his current role, he served as Global Chief Product Engineer for gasoline direct injection fuel-system products, including pumps, injectors, and fuel rails. He began his career with General Motors in 1985 and has spent 40 years with the organization through its transitions from GM to Delphi, BorgWarner, and PHINIA, with the past 25 years focused on fuel systems. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, graduating summa cum laude. He holds more than 25 patents and has received multiple engineering and innovation honors, including the GM Boss Kettering Award, Delphi Innovation Hall of Fame recognition, BorgWarner Innovation Award, and PHINIA Innovation Hall of Fame.

Hans-Peter Boehm began his career supporting engine-development programs for multiple OEMs. Since joining Nagel GmbH in 2017, he has held leadership roles in research and development, abrasives, and process engineering. He currently serves as Senior Manager of Advanced Technologies and Innovation.

Dr. Carina Foster is a Lead Technologist in Product Development EMEA at Infineum UK Ltd, based at the Infineum Business & Technology Centre in the UK. She holds an MChem and a DPhil in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. With a background in lubricant formulation development for both Passenger Car and Heavy Duty Diesel applications, Carina now leads Infineum’s global technical venture focused on hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) applications. Her work centers on building fundamental understanding and developing lubricant solutions to enable reliable, durable engine operation in this emerging hydrogen-powered technology.

Robert Laverne serves as Business Development Manager for In-Gas Solutions, where he is responsible for driving growth of the company’s Industrial and Noble Gas Equipment product line. Robert began his career in the pharmaceutical industry, consulting for Concorde Specialty Gases on bids and contract opportunities throughout the Middle East. In 2010, he joined Concorde Specialty Gases full-time, serving as Director of Strategic Planning with a focus on SF6 gas applications and market development. In 2024, Robert joined In-Gas Solutions, where he is responsible for developing and maintaining customer relationships, establishing strategic partnerships, and expanding market opportunities for the Industrial Gas Equipment product line. Through its Industrial Gas Equipment division, In-Gas Solutions provides engineered solutions for the safe handling, processing, storage, and recovery of specialty, industrial, and noble gases across a variety of critical industries.

Etienne MACRON graduated in 2001 in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Compiègne, France. He has 20 years of experience running research and development activities across process engineering, microelectronics for photovoltaic energy, plastic composite materials, and coatings for automotive and railway applications. In 2018, he joined IREIS, the R&D subsidiary of the HEG Groupe specialized in materials and surface engineering for multiple industrial sectors. He is now manager of the tribology team, responsible for the development of partnerships and tribology-oriented R&D programs.

Professor Xinyan Wang is a Full Professor and Co-Director of the Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels at Brunel University of London, UK. He also serves as Director of Research for the Department of Engineering at Brunel. Professor Wang leads a large research group focused on advanced combustion concepts and novel engines using low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels. He has received more than £7 million in research funding and has published more than 100 papers in international journals and conferences. He is a committee member of Hydrogen Europe Research, Associate Principal Editor of Fuel, and Secretary of UK UnICE3G, the Universities’ Internal Combustion Engines, Electrification and Energy Group.

Greg Braziunas is a seasoned engineering leader with more than two decades at Daimler Truck. He holds an MBA and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, all from the University of Michigan. As Head of Powertrain Engineering North America, he oversees development of engines, transmissions, axles, high-voltage batteries, and e-drive systems with a specific focus on the North American market. His career has spanned senior technical and managerial roles, including platform management, transmission and clutch development, and performance and emissions engineering, where he has helped drive major product launches delivering improvements in fuel efficiency, reliability, and customer value.

Colin Horn is Head of the North American Technical Center for FPT Industrial, the powertrain division of Iveco Group. His current responsibilities include overseeing the construction and commissioning of a new test laboratory with four EPA 1065-certified test benches for diesel engine testing and validation, leading application engineering support for North American OEMs, and coordinating activities with other FPT divisions. Since joining FPT in 2016, he has previously led the North American Application Engineering team, supporting proper engine installation and validation across a wide range of applications. Prior to joining FPT, Colin spent 16 years at two other OEMs in roles supporting diesel and natural gas engine design, development, validation, and project management.

Scott Halley is the Director of the Americas OEM Group, as well as the Industrial and Fuel business groups, at The Lubrizol Corporation. In his OEM role, he leads efforts to build, cultivate, and leverage relationships with OEMs and Tier suppliers to identify challenges that can be addressed through lubricant and fuel solutions.

He received his engineering degree from The University of Akron in 1992 and began his Lubrizol career as a test engineer in the company’s Mechanical Testing Laboratory, where he evaluated lubricant performance for gasoline and heavy-duty diesel engines as well as automatic transmissions, including CVT and DCT applications. Scott later led Lubrizol’s Driveline testing group in Wickliffe, Ohio before completing an overseas assignment as Mechanical Testing Manager at Lubrizol’s Hazelwood, England location.

Since returning to the United States, Scott has held several leadership roles within Lubrizol, including positions in the OEM Group, Global Automatic Transmission Fluid business, vehicle efficiency, and strategic technology.

Nathan Peters works on the development and integration of advanced powertrains in electrification, fuel cells, and combustion engines. He has more than ten years of experience in alternative-fuel engine research and serves as principal investigator on two U.S. Department of Energy projects.

Jason is the Manager and Head of Technology for MAHLE’s North American Engine Components group and has been with MAHLE for over 25 years. He has authored technical papers in engine component development and low-speed pre-ignition research, and has helped develop industry standards for power cylinder component design and validation. He is currently responsible for a team of technical specialists that develop new power cylinder technology and support the application of MAHLE’s advanced technologies.

Thomas Waldron has been with SuperTurbo Technologies since the company’s creation in 2009 and was appointed President and CEO in 2025. His previous roles include Executive Vice President and Vice President of Operations.

Dr. Vitaly Y. Prikhodko is an R&D staff member within the Applied Catalysis and Emissions Research group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research is centered on advancing emissions control systems and developing innovative strategies for the integration and optimization of exhaust after-treatment technologies. Additionally, his work explores the safety of commercial motor vehicles, with a particular focus on autonomous vehicles. He holds a BA in Computer Science and Business from Maryville College, as well as a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Brian R. Ellis is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. He currently serves as Division Chair of the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering program and as the Co-Director of U-M’s MI Hydrogen initiative. Dr. Ellis holds bachelor’s degrees in Geosciences and Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master’s and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University. His research interests cover topics related to the development of subsurface energy resources and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Included among these activities are the development of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs via hydraulic fracturing, geologic storage of CO2, and production of geologic hydrogen. His research group investigates water-rock interactions that occur in these systems through experimental studies, imaging techniques, and geochemical modeling.

Matt Thorington is an Engineering Manager for Hydrogen Electrolyzer Stacks in the Power Solutions Division at Robert Bosch LLC. Matt has been working in the hydrogen field for approximately eight years, with experience in PEM fuel cell stacks and systems, including launch of a system for heavy-duty trucks in North America in 2023. He was the Principal Investigator of a DOE-VTO project for electrification technologies called MURECP, where Bosch and project partners developed an innovative power-split hybrid transmission for commercial vehicles. His previous automotive experience includes waste heat recovery systems and diesel fuel injection systems, including three years living in Germany.

Katrina Fritz is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Hydrogen Business Council, the largest and longest established hydrogen trade association in the U.S. Katrina leads the organization as chief advocate and champion for advancement of hydrogen and renewable fuels sectors to achieve air quality and climate objectives. With over two decades of global experience in clean energy technology strategy and policy, she is a recognized advisor to industry, government, and research communities. Katrina represents CHBC on major advisory bodies, including the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Advisory Committee.

Dave Edwards is a Hydrogen Energy Fellow for Air Liquide in the U.S. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal and external partnerships with industry, academia, and government entities to advance the technology, policies, and business opportunities in Hydrogen Energy. Employed by Air Liquide for more than 25 years, he has experience across a wide range of energy-related roles in hydrogen, carbon capture, and gas separations.

Shafiq Bari is the Director of Mobility Policy at the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. In this role, he leads development and deployment of mobility-related policies and infrastructure in the state. Shafiq also manages the Governor’s Council on Future Mobility and Electrification. He has degrees from the University of Michigan and North Carolina State University.

Georgios Karavalakis joined UCR’s CE-CERT in July 2020 and leads an experimental research program in combustion engines, alternative fuels, and transportation emissions. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. He also holds an MSc in environmental engineering and a BEng(Hons) in engineering from the University of Portsmouth. Dr. Karavalakis’ current research focuses on the environmental impacts of low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels and their interaction with emerging engine technologies. He is particularly interested in the physicochemical characterization of emissions from ground and marine transportation, gaseous and liquid fuels, PM health effects, and secondary aerosol formation from combustion engines.

Stefan Sterlepper is Chief Engineer at the Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems at RWTH Aachen University and leads the institute’s hydrogen activities. This includes research on hydrogen combustion engines, fuel cells, and electrolyzers. In parallel, he acts as Managing Director of SupplHyInno Rhineland, the Hydrogen Clusters4Future initiative that accelerates innovation transfer along the hydrogen ecosystem in Germany. He connects more than 50 industry partners and 25 research institutes in nine directly funded and over 50 associated research projects. Previously, he was research group leader for emissions and aftertreatment of mobile propulsion systems. He studied mechanical engineering and energy technologies at RWTH Aachen and completed his PhD on aging of gasoline particulate filters for automotive applications.

Professor Margaret Wooldridge is the Walter J. Weber, Jr. Professor of Energy, Environmental and Earth Systems Engineering, and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and her B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Wooldridge was on the faculty at Texas A&M University in 1995 before joining the University of Michigan in 1998. Her research program spans diverse areas where high-temperature chemically reacting systems are critical, including power and propulsion systems, fuel chemistry, and synthesis methods for advanced nanostructured materials. Her research team has pioneered methods for characterizing fundamental fuel properties and performance in modern spark-ignition and gas turbine engines. She is a fellow of the Combustion Institute, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Tarek Abdel-Baset serves as Director of Business Development for Hydrogen Storage Systems in North America within the Clean Mobility division at FORVIA, where he leads the company’s zero-emissions business development activities in the region. Tarek has extensive experience in product research, innovation, government collaboration, contract, and intellectual property development. He joined Faurecia in 2022, bringing more than two decades of automotive industry experience. Prior to his current role, Tarek served as Chief Engineer for Faurecia Hydrogen Storage Solutions. Before joining Faurecia, Tarek was an Advanced Electrified Propulsion Systems Engineer at Stellantis from 2020 to 2022 and held various positions at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, including Program Manager, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Storage Engineer, and Business and Policy Strategist. During his two decades at Chrysler, Tarek developed new features for the Advanced Development Engineering department, implemented research programs addressing hydrogen storage issues, and built prototypes. He also served as Chrysler’s representative to the U.S. Department of Energy on Freedom Car Consortiums, aided as industry co-chair for the Hydrogen Storage tech team, and led industry participation on the development of DOE hydrogen storage targets for light-duty vehicles. Tarek holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Timothy Fogarty is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of PCC Hydrogen. He currently serves as the CEO of Pyrochem Catalyst Company and PCC Hydrogen, both Crimson Hill portfolio companies. Prior to PCC Hydrogen, Mr. Fogarty co-founded NALC, LLC, a hard rock mining company that was sold to a strategic buyer in 2019. Mr. Fogarty was the Vice President of Energy Programs at Innovation Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he managed a pool of more than $10 million dedicated to energy technology investments. Prior to NALC, he founded and was co-CEO of Phoenix Coal Corporation, a coal technology and mining company formed to commercialize a clean coal technology licensed from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Phoenix completed an IPO in July 2008. He also served as CFO for INI Power Systems, a fuel cell company developing portable power solutions for military applications. Mr. Fogarty was the Power Technologies Equity Research Analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC in New York City. Mr. Fogarty graduated from Harvard University and served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantry officer.

Thomas Briggs is an Institute Engineer at Southwest Research Institute in the Powertrain Engineering Division, where he is the lead combustion system specialist for both SI and CI engines. He also consults widely for the mobility industry, using the decades of SwRI leadership in advanced technology development for both regulators and industry as a lens for understanding how SwRI clients can develop robust technology portfolios in the face of ongoing industry uncertainty.

Elias Rubio Estrada is a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, where he conducts research under Dr. Daniel Olsen in the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at the Energy Powerhouse Campus. He began his research career as an undergraduate researcher in 2023, contributing to large industrial engine research projects focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in May 2025 and is currently pursuing his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

His master’s research focuses on converting a conventional internal combustion engine to operate on hydrogen and hydrogen-blend fuels for lower-emission power generation applications. His work examines the potential of hydrogen-fueled engines as a pathway toward reducing emissions from power generation systems. Elias is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and has been involved with Colorado State University’s Formula SAE team since 2023.

Nick Barilo is Executive Director of the Center for Hydrogen Safety and Hydrogen Safety Program Manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A licensed fire protection engineer with more than 40 years of experience, he leads global efforts to advance hydrogen safety through best practices, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. He also oversees the U.S. Hydrogen Safety Panel, supporting risk-informed decision-making, safety education, and first responder readiness worldwide.

Livio Gambone offers hydrogen fuel system design, performance, safety, and codes and standards consultation through his firm, Hydrogenium Consulting LLC. Livio was formerly the head of the hydrogen storage and fuel cell team at Nikola Corporation, responsible for the key hydrogen propulsion systems on the Nikola Tre fuel cell electric Class 8 truck. Prior to Nikola, Livio led hydrogen testing and certification activities at Powertech Labs and CSA Group. He is the convener of several ISO standards related to hydrogen fueling connectors, fuel tanks, and TPRDs. Livio has been a member of the Hydrogen Safety Panel for more than 10 years.

Chad Fohne is the Fuel Delivery System Engineering and Integration Leader at Cummins Inc., where he leads the global development and integration of fuel delivery systems for natural gas and hydrogen applications. With 20 years of experience, he brings deep expertise in gaseous fuel technologies and plays a key role in advancing low- and zero-carbon solutions for on-highway engines. Chad spent 13 years with the Cummins Westport joint venture in roles spanning service engineering, customer support, and product integration for on-highway natural gas products. He later led the integration of the Cummins X15N into key OEM platforms and now focuses on enabling scalable hydrogen and natural gas fuel systems to support the energy transition. Chad holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Technology from Southern Illinois University.

Lennie Klebanoff received his B.S. in Chemistry and M.S. in Organic Chemistry from Bucknell University. He received a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985, studying surface science. After Berkeley, Lennie completed postdoctoral work at the National Bureau of Standards, now NIST, studying surface magnetism. From 1987 to 1997, Lennie was a tenured Professor of Chemistry at Lehigh University, where he invented Spin-Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, a technique to study magnetic surfaces and thin films with element specificity. In 1997, Lennie became a staff scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California. He was a team leader for the Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography program, developing advanced EUVL-based methods for semiconductor manufacturing. In 2006, Lennie was named Director of the U.S. DOE Metal Hydride Center of Excellence to advance the science of solid-state storage of hydrogen using metal hydrides. He also led Sandia’s effort in Fuel Cell Market Transformation, including the use of hydrogen fuel-cell technology to power ships. Today, he continues his hydrogen storage and maritime hydrogen work, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lennie has authored 140 publications, published one book, and has 40 issued patents.